17th February, 2010
Views overlooking the Hakuba Valley from Happone

Went out skiing this morning and it was lightly snowing for the first few hours then it stopped and was quite mild.

I completed a whole 1/2 a run when I stacked and pulled the muscles in my lower abdomen and was forced to sit it out for a couple of hours. Tom took off and had a good board around the mountain without me lagging behind him..hehe

I got back on the ski's after lunch and could manage better than I thought I woule be able to but only stuck to the Bunny Runs aka beginners runs for a little while before calling it quits and heading home for an Onsen.

After a nap and hot bath I felt a little better and so we headed out for a late dinner at the Korean BBQ ( forgot to take the camera but a barbie is a barbie), dinner was filling and it the spot perfectly.

Then it was home to bed.....

Matsumoto Castle

16th February, 2010

This morning we left our hotel and set out for Matsumoto Castle. Along the way we found all sorts of interesting things to see.





More decorative drain covers - the balls here are traditional silk balls that are everywhere in town.

More fancy than the ones you sent from Morocco Sharon...hehe













Coy in a pond..poor things were looking for a feed I think.

















Matsumoto Castle Information - if you squint its crystal clear!!!
























Matsumoto Castle - over 400 yrs old and still standing as glorious as it did back then

















The rear of the Castle and Red Bridge


















After we had a look at the Castle we walked back into the main part of town and found the Matsumoto Timepiece Museum, it was filled with all sorts of European and Japanese time piece's going back hundreds of years...this is just one of them.










We then caught the train out to Hakuba where we will be spending the next 8 days. Weather was pretty ordinary so no photo's from out the train windows this time but this is where we will be staying.
Lovely B&B with great hosts who "inducted" us into the Pension with a guided tours and heaps of local information on things to do.

Our room is the one with the light on far left


We have our own private onsen - hot spring- to soak in and it overlooks a snowy bank and the snow was falling when we were in there tonight - magic stuff!

Nothing spectacular for dinner tonight just a steak for me and chicken parma for Tom!

Been a long day and its up early to catch some snow in the morning.

Shopping in Tokyo..Again!!

15th February, 2010

Today we left Tokyo but not after we hit the Ski/Snowboard Shops to scout out some bargains.

If you were looking for a new set of ski's, new boots or a snowboard then this is the place to get them...up to a third of the price that you pay in Australia!

I ended up buying a new pair of walking boots as they ones I bought from Aldi for $35 are great for walking around on soft snow but not really made for walking around the streets and sightseeing. I got Columbia Bugaboots for 9489 yen or about $100..they are so comfy and after some fiddling around with different thickness foot beds they will be perfect!!

It was then time to quickly head back into one of the Department Stores to buy some Scrap booking pens that are $4.50 ea back home for 120 yen ea.....I nearly took all their stock and had the girls behind the counter giggling at me trying to explain why I was buying so many!!

On to the train we go again and this time we are heading out to Matsumoto where we are staying the night...more about the Castle at Matsumoto tomorrow though.

Will leave you with a another decorative manhole cover...

Tokyo from above and below...

14th February, 2010

This morning we awoke and the sun was shining after a grey rainy day that we had yesterday.

We went up the to the 45th Floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. It was still hazy but you could still see buildings like they were a blanket spread across the world below.

We also went for a walk through one of the Department Stores and stumbled across this Kimono Shop...these were VERY expensive ones as the prices indicate!!
207,900 Yen = $2, 150 Yikes!!!

The red one up the back was over 300,000 yen!!

But they were the most stunning pieces. Drastic difference to the ones we found in a Flea Market for 500 yen!!



This is the Kebab Van we found outside of Shinjuku Station....they were so yummy but would be great after a big night out as well!!



This van looked like it was going to fall apart but the owner didn't seem to mind.







We then wandered around the streets taking in all the sights and sounds of Tokyo at its best, we then headed back to the hotel for a decent sleep.

Fast Train to Tokyo & Imperial Place

13th February, 2010



This morning we woke up to glorious sunshine and excited about our trip in the "Shink". We got there a bit earlier than we had to be so we could get some photos before we departed.






Tom & Denise with the Front of the "Shink" - Shinkensan Fast Train












Sukuraedamon Bridge and Imperial Palace Building


These areas aren't open to the public but they will let you take photos.

Donshin bansh Guardhouse

This is one of the 3 remaining guardhouses. The Samurai guardsman kept constant watch especially on the members of a lord's retinue who entered through Ote-mon Gate.

Close up of Roof detail on Donshin bansh guardhouse

Snappy posing in front of the Hyakunin-bansh Guardhouse


This was the biggest guardhouse set up front of the
Ote-san-no-mon gate leading to the Honmaru (inner citadel) and Ninomaru (second citadel), for inspection of visitors who entered through the Ote-min Gate ( Main Enterance) in the Edo Period.


100 Samurai Guardsmand had their quarters here and they worked shifts day and night.






















Just a sample of the Plum Tree Blossom on the Bairinzaka - Plum Tree Slope.


The first trees were planted in 1478!














