Destination 4.3.6 : REWARDS THE END

Now let's talk about what I got (i mean bought) from the trip

Total spent around RM4k (excluding the trip package)

from A to Z (actually spent around RM80 before we reached Hokkaido >.<)

it's for both my sis and i

the food we bought... (from sake to cake to dessert to chocolate)

The raw dessert cost around RM160 (12 pcs) worth right !!!

shirts i bought (2 missing) + slipper = ~RM440 in total (slippers only ~RM15)

the shirt my sis got (it's for male actually, so i also can wear) = RM120 >.<

Lavender Series, food and deco...

Lavender Pouches (3 of them are in same price ~ 120 yen each)

招き猫 (Maneki Neko) for deco also...

甚平 (Jimbei) only 1000 yen each

Keychains and others... (here should be > RM500 already i guess) >.<

Musical thingy my sis got

Musical doll ~RM250 (seems really classy the kimono)

(Photo Missing)

Musical Box ~RM400 (the most expensive item in the trip)

but the record is not yet break...

My Nike shoe (for dancing purpose) ~7,500 yen

The basketball shoe ~13,000 yen (really nice right XD)

this is not for basketball purpose... it's for casual usage

+ many that were spent (or used) in the trip

Then experiences and other...

this trip is kinda different from other trips i've been to

if compare to other Japan tour

this is kinda pleasant and relaxing

course the main attraction with this trip is the lavender

so it's about the flowers, flowers and flowers

it's pretty nice actually, world of lavender

didn't really get into the place with crowd

so it's totally different to visiting Tokyo

this trip is totally different to Tokyo trip

not even similar

if you been to tokyo but not Hokkaido

you really need to come here once

then the hotel

the 1st one was nice (tatami style)

then other were kinda common already

and small

so if you are going to japan

it's better don't bring very huge suitcase

else it cannot fit into the room (i'm serious)

we can hardly walk with our suitcases lying down

the souvenirs

this is the 1st time i couldn't get any better souvenirs...

in those previous trips to japan

i could get a lot of nice souvenirs (i.e. keychains)

but this time is a bit out of it

so lavender related stuffs were the best (i guess)

since lavender is the main attraction of this trip

the food

wasn't that nice

course always buffet (english style too...)

even the grand lunch was only so-so

it's better to have your own meal outside i guess

meal or dessert you get from the restaurants or shops were better

overall, this was a pleasant trip (although it's only 5 days)

i rated it 8/10...

Destination 4.3.5 : 札幌 Sapporo → 東京 Tokyo

Considered the last day in Hokkaido

i mean end of the trip

July 17th, 2010

start with morning again

i didn't go for breakfast that day

course thought of the sake yesterday

so i couldn't wake up

but i made it

while my sis was going for breakfast

i continue packing and watched TV

i didn't have my breakfast

and my sis got 3 breads for me

then leave the hotel and head to some sort of mountain for ski jump

it used to be the ski jumping area for the winter olympic in japan

but now is summer

what to see? it's to see the whole sapporo from the mountain XD

of course we need to ride some thing like cable car (for ski purpose) up

i was so afraid of riding it T_T (phobia i guess)

i were not looking back T_T it's very scary okay...

reached the top, ate the 1st melon soft-cream

it's written to be the best soft-cream in japan

but it only so-so

while eating soft-cream at the deck

suddenly a lot of people gathered

thought of what happen

it's somebody having ski training here

(we're so lucky, can see people ski jumping LIVE)

so we waited there and recorded the whole process from above

we went down again

and that guy was going for another attempt

so we recorded from below also

(really lucky, twice, once above and another one below)

oopps.. time-up

but we haven't get the souvenir here yet...

rushed to the shop and glance through

got ski-marimo keychain here

and really nice looking and heavy prison's thingy

the prison's thingy really expensive @@

time for another area

back to the town again

and it's the 札幌 fishmarket

took photo with a really huge and heavy crab there

thought to getting them back (but who'll cook)

after walking around the street, had lunch above the 1st market

today feast was totally awesome (appearance only)

the taste of the huge crab

too salty at some parts and it's worse than the one we had in hotel

the crab is not that juicy and tasty

so it's really a failure for this...

