ID number: 115692836180624864
Permalink: http://escapist5.blogspot.com/2006/08/wonderful-experience-in-hokkaido.htmlOne more day before the autumn term starts. Oh great! Sucky dorm life. I just want to spend more time in Hokkaido. We had so much fun there. Here's a list of the coolest things we did there.
Day #1: 18th August 2006
Sapporo 札幌
Reached Chitose Airport (千歳空港) in the evening and made it to Sapporo at night. Spent the night in a youth hostel, which wasn't a very nice place. Well, afterall, we've been sufficiently informed not to expect too much.
Oh yeah, spotted a Pokemon airplane while we were in Haneda Airport (羽田空港).
Sapporo 札幌
Reached Chitose Airport (千歳空港) in the evening and made it to Sapporo at night. Spent the night in a youth hostel, which wasn't a very nice place. Well, afterall, we've been sufficiently informed not to expect too much.
Oh yeah, spotted a Pokemon airplane while we were in Haneda Airport (羽田空港).
(Fun-o-meter: 
)
Day #2: 19th August 2006
Sapporo 札幌
Mr Nakamura picked us up in the afternoon. Went to the Sapporo TV Tower.
)Day #2: 19th August 2006
Sapporo 札幌
Mr Nakamura picked us up in the afternoon. Went to the Sapporo TV Tower.
Sapporo is a relatively new city in Japan. Before the Meiji period, only Ainu's lived there. But later, the Meiji emperor invited Westerners over to Sapporo to help develop the area. The city is well-organised into sections with junctions at, like, every 50 meters or so. Streets are named according to their relative positions from the heart of the city, which is where the TV Tower stands.
Another landmark in Sapporo, the Clock Tower. The building was built on year 1878 as a military-like training ground for students in Sapporo Agricultural Univeristy (now known as Hokkaido University).
The former Sapporo government building.
This, is called Genghis Khan - lamb cooked on a hotplate. The name is misleading, for the dish comes not from Mongoia but from China. It seems to be Hokkaido's "party food".(Fun-o-meter:
)Okura 大倉
These people are crazy. They love skiing so much that they can't wait for winter. Geez.
Skiing down from as high as 145.0m.
The city, as viewed from the hill.(Fun-o-meter:
)Taiko performance in Otaru 小樽
(Fun-o-meter: )
Day #3: 20th August 2006
Niseko ニセコ
Now, this is one of the programmes I like the most! Not just any ordinary mountain climbing. Thanks to the weather, the wind was extremely cold and strong that it was impossible to see more than five meters away. Got all soaked up not because it was raining but because we were in the middle of the cloud!
)Day #3: 20th August 2006
Niseko ニセコ
Now, this is one of the programmes I like the most! Not just any ordinary mountain climbing. Thanks to the weather, the wind was extremely cold and strong that it was impossible to see more than five meters away. Got all soaked up not because it was raining but because we were in the middle of the cloud!
The visibility was as such.
The epic journey to the peak of Niseko, 1308.2m.(Fun-o-meter:
)Day #4: 21th August 2006
Sorioi-yama observatory 橇負山展望台
The chief of education, Mr Namikoshi (浪越さん) took us on a guided trip around the village.
But before that, we stopped by at the village head, Mr Sawa's (澤村長さん) office. He was talking about something which we couldn't understand at all. In fact, even the villagers admitted that they can't understand Mr Sawa when he starts babbling away about Rusutsu's history. When Mr Sawa learned that Laura is from Columbia, he asked his secretary to serve us coffee. Luckily, the meeting didn't go on for too long; he finally decided let us go after the coffee session.
Stopped by at Sorioi-yama to have a good look at the Rusutsu (留寿都). Too bad that it was cloudy; the mountains couldn't be seen clearly.
This was also where we took off during the paragliding on the tenth day.
(Fun-o-meter:
)Guided Tour Around Rusutsu 留寿都のご案内
It happens that not only Mr Namikoshi is one of the important person in this place. His uncle has a bust dedicated to himself.
No, this is not the finger-licking-good sign. As I've mentioned earlier, the most popular food here is Genghis Khan, not KFC. Mr Namikoshi's uncle was a famous shiatsu specialist (指圧師), or an acupressurist.Mr Namikoshi treated us to delicious Hokkaido ice-cream! The shop was managed by his son.
And lunch!
The dish was so much that we could hardly finish everything.(Fun-o-meter:
)Park Golf パルコゴルフ
The most popular food here is Genghis Khan and the most famous sports? Park golf. For goodness sake, we even played a simplified version of the game in the temple on the Saturday!
Park golf is a combination of golf, mini golf, and croquet, invented in Japan. It is played using a single wooden mallet, much like a field hockey stick, with a broad, round head. The ball is roughly twice as large as a golf ball, made of hard, typically brightly-colored plastic. Holes average between 30 and 50 meters. As with golf, park golf requires drives, mid-range shots, and putts, although unlike in golf the ball is almost never airborne.
Park Golf players are largely elderly, though the sport does often require more physical exertion than croquet and the like. ~Wikipedia
Played park golf in the afternoon with teachers. Uh, it is a game for the elderly. Anyway, was having fun until it started to rain towards the end of the game. So, we had to do the barbeque indoor for dinner.
By the way, that's Mr Namikoshi on the left. He's a pleasant guy.(Fun-o-meter:
)Day #5: 22th August 2006
Rusutsu Primary School 留寿都小学校
Rusutsu has three schools: two primary schools and a high school. This is Rusutsu Primary School, where we spent three days studying together with the kids.
Just a small school with about 70 students. But it has everything a condusive school needs.A swimming pool...
A small field with a good view...
A cosy library...
A living skills lab...
A music room complete with a piano, some old electones and other musical instruments...
A computer room...