After we checked into our hotel we went for a walk around the Shinkjuku Train station which has many restaurants and shops to check out. Dinner was simple and not worth taking a photo of as it was a Sunday night and about 830-9pm not many things were open apart from McDonald's...hehehe



Some of the scenery on the way home from the Train Station.

Trains.....Tunnels......Tremendous Meal

12th February, 2010

Today was filled with Trains, Whistles and what sounded like Seal Pups in the overhead lockers...hehe

The trains here are amazing, so clean and comfortable.
Each time the train pulls in to a Terminal it is cleaned and all the seats are turned around to face the way the train will be travelling next...even if your still on it. We couldn't figure out what was going on at first but we soon caught on..hehe

They also play a chime when you are about to enter the main stops, its like an alarm clock going off so you dont miss your stop...quite funny watching everyone when it goes off.


Snappy enjoying the view out the window from just outside of Furano Station.....after enjoying a Hot Choccy


















This is the information about the undersea tunnel that we went through...240 metres undersea!!















Snappy enjoying the view from inside the tunnel...I told him there was nothing to see but he insisted on looking out the window.











Short Video of the Countryside we were passing through today.....it was lots and lots of this and if you listen hard you can hear the Seal pups!





Man hole cover in Hachinohe..this area is known for its wooden horse apparently















This was our fantastic dinner...the night started out a little dodgy as we had no idea where to go for a feed and also the further we walked the seedier it looked.

So we walked back to the train station and went to the Tourist Information Centre and they were kind enough to point us in the right direction and boy were we ever grateful!!!




So tonight we are staying in a hotel right near the train station so we can catch our Shinkansen aka Fast Train in the morning for Tokyo!!

Walkies...Packing...Lost dinners

11th February, 2010




Today we went for a walk around the township of Furano to find some shops that we had seen on the buses over the days we have been here.




<- This is a manhole cover we found in Furano















I found the craft shop that I had been trying to but not after walking several blocks..hehehe
I bought some Kimono Scraps to make a quilt out of at some stage...won't happen overnight but it will happen one day.



Also did some souvenir shopping as well, its been quite hard to find something depicting the area without it being a phone dangle or a little greenman with a lump in the front of his pants ( will try to get a photo at some stage).




Once we got back to the B&B we packed up most of our gear and took it up to the Tourist Centre where it was being picked up from and hopefully ( fingers crossed) it will be in Hakuba when we get there next Tuesday.





















These are some of the light fittings that were in a restaurant called "Ajito"...we had dinner here but they lost our order so it took ages and it wasn't really worth the wait. They couldn't have apologised any more than they already did but it still left a bad taste in our mouths.

Pain Free Feet, Washing & Barabrians

10th February, 2010


Today we went skiing in the morning and I finally had a good few runs as my boots were finally not giving me the grief that they have been :) so I could enjoy myself at last!

Overlooking the valley..

As we were getting our bags with all the ski equipment sent ahead to Hakuba we had to wash all the dirty clothes today so there was a couple of interesting hours watching things go around and around...lol

Whilst things were drying off we had dinner at the Barbarian just across the road...just had basic pasta for dinner...not worth photos but it filled a hole!!

Lazy Day..

9th February, 2010

Today was a lazy day...gotta love holidays!!

Had dinner at a little place just down from the 7 Eleven...they do pizza, pasta and other great meals.

My Hamburger..yummo!!



Tom's Beef Stew



More snow keeps falling but the weather has been getting warmer but still around -2deg

OMG!!!....woohoo - posted from the ski slope!!

Well the day has finally arrived my boots are bearable at last!! I tried a thinner sock today and its made all the difference :)
So hopefully they will only improve as time goes on...

8th February, 2010
This morning it was hard to get up for breakfast, after the big day we had yesterday.

So after tidying up our room and getting the cleaning lady to vac the floor it was lunch time and we headed out for a few hours on the ski's/board and my boots are still giving me a hard time but its getting better each time. I think the boot is fine but my foot is rolling along the side of itself and pushing the flesh under my foot and short of having the side of my foot removed there isn't much I can do about that....but I will persevere.

We pulled the pin around 3.30pm and decided to head over to Ningle Terrace which is a collection of local Crafts People housed in little wooden cottages dotted throughout a forest area near one the more fancy hotels.
As we were walking through here the snow began falling in huge flakes and it was so peaceful.







After we caught the bus back into Furano we found a place for dinner...was a seafood & sushi restaurant and we both managed to get a good meal. I had a plate of sushi and it was fantastic and it was all made fresh for me as I ordered it...the way it should be!!

We then walked back the the B&B and the snow was quite heavy and huge fluffy flakes as you might be able to see in the picture below. Also took a few pics of the river we crossed and how much snow was landing on the trees in the streets as we walked back into the ski village.




This is a Temple Garden on the way home from Furano




Snappy insisted we pop into McDonald's for a Hot Apple Pie and Choc Sundae!!






Sachi River

One of the trees that line the streets up to our B&B..nearly 2 inches of fresh snow that you can blow off the branch with a puff of air.

We thought we would cut across the back of our B&B and discovered that it might not have been the smartest thing as it was hip height deep of soft powder snow...hehe


Short Video of the snow we were waling through on the way home....