size doesn't matter

but the side dishes was better

scallop was really fresh and big

but the abalone was a bit tasteless

since the meal we had wasn't that good

how are we going to but those crab back...

and it's not cheap okay

~10,000 yen for one

if it's fresh and living, then should be better

i wonder how long did they freeze them already

(the one i had last year was still the BEST)

it's the last session for shopping in Japan already

we went to somewhere called factory outlet

it's more like a square with a lot of shops

what they sell are 100% cheaper than it's original price

those brands here are mostly middle range

we saw ABC mart here again (omg then imma bought expensive shoes yesterday)

went in to look for my sis shoes

and had peep though Nike also

okay, the design i got wasn't here

and the discounted item i got was here

it means

this area only sell discounted items

(unwanted products from the market)

that's why cheaper (items see outside without discount couldn't be here)

+ my sis couldn't get here shoes here also (no size for her T_T)

then went around the whole square...

oh ya, there's a lot of people take along their pets here

so you'll see a lot of dog walking around with their master XD

there's even pet cafe here (i wonder it's for human or pet)

after that found another store with cheap clothing

Cheapest RM20 XD 500 yen

+ my sis started complaining and showing me her bad attitude

WTH

so we searched though and look for a cafe to drop her there

and she complaint that there's no cafe she want @@

WTH, just find a available cafe here and go in

you don't think people will purposely build the cafe you want here

got here to buy the good smelling kebab and drop her somewhere

i don't care okay and it'll be no next time anymore (for sure)

luckily it's the last day already

AND DON'T SHOW ME THIS KIND OF ATTITUDE PROBLEM

i can just dump you back to bus

after that back to my shopping again (omg i bought 7 yesterday)

never mind since it's cheap (even malaysia also cannot get this price)

bought another 7 again with 6xRM20 and 1xRM40

time to go back, get my sis and move to bus

we still had our dinner before going back to 東京

it's buffet style AGAIN

but it's different, BBQ Buffet

we had around 1.5 hour to eat

and i thought 2 hours XD

so i ate with my normal speed and my sis said going to leave soon....

(oops forgot to take photo, as i was busy eating)

nothing else here

went to the airport with 33kg of luggage

at last bought real living マリモ

and back to 東京 again

stayed in somewhere near airport (rural)

so nothing to do...

repack the luggage, course the big one was too heavy

it's because of those shirts i bought XD

next day same thing again

納豆　rice for breakfast only

(english breakfast again, so 納豆 better)

and it's 成田airport again

luggage checked in and shop again

we bought 12 pcs of 生和菓子 (nama wagashi)

fyi, it's really nice looking cost around RM160 XD

i tot the Nike shop (where i used to get one of my shoes there)

was inside... so checked in and... found no Nike

but we bought a lot of 和菓子 inside

oh ya... i the flight back to m'sia XD

and

finally

bye bye Japan

さようなら　日本

oh ya i was separated with my sis in the plane this time

i tot she can take care of herself in the plane

but something happened LOL (hint : Ice-cream melting)

Next will be the REWARDS for the trip...

Destination 4.3.4 : 札幌 Sapporo

the other day has come, DAY 4

July 16th, 2010

Since now in 札幌

so will spend the whole day in 札幌

same breakfast in hotel again

BUFFET STYLE

and the breakfast today is worst...

nothing to eat

so i have to eat　納豆 (nattou) with rice only

oh ya

i've been started eating nattou since day 1 breakfast

it's not that bad as the time i tried last time

i mean it's not bad anymore

so went to pluck cherries

somewhere kinda rural we went

a place with more than 100 types of cherry trees

hint for tasty cherry is get the top one XD

so staircases are provided to get the top cherry

my sis and i were trying to try all the cherries

more that 70% we tried and we're almost the last one who left the place

conclusion, the cherries weren't that sweet as expected

it's sort of tasteless or sour

only the color seems okay

oh ya and this is how my shoes became after that sessions

after that

we went back to the city again

it's sort of the center of 札幌

we were heading to the Tokyo Tower

i mean Sapporo Tower

it's only some place for photo taking (+ it's hot there)

after that

it's the former government office we went

(only take photo outside and nothing else)

