Ok, went to Japan for holiday with family from 28th Nov to 7th Dec.... Anyway, morning on 28th woke up at like 4+am or something and reached the airport at like 6+ I think? Flight was damn early lah... Zzz... Yeah then flight, finally got to watch Transformers and Ratatouille... Lol... Reached Tokyo then change to another flight to Hokkaido... It's some island north of Japan... Got a lot of islands lah... Anyway, shan't go into detail of everyday, would take ages that way... Anyway, first day was nothing much cause of flights... Stayed in hotel, that's about it...
Anyway, the actual tour is like 7 days, 6 days in Hokkaido... In Hokkaido travelled to loads of places, saw some ancient clan of Japanese's style of living, some wine factory, wood craft centre, fox farm etc.... Mostly stuff like that... Sight seeing stuff... Damn nice some of the scenery, spent a lot of time travelling on the bus... In Hokkaido it was cold enough to snow, and so it did... During some of the stops went to play with the snow... Damn fun throwing that around, especially at my brother... Lol... Then there were places like fox farms, went to some place damn near a volcano.... Saw frozen over lakes and rivers, there was shopping of food stuff at certain stops and all that.... Then at one visit to the city we saw the TV tower of some sort, didn't go up though.... Then there was this underground shopping centre called Aurora Town... Lol, sounds like some city in the Pokemon games... Lol.... Then at one time there was this 2 hour plus ride to our next hotel, watched the movie Swat on the trip, nice show... Yeah, on the trip I brought my Ipod, cause a lot of travelling damn boring, but I used up the battery damn quickly, Friday bo batt liao.... Zzzz.. Then tried to charge it through the USB charger thingy, but I found out that I couldn't, so no music.... Zzzz
Yeah, then for lodging wise, we were changing hotels everyday, so we were on the move the whole time.... Well, the hotels were nice lah, some were Ryokans, which were like traditional Japanese rooms or something with the mats and all that (I think).... Yeah, then out of the 6 hotels we stayed in for the tour trip, 4 had the hot springs spa thing, damn cool.... It's like usually they have a few pools with the hot spring water, damn hot.... Yeah, you like put your clothes and stuff somewhere then take a shower before going in (yeah, no clothes or underwear). Obviously the thing is seperated into male and female ones, so yeah, don't think anything else, lol.... Honestly speaking I prefer the outdoor pool... Cause since it's cold outside, then you sit in the hot water is damn shuang, half cold half hot.... Lol, however for some reason there were times when I didn't feel well when I submerged my whole body inside the water... But one would feel very warm after that... Most one could spend in it would probably be 20 minutes according to our guide called Eddie... Yeah, and there are a lot of vending machines in Japan man.... There's like vending machines for ice cream too, drinks mostly, there's even food ones.... Lol... Not the packet food or something like chips... Later show you... Lol... Also, it's like damn hard to find dustbins in Japan lah, even though it's damn clean.... -.-
Ok, then a few more places to talk about.... One was this bear centre or something... These bears were apparrently taught to do some begging thing.... One would find it amusing at first as they would have to so called beg so that the people would throw food for them, which were biscuits and apples on sale, but after a while it feels like we're taunting the poor animals.... Well, the best is to just give the food to them, hate those people who taunt them and don't give them the food.... Though no one I saw actually did that.... Yeah, then the last place we went to in Hokkaido was this morning market where all the seafood and all that... Pretty interesting, huge fish, crabs, saw live squid swimming around in a tank, pretty comical in a way.... Lol.... Tried squid ink ice cream... Haha... Quite ok lah, can't remember the taste now, but it's definitely not disgusting or something, pretty normal? Lol... Try it someday...
Yeah, then flight back to Tokyo, somebody got a bit sick, then we visited some street and a temple of some sort as well, also a shopping centre and some street... That's where we met some cousin of my Mum, whose childrem would end up being our distant cousins I guess... Lol... This is important later... Lol.. Then we went to our hotel... It was near the airport and more international style, can see that based on the food served for dinner and the rooms as well.... Then next day went to airport, whole tour group went to check in and all that, while we waited for our tour guide to finish what he had to do... Why? Here goes...
Well, for our extension of our stay in Tokyo, we were originally staying in this Ryokan that was pretty far out, then we met my Mum's cousin there, found out where they were staying, figured it would be a better place, then my parents tried to change to there, and they were successful... The place was at an area called Ikebukuro... Coincidently, our guide was staying in that area... So he could bring us there... Damn cool lah... It all started with that walk down that street in Tokyo, and guess what, we didn't want to go there initially.... Lol... Fate man... Yeah, so we left most of our luggage at the airport, the storage rather, then took the train with our guide... 1 hour plus train ride to some station then had to change before reaching there... Found the place and placed our stuff there, room wasn't ready yet so couldn't rest first... Anyway, big thanks to our guide, without him, we would be lost man... Lol...
