=j(oe) + (l)izz + travel
We arrived in Sapporo right before dinnertime. Our Air BnB place is across the river, about a 15 minute walk to Susukino’s ramen alley. We managed to find a ramen restaurant with 5 free seats. The ramen restaurants are all pretty small, the one we ate at could fit maximum 8 persons. We put in […]
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I tried snowboarding and skiing in Rusutsu. I am marginally better with skiing. At least I can somehow move myself in the direction I need to go to when on skis. On the snowboard, I’m pretty much at the mercy of gravity, I essentially slide down the mountain in the direction of the slope. I […]
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I made a day trip to Otaru on my own yesterday. Started out at the Hirafu intersection waiting for the Niseko bus that goes to the Kutchan train station at 8:59am. For whatever reason, the bus was 15 minutes late…shocking for Japanese standards. There were several passengers needing to catch the train to Otaru so […]
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Spent the morning researching and mapping out all the onsens in the area while the boys enjoy powder runs. Found three onsens within a three block radius from our hotel. Before we started any relaxation, we went in search of nourishment. Found a ramen place with some people waiting outside. Figured the place must be […]
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Snow, lots of snow. My snow boots finally look at home and prove to be awesome. Explored Hirafu and Kutchan today. While waiting for the bus to Kutchan, I noticed a man working hard to remove snow on a sloped roof in only a t-shirt. Checked out the local grocery stores and enjoyed the various […]
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Spent the last day in Shanghai doing laundry and getting a massage. Decided to check out the Bund at night. I popped into the lobby bistro at the Peace Hotel to grab some nosh. After three weeks of Chinese food, I was pretty happy having spaghetti Bolognese tonight. Rice will always be my first choice […]
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Woke up this morning to sunshine and clear skies in Shanghai. It had snowed yesterday and this morning the temperature outside was -7° degrees, the coldest it has been in 15 years according to news reports. I was very happy that I packed the warmest clothes I owned, my fleece lined snow boots and puffy down jacket […]
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We decided to explore a little further a field today and check out this area known as Tiger Hill. A driver standing by the hotel tour desk offered to drive us to the sites for 50 RMB. On the way to the Lingering Gardens, our first stop, the driver received a call from a friend […]
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A little lion in a bamboo grove in Lion Grove Garden.
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I think these are plum blossoms. They bloom in winter and they smell absolutely amazing. Our first stop this morning was the Suzhou Museum. Even though admission to the museum is free, there were scalpers trying to sell us package tickets to the museum and nearby gardens for a “discount”. They were so aggressive, I almost […]
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I’ve arrived in Suzhou. My great grandma was born here. Perhaps this is why I have such an affinity for this city of canals and gardens. I remember that both my great grandma and I shared a love of ice cream and we would fight over the extra ice cream bar. I was six at the […]
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I wanted to check out the Ningbo Museum for its interesting architecture. We took Bus No. 636 from city centre to the museum which is located on the outskirts of the city. I guess we were out in the boonies because we didn’t see any people. There were no cars on the streets! It was a […]
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