It's time for lunch XD

the lunch that day was a bit different

it's 鍋　(nabe)

and KOBE BEEF

(oh ya, it's said that Kobe Cow is breed in Hokkaido then moved to Kobe for slaughter)

of course Kobe Beef tasted very very nice

you can actually taste the good smell of fresh grill beef

but it didn't melt straight away in my mouth

(the 1st one did, i mean last time, not this)

i guess it's just not thick enough or overcook

next station

it's alcohol again

this time is beer

this brand is really famous i guess

you can find it in Malaysia

it's Asahi

we were shown on how is the canned Asahi made

and given unlimited beer to drink (only valid for 20 mins)

so i tried the original one and the black one (the malt?)

i can hardly finished the 2nd cup as my stomach is too full of beer

(i don't wanna have beer tummy)

and appetizer were given

sausage like cheese

it's really cheese inside

i couldn't get it back as need to keep cool and expired date was near

last one of the day is shopping

this is different

course shopping in JR Train Station

there's the famous (and expensive) Daimaru inside

of course was only walked inside (all branded how to buy T_T)

Burberry, GUCCI and every designer brands are inside

after that we went out of daimaru and hanging somewhere else in the station

found One Piece T-shirt in a shop (didn't plan to go in as not in the shopping list)

but my sis found out that the shirt inside were kinda cheap)

so i went in to look around

found some fancy pants and tried (too fit, don't like)

so look through shirts and bought around 3

these are from range of RM40-80 (exp design some more)

went to BIC Camera to look for other stuffs

such as electronic games or CDs

and found ABC marts there

but there isn't any shoes design i saw yesterday

so left the place

still got some time

went back to that shop (cuz i haven't finished )

some of the shirts i just take without trying

now bought around 4 XD only RM40 each (1000 yen)

rush back to meeting place with other and go for dinner

dinner that day was nothing special

Szechuan's style

it's spicier that i expected

wonder how could japanese eat them...

faster finished the meal

told our tour guide that we won't be following them back to hotel

and we took subway from the sapporo station to susukino

the purpose was to buy the Nike shoe i missed yesterday

the train wasn't that crowded as expected

reached 狸小路 and straight away run to ABC marts

only found 1 that i saw yesterday

others seems like disappear since yesterday

maybe i saw too many shoes today and missed out

of course try the 1st one i saw

it's a basketball shoes but looks fantastic

it's like a metal attached on the shoes with bling bling

cost around 13,000 yen (RM500 i guess)

then find the other one

tried the other really fancy one (Nike Air)

main in purple and a bit pink within

the design was interesting (seems like fabric made)

and the color was so striking (i like striking color)

but my sis said not nice T_T

so tried to get the other one

get the other kinda plain but the shoe lace color is striking

good for dancing XD and it costs around 7000yen (around RM250)

of course i bought both total RM750 XD (my nike shoes)

it's okay for me to get expensive shoes okay

course my shoes can last for at least 4 years okay

go to find the maid cafe my sis wanna go

but... that's not a maid cafe, it's for cosplay only T_T

since nothing to do

tried to walk around the subway shops

found a CD shops with FF13 CDs

but it's too exp (~RM160) how to buy...