Yeah, then went around places, took the train around lah... Went places like Shinjuku and Shibuya.... The train system in Japan is mad lah.... There are at least like 3 or 4 companies operating a train system there? Well, I agree with what Yanlin told me about Japan being damn big and have to connect to everywhere, but yeah the thing is still crazy lah... Nearly every station as dunno how many lines connecting to it... I applaud those who were planning the systems... It's just nuts.... Lol.... Yeah.... Then the place where we were staying at was somebody's house turned ryokan of some sort... Rooms were pretty small, but it was comfy, there were common bathrooms and toilets, still nice, the kitchen for breakfast, and there were 2 coms with internet that anyone could use!!!! Rocks man... Lol... Damn happy cause I could also finally charge my Ipod!! Woohoo!!!
Yeah, then second day woke up at 9+am, that's like 8+am here in Singapore, 1 hour behind.... Anyway, finally could wake up later... Lol, anyway, my skin was really becoming aPeeling due to the dry climatic conditions there... Lol... Then went to the city to one of the branches of the company my Dad works in, met his colleague and they talked for a while, then we went to visit Pokemon centre Japan... Haha, yeah I know I'm damn childish lah, but since we were in Tokyo, might as well go right? Haha, rocks lah, ate at some place there, then went to see... Nice.... Then went around to see other tihngs like another TV tower or something, then found some park with lots of fallen leaves, that was a nice place.... Went to some shopping centres too, but well, didn't buy anything.... Haha... Tried finding places to eat.... Found Pepper lunch and decided to eat there.... Lol... Then at night decided to log into msn.... Then got spammed by my juniors... One mass convo with dunno how many people inside... Lol... Crazy people... Haha...
Next day was Thursday, woke up even later, left the ryokan only like lunch time or something, then went around shopping centres I guess... Walk walk... Nothing really much... Then at around 6:30pm we met up with my Dad's colleagues and went for dinner at some restaurant... First part of the dinner wasn't exactly feeling comfortable as it was like a damn professional atmosphere... Especially one of his colleague's wife.... Lol, after a while was slightly better lah... After dinner, took train back to Ikebukuro station then walked back to the Ryokan.... Talked a bit with some people on msn before sleeping...
Then next day woke up at like 5am? That's like 4am in Singapore... Zzz.. But had to as we had to leave early... Left the Ryokan and took the train to the airport.... 1 hour plus ride again for the second part of the trip.... Reached airport, collected our stored luggage, checked in, then went around scouting for stuff to eat.... Ate Macs in the end... Haha... Bought some more stuff then boarded the plane... That was like 10:30am I think... On the plane was probably a movie marathon for me... Took ANA by the way... The games aren't nice, so watch movies lor... Watched The Bourne Ultimatum, Stardust, Just for laughs and Mr Bean's holiday... Stardust is sooooo sweeeeett..... Haha, ok, that was retarded.... Anyway, flight was damn long lah, longer than the flight we took to go there... 7 hours plus, and the food wasn't exactly great this time round.... Lol... Anyway, reached back at like 5+pm... Then took a cab home, finally home man!!! Woohoo!!! Nothing beats home... Lol...
Anyway, from this trip I guess I found/learned some things... Let's see... Ok, about Japan, it's damn hard to find dustbin at times, not even in the toilet.... Lol, there are lot's of vending machines, like some stores they have a vending machine where you order the food, then just give your ticket to the guy and he'll give you the order, pretty cool, then there are ones for like fried rice etc... There were ones for ice cream even... Yeah I know I said this already but what the heck.. Haha... Japan is cold, Tokyo wasn't as cold as Hokkaido so no snow there, yet... The people in Japan are pretty polite, and thoughtful, based on some of the food outlets lah.... They do things with a smile and all that... Well, I guess maybe only the older generation does that... Food there is good, manage to try stuff like Ramen and sushi.... Haha... Have to thank my parents for the trip and extending our stay in Tokyo, wasn't exactly enthusiastic about it at first... Have to thank my Mum for deciding to walk down that Tokyo street despite protests by my brother and I.... Cause if we didn't, we wouldn't have met my Mum's cousin and her family and we wouldn't have changed our Ryokan and we probably would have been lost not knowing anything and how to get around... Thanks to our guide to for helping us even when he was not required to... Lol... Thanks to the people who talked with me on msn too... Haha... Thanks Weirong for the greeting via sms too... Haha... =D
The trip's been a lot of fun... Pics in the next post later.... Not sure if I've left anything out, but well, it's been a long post.... Check back for pics... =D
mentally challenged @ 3:20 PM
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