Sapporo Snow & Ice Festival

February 7th, 2010

Today was a HUGE day for us as we went to the 61st Snow & Ice Festival in Sapporo.

It was up early to catch the bus into Sapporo approx 3hrs travelling but the scenery was interesting...Ice Fishing Huts on a Dam, all different types of Japanese houses.

When we arrived in Sapporo it was snowing small pellets of ice as it was quite warm around 1deg but over the course of the day it was sunny, snowing fluffy flakes then pellets again and more fluffy stuff..almost like Melbourne's four seasons in one day.

Once we located the "mall" that the festival was in - this was interesting as we had a rough idea where it was but couldn't quite work it out and being good tourists we didn't have our passports with us if we got into trouble but it all worked out well by finding a hotel and an English speaking concierge who kindly gave us a map with clear directions.

Here area few of the sculptures that lined the mall which went on for about 8 city blocks and each of the statues took about a month to complete and the army were brought in to build them all.
Most have a steel skeleton which the snow is packed into and around, some huge amount of snow is used for each one.

Japanese Temple



Me in front of Local Zoo's Statue



Local Zoo Statue with band playing in front of them




Ice wall covered in carvings - bit hard to see in the photo



After we had a look at all the sculptures, and after we had enough of walking in the snow in all its forms, we headed underground to a shopping centre. This is a sight to be seen...walking down a subway staircase into a strip mall was quite an experience.

We were both hungry and looking for a feed and couldn't really see anything that interested us so we opted for McDonald's instead as at least we knew exactly what we were getting..he he
Once we had our order taken we went to get a seat when promptly our tray was taken from us by one of the workers and we were shown to a table inside the restaurant...what GREAT service!!!

After lunch we did a bit of shopping and picked up bits & pieces and made our way towards the JR Station (JR = Japan Rail) and did some window shopping along the way.
Once we arrived at JR station we had to find where our bus was going to pick up from which sounds easy enough but when you can't read all the signs it makes for interesting times. So once again armed with our trusty little guide book and a bit of pointing we found the number stand that our bus was leaving and I think we were a whole 30secs too late for the bus as it had gone and the next one wouldn't be along for another hour.

Tom & I decided to go up the flight of stairs directly up from our stop to have a look in the Electronics Store and were instantly assaulted by lights, music and staff members calling out god knows what as we walked by...it was total insanity. No wonder the Japanese are such big consumers of everything and make so much of this stuff as people are buying anything and everything at 530pm on a Sunday night!!!
I think there were 6 floors like this but we only checked out 3...that was enough!! We headed back to where we think we entered the shop but we got this wrong and ended up inside the shopping complex inside of JR Station and just walked in circles until we had no idea of where we had been or going to....also trying to find something to take on the bus to have for dinner was a nightmare and it just took us further into the abyss of the shopping centre.
So we stopped and looked for a door outside and headed for that to find the bus terminal...mind you just making it onto a very full bus and I had to sit most of the trip on the little dickie seat in the aisle.
The bus dropped us off at JR Furano Station and we then went to Okonimyaki Sanya for dinner which is a Teppenyaki Restaurant that we went to on the last trip so we knew we would get a decent feed as we were both very hungry after the bus trip.

This is my dinner of Chicken, Omelette & Rice with a Gravy like sauce....it was so yummy and hit the spot perfectly...even if it doesn't look like much!





After a filling dinner we caught a taxi back to the B&B and crashed into bed as we were both exhausted.

Naps, New Boots & Culture

6th February, 2010




This was the view from our room this morning!! Glorious sunshine but it didn't last for long as it began to snow lightly and kept up most of the day.






This was our breakfast this morning.. eggs,Sausages, potato salad and pasta with pesto ( I think)After breakfast we came up to the room to think and we ended up having a nap for a couple of hours..the joys of having no plans!!



After we woke up, we both thought doing something physical would be a good idea and so we got all the ski/ snowboard gear on and went out for some snow time...not many photos as the wind was quite strong and not real photo taking weather.

The first run in my boots that have recently been adjusted as I was getting nerve damage in my feet was lets says interesting!! I thought my feet were going to fall off and the pain was a bit much, but after a few more runs and slight adjustments they feel so much better and I hope that each run will keep on getting better!

After a few hours we decided it was time to come inside as the weather looked very threatening, so we had a hot bath and felt a lot warmer and relaxed.

For this evening actvities we chose to go up to the Tourist Information Centre where they had a Local Cultural Night showcasing some local talent. The meals were "snacky" in nature but yummy.

There were 2 different groups performing, firstly the dance troupe made up of a few children and some adults performing different dances for Good Health and Good Harvests. They also had a dragon performing and afterwards it "bit" everyone on the head for Good Health!!

A duo then performed some traditional & popular songs the Guitar & Bamboo Flute which sounds a little like a pan flute.








They also had free hand painting on offer so I got mine painted and the artist even wrote my name in Japanese for me.....




On the way home we found an Igloo that had several rooms and snow scupltures in it...it was -10 inside!! and a few degrees cooler outside, brrr




Tomorow we are off to Sapporo to the Snow & Ice Festival which should be a great day!!