around 9 and all shops are closing

so we should head back to hotel again

before that found a Ramen shop and tried

for me, this is the worst ramen i ever tried

the soup is just too much (not clear enough)

and the ramen is not chewy enough

my sis cannot even finished hers

after that back to hotel of course

when reached saw everybody were waiting to go out

of course we're joining (last night in Sapporo)

back to the same town again

the tour guide left somebody at the ramen shop

and take the rest to eat 河豚 (fugu)

it's a kind of fish with poisoned organ

only licensed chef can serve them

went to the 1st shop but full house

so went to the specialist

ordered all kinds of different type of 河豚 dishes

and had a cold sake with a 河豚 sake

the taste of 河豚 of course was excellent

it started with appetizer (河豚 skin)

it's crunchy and doesn't taste like fish skin at all

then it's the sashimi

it's totally different to all those sashimi you ate

it's soft and a bit chewy... it'll slowly melt in your mouth...

there's then fried 河豚, bbq 河豚, 河豚 salad, 河豚 pot, 河豚 porridge (together with pot)

and ice-cream (no fugu)

the ice cream was really tasty

there's the taste of nuts on every spoon you had (it should be .... i forgot which nut)

of course 2 type of sake i want to emphasize

the 1st one cold sake (don't know which kind)

it's cold and it's smooth (even my sis also can drink it)

you can taste the sake but it's not dry

then the 河豚 sake

this is said to be their famous sake...

it's served hot with grilled 河豚 fin inside

the waiter will fire up the fin and wash through the sake for a while

the sink the fin inside and put the fire off

now is the magic

when you open the cover, you'll smell something that's really familiar

normally it'll hurt your nose but this time won't

it's covered with the smell of sake also

(somebody said it's pepper)

omg... yeah, it's pepper XD

but this "pepper" smell really good

it's better than the taste of sake XD

just smell is more than enough

the sake is better when it's hot

it's taste bad when it's not that hot

guess how much was this meal cost

河豚 appetizer x 7 (7 pax in total)

河豚 shashimi x 4

fried 河豚 x 2

fried 河豚 skin x 1

河豚 salad x 1

bbq 河豚 x 1

河豚 pot x 1

cold sake x 3

河豚 sake x 2

plum sake x 2

juices x 3

THERE ARE TOTAL OF 30,000 YEN (~RM1100) for 7 people

my sis and i share 10,000 yen (since we ate a lot also)

this is sort of the most expensive food i've ever ate XD

then when leaving and went to toilet

i felt a bit giddy (too many sake)

i felt totally fine when inside (sitting)

omg omg how am i going to walk back like this???

but when go out, i'm fine again

better don't take the risk

get a cab back to hotel

it costed around 600 yen back to hotel, not even 10 mins needed

back shower and pack the luggage for leaving tomorrow

and watched TV

see i'm okay again (what a weird sake i had)

More photos : in my sis, chibi's FB account

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2071685&id=1320350458

Destination 4.3.3 : 夕張 → 小樽 → 北一哨子 → 白い恋人 → 神宮 → 狸小路

2010.07.15

had breakfast (buffet again) in the hotel compound

(but if walk, will take around 7mins to reach there)

food as as before but the scenery was really nice

left Alpha Hotel,夕張 right after breakfast

i didn't visit their souvenirs shop there T_T

took around 2.5 hours and reach 小樽

went to take photos in the Hokkaido's Malacca...

it's only a place to take photos and

it's really nice there (the scenery i mean)

but it's really hot...

followed by lunch somewhere nearby

saw something called angel fish there

(really really small like hmmm, ant?)

then had set lunch there

the lunch is kinda too much for us

but the fish was really nice

then time to shop again...

a lot of crabs selling there

+ curry BEAR meat...

of cuz i didn't buy those

but a bottle of wasabi sesame

tasted it during the lunch

and it's tasted really good

not that spicy and good smelling for your rice

then saw some keychains there and bought a bit of them

(actually not a bit, quite a number course they are kinda nice)

then went to 北一哨子

this is somewhere famous for it's glassware

we walked from the middle till the end 1st

then walked back again from there

so we tasted chocolate on the way there

Le Tao, from my opinion

the chocolate is not that nice in taste

you can hardly feel the smell of chocolate in your mouth

+ it's kinda hard

but the miracle was

it doesn't melt in your mouth for a long time

then we reached the famous musical box shop there

there's a steam clock in front of the shop

and it's the one of the 2 left over steam clock in the world

entered the shop

full of fancy musical box (not my type)

