Sweet Sapporo

Sapporo is a surprising little city. The warmth of the locals is amazing. When we got off the train it was raining and I couldn't be bothered fishing around in my mammoth backpack to find my little brolly. We got a tad lost and were standing on a street corner holding a soggy map.

A very kind lady offered to help us and not only walked us to our hotel but also shared her umbrella with us! I asked her name in Japanese and introduced myself and Wei Yi San. This apparently highly impressed Wei.

Sapporo is...

Sapporo Station and funky underground malls




Ishiya Chocolate Factory - a strange Charlie in the Chocolate Factory experience with lots of kitsch statues, corny songs and random exhibits







Odori Park, with the TV Tower in the background




Sapporo Beer Museum - beiru kudosai?




Only a 90 minute train ride to Lake Toya which is famous for hosting this year's G8 Summit and onsen!




Hand and foot springs around Lake Toya

Lost in Japan - welcome to Tokyo

Upon stepping off the plane into Narita Airport with our 8 kilogram backpacks, the biggest challenge seemed to be finding the platform of the Narita Express. With seconds to spare till the train left us, we ran along the platform with several Japanese station attendants in their meticulous uniforms coming to our rescue. Each one ushered us, indicating the correct carriage and helped to save the doors from sliding shut in front of our jet-lagged faces.

This was my first introduction to Japan. It was also my first train ride in a long time.

The Narita Express makes for a calm journey easing you into the complexities of Japanese culture. During the 60 minute ride to Shinjuku, Wei Yi San and I saw a shrine nestled in a hilltop forest, plastic-looking houses with classic Japanese style roof tiling and patches of semi-rural farming. Once on the JR Yamanote line, however, we were bombarded with huge billboards for Asahi beer, 10 storey shopping malls and cube-shaped cars parked along the railway tracks.




For the first night in Japan we stayed at the Shinjuku New City Hotel. Functional and basic, the hotel offers clean rooms, yukata robes and slippers and a small bathroom. The hotel staff all speak English, but best of all is the free shuttle service to and from Shinjuku station. It makes it easy to get to the pulsating heart of Shinjuku.


View from our hotel window.

Shinjuku is gaudy, modern, edgy, neon, consumerist Tokyo at its best. Without leaving the station you're surrounded by department stores, cafes and food kiosks and a non-stopping mass of people. Venturing onto the streets, there are restaurants, shops and karaoke all with hawkers outside hoping to catch your attention.

Enjoying the sunshine before the rain

Kombanwa!

There's 2 more sleeps till my long-awaited Japan trip. It's the point of no return where by this stage you've booked everything, researched extensively and trying to justify each item you pack. Packing is such a hassle. Do I bring 4 or 5 t-shirts? Will the weather be mild enough for light jackets or will I need that winter coat that's destined to be worn once and hauled around for the rest of the 18 day-long trip?

Apart from that I'm relatively calm considering I spent yesterday running around trying to find an Ipod Touch for $318 as advertised in the Big W catalogue. No one matches prices on Ipods. It is also apparent that good customer service is a myth. I finally hunted one down, it was the last one. Hurrah! I'm slowly becoming an addict. After all its pretty much the iPhone without the phone component and less memory since I have the 8GB one.

Also I have a new camera - a Nikon Coolpix S710. Okaasun bought it for me in Singapore and it came with a case, a mini tripod, a mem card for about $490 and without tax (due to a duty free claim) it worked out so much cheaper. I love the big screen and that it's lightweight. My old camera had four AA batteries that weighed it down.

I'm all gadgeted up, now if only I had a Australia to Japan power adaptor instead of a Singapore to Japan one...

Today I went to Freo for fish and chips and over to gaze down at the view from Monument Hill.



Me:
Mink Pink ruffle top
Rock and Republic denim skirt
Charles and Keith sandals
Charles and Keith handbag
Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses

Okaasun:
Big W ra ra top
French Connection capri pants
Bulga handbag
Chanel sunglasses



The best photos are taken when you're not posing, but I was trying not to laugh here!!!

Je mata. I might do my next post from Japan if wifi works from my Ipod Touch...