Winter Holiday in Hokkaido (4)

1st January 2013

The first day of 2013, we decided to go to temple to pray. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Japanese will go to temple on the New Year's morning to pray. Actually, when Japanese still followed the Japanese calendar, their New Year was same with the Chinese New Year. However, when they started to follow the Gregorian Calendar, the New Year was synced  to 1st of January. 

Anyway, we went to a temple near a zoo. A lot of people were inside the train and most were heading to the temple. The train was not so crowded because we were quite late, people would normally go there as early as possible to pray. Actually, in Japan, JAL and ANA operate special flights to watch first sunrise of the year around Mt. Fuji on 1st of January. Although pricey, all seats were fully booked every year. Interesting!

After walked out from the train station, we could see volunteers or polices patrolling to control the crowd. There were too many people, so we were walking bumper to bumper to reach the temple. The view was breathtaking. The view was like a scene from a Korean drama, Hahahah!

went to a temple to pray in New Year

Winter Holiday in Hokkaido (3)

31st December 2012 - Sapporo 札幌

Since the weather forecast predicted that it would be a day with snow storm. We decided to go to the Chocolate Factory of Shiroi Koibito 白い恋人 because it was indoor. Other places were not so suitable because we were scared that we would be stuck in the middle of nowhere if the snow storm became serious.

We slept until very late since our only plan was to visit the chocolate factory. I was grateful that the hotel we were staying has a convenience store on the first floor, I just went to the shop and bought my breakfast. Another plus point was the hotel was very near to the train station!

Then, we took the train to go to Miyanosawa Station 宮の沢駅. The factory was just a few minutes walk from the train station. A lot of tourists were heading to the same direction, so we didn't have to look into the map to find our way, just follow the crowd. Actually, the signboards were very easy to follow.

After we reached the chocolate factory, we were awed by the cute decorations. So, we posed here and there to take photographs for quite some time, behaved like children. Then, we went inside the factory and bought tickets. We decided to join a biscuit decorating course for fun too.

the exterior of the Shiroi Koibito Chocolate Factory

Winter Holiday in Hokkaido (2) - Hakodate

29th December 2012 - Hakodate 函館

Met with my friends and went to the famous morning market in Hakodate. There are many shops selling seafood! Just looking at all those seafood made me hungry.

① A 4.68kg crab
② a whale meat shop
③ fish for a squid
④ squid statue!!

interesting, I wondered who translated the <这条鱼有味，不要尝味道>, it doesn't make sense, if from the literal meaning, it is "this fish is flavourful, don't taste it"!

Since my friends haven't had their breakfast, we went to a restaurant near the train station. There are a lot of delicious looking raw fish rice set. One ordered a set with squid (still alive)! The tentacles were moving! After he ate that, he said that he felt that the squid was trying to climb out from the throat, gross!

Until The Break of Dawn ツナグ

I watched this movie on the flight back home and I cried. So, I wore mask to hide that! Luckily the person who sat next to me was a stranger.

until the break of dawn (photo from Google)

It is about an apprentice, Ayumi who are learning from his grandmother to become a connector / intermediary between the dead and the living. One of the special characteristics is that both the living and the departed have only one chance. The living only have one chance to meet with the dead, and the dead can only meet the living once too! The living will contact the connector to express the desire to meet the dead, then the connector will find the dead and inform him or her about the living request. If the dead agreed to that request, the connector will arrange for a meeting. 

Eat, Pray and Shopping in Busan, Korea

19th January 2013 ~ 21st January 2013

※ A happy girls' trip!

First Day

One of my colleagues, Miyoshi san is a frequent traveller to Korea. She has been there for more than 20 times using her current passport. She said for her old passport, she had more immigration stamps. Her love for Korean things prompted her to learn Korean too. When I heard that she is going to Busan, I told her that I wanted to join and not long after that, two more people were interested too. So, at the end, four of us in this trip. We went to the local JTB office to book for the 'free and easy 3 days trip in Busan'. We wanted to secure for the earliest flight to Busan and the night flight back to Kitakyushu, so we paid more (around 3000 yen). Then, I added another 3000 yen for travel insurance. I believe that being prepared is always better than ill prepared.

On 19th January, Goto san fetched all of us and we went to Kitakyushu Airport 北九州空港. It is a very small airport and the main airline operating from there is Starflyer. They just started the Busan ⇔ Kitakyushu route on 2012. The JTB staff already waited for us in the airport and briefed us about the trip. Then, did all the necessary procedures and wait for the flight.

From Kitakyushu to Busan, the flight is less than an hour. It is nearer to go to Busan than to Tokyo. Hahahah.

Starflyer: serve drinks and chocolate before the flight