then went to 2nd floor

it's better but the design is kinda too western

so back to 1st floor again and spent quite some time there

finally found nice one near the entrance there

but it's kinda expensive

walked around again found nothing but my sis found one

asked her bout it

then decided to buy it (cost around 10000 yen, ~RM400)

it's expensive but it's really nice

and equipped with song "sakura sakura"

then saw another musical kimono rabbit doll

it's really nice also

and my sis bought it (it's around 5000+yen, ~RM200)

left the shop quickly (running out of time)

2 hours were really not enough to shop the whole street...

then went to the glassware house

didn't plan to buy anything course they'll break easily

but i saw some shooter glasses are really nice in design

but only one is nice to be hold

feels like buying but spent quite a lot just now...

but ended up having a pair of it

course i would not be here next time...

~700 yen gone again...

then next one is the Le TAO chocolate store

tried their chocolate again (still not nice)

due to the promoter introduced us a cake

my sis bought it with bear shaped chocolate

+ i bought a chocolate pudding there

ate the pudding in bus and it's taste not that sweet

the essence of chocolate is existed strongly

it's really soft in texture also

next was thousand yen shop (+tax = 1050 yen)

bought jinbei + t-shirt there

and went back up to the bakery shop

and bought 5 pieces of layer cake there

(from the sample it smelled and tasted really nice

but my sis said that the 1 i bought in Kobe last time was better)

went up to other Le TAO for it's cake

bought a really nice looking cake but not delicious at all...

times up

back to the bus again

when going back

pass-by a weird costume store (english style)

and bought a multi-layered soft-cream on the way back

finished touring 小樽

next will be in 札幌

went to the very nice in looking 白い恋人 factory

it's just outside of the factory

course we're not allowed to go in

but outside is already very nice

we didn't even have enough time to take photo outside...

this place is something like disneyland without rides

(didn't even have time to visit their shop)

it's the visiting to 神宮 after that

in 北海道, there's only 1 神宮 there

nothing special course we couldn't go in

and the shop of selling amulet was close T_T

i really wanna buy amulets a lot in japan

ended up with 狸小路, rows of shops (japan's mall style)

bought a lot of stuffs in the 1st store (course cheaper than other)

spent around 8000 yen there...

then walked around the shops

saw maid cafe but won't have time to go there

nothing special around

so went to sports wear to see shoes

saw a lot of nice nike shoes XD

but which one should i go for???

there's around 3-5 i like...

nvm

time for dinner (spent a lot of time thinking)

.....

it's kinda late already, so i'll stop here and cont tomorrow

if i don't sleep now, i can't continue my vacation tomorrow

continue in writing again (today is July 22nd, 2010)

almost a week already

now i continue my day 3

where was i...

(after reading everything above)

oh dinner...

the dinner was RAMEN

this ramen shop is kinda famous in japan

it has a lot of franchise in Japan

the soup was not bad

the noodles is kinda thin if compare with those i had

but it's not that chewy

so it's just so-so for me

after dinner called mom about the shoes i want in the bus

then she allowed me to buy 2 pairs XD

i'm so happy XD

going to hotel, novotel

it's kinda near to the city we went just now

after taking shower

went out to have a walk

there's a festival there

a lot of people chit-chatting there

so we walked around and went back around an hour later

that's the end of that day

More photos : in my sis, chibi's FB account

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2071601&id=1320350458

Destination 4.3.2 : 美瑛 (biei) ー＞ 拓真館 (takushinkan) ー＞ 富田 (tomita) ー＞ 富良野ワイン (furano wain)

July 14th, 2010

woke up arond 5.30am (japan time) for the last お風呂

天華の湯

this tub is somehow nice

cuz mirror (same as previous post) + the view

it's open air bathtub also so early morning

it's kinda cold but hot tub

view of the mountain the tub facing is really nice

full of greenery scenery when having bath

i can say this is the best i've ever had course of the time

Breakfast, buffet in hotel again (typical english+jap breakfast)

before breakfast spent quite a some time packing

(cuz i was spending my time on tv...)

left hotel around 8.30am

but before that, bought something (around RM150 T_T)

they are only tiny stuffs...

the kind of bear i mentioned in previous post

then went to ぜるぶの丘 for flowers garden...

it contain a lot of different kinds of flowers

kinda nice in feeling

took quite a number of photos with "jumping"

didn't buy anything there except lavender ice-cream

(only can taste the lavender a bit)

then went to a see a famous tree somewhere nearby

(famous cuz of honda CM in year 197# forgot the year)

then went to a photo gallery

these photos are just too nice for me to enjoy

(they are just too artistic for me)

then lunch in .... hotel (forgot the name)

it's buffet style again (eng+jap style + melon)

the melon was really high demand

but it did not reach my expectation

(melon imported from korea was better XD)

before leaving the hotel

went into their souvenir shops

and saw something might be nice for souvenirs

(it'll mostly be souvenirs for YOU who's reading my blog)

i don't really know what's that

it's called マリモ　you need to breed it so that it'll grow bigger

then saw a kinda nice t-shirt with the "bear" on it

but it cost 1500yen+ (~RM60) kinda expensive okay

so i didn't buy it

after lunch

it's the main highlight of the trip

LAVENDER FARM in Farm Tomita

i wonder it's good or not

the sun came out when we reached there...

(it's freaking hot okay)

started with a farm with a lot of different flowers

other than lavender (i'm not going to mention what are those XP)

then a mountain of flowers... omg omg

it's so so so nice

but too crowded just like disneyland (quarter of it i mean)

the whole area is just too huge

but it's nice to be huge

it'll make u feel like the whole area is only flowers

(something sad is that, we couldn't get into the field)

but i really enjoyed the feel there

(it's proven that not only old people like these)

then drank lavender smoothies and bought lavender ramune...

it's time to shopping after enjoying the flowers

my sis and i bought a lot of stuffs there (AGAIN...)

everything is in lavender ... (kinda scary)

and i bought a mailing box of dried flowers

planned to send to host family in hyogo...

then found out can pay extra 120yen to have the delivery service included...

then bought some cookies for relatives...

(most suitable gifts for aunties & uncles + grannies)

followed by 富良野ワイン it's something similar to the sake museum

but this time is wine

of course there's tester again

3 wines to be tested + lavender wine

i'm not a fan of wine (so i like neither of them)

i tried the juice also, it's really nice

it's kind of sourly sweet

i tried 2 tiny cup (only limited 1 per pax XD)

bought nothing but wine cheese

(i kept it in the fridge, hope will remember to take it out)

then took around 1.5 hours of ride to the hotel

reached the hotel and went to お風呂　right away

cuz not much time (everything got closing time)

took around 2 mins of shutter bus to the area for sport...

when enter the place

it's kinda grand OMG OMG (i should bring along my camera)

it's a pool with wave (sunway lagoon type)

indoor with very very very high transparent ceiling

more like a sport complex... (it's really nice okay)

entered the お風呂

locker with password lock... (better technology here)

this お風呂 is equipped with relax area, sauna, indoor bathtub (freezing) + outdoor

the outdoor is somehow different from what i went before

marbles wall and floor, with a small hiding area (LED lights in the tub)

this is somehow the most "CLASSY" bathtub i guess...

just like how's the area looks

then back for dinner

dinner with vouchers of 3600yen

ordered a 7 colored seafood rice with 25% alcohol

my sis ordered ikura+kani rice (she gave me the ikura...)

then there's still some credit left... ordered melon AGAIN...

now...

i'm in the hotel lobby updating everything i left

since i couldn't online yesterday

at least now i can (in the lobby not room)

i guess i've finished writing what happened today

i have to continue my official work after this...

and back to room watching tv XD

More photos : in my sis, chibi's FB account

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2071496&id=1320350458