Hi guys! If you're hoping for updates, sorry to disappoint you. I've been really busy with work. But that is not an excuse - just sit tight if you're expecting things to pop up, they will soon!
Last December, I had left for Japan after my ORD. Here are some highlights from the trip.
It was my first time on a JAL 767 on the flight - interesting facilities, but the quality overall pales in comparison to our good ol' SIA. I was seated in economy as usual. Older entertainment systems and dated seats dampened the mood but the strong air-conditioning and quality toiletries available (UNLIMITED? aftershave, the attendants just kept on restocking the toilet) kinda made up it.
We landed at New Chitose Airport, Hokkaido, after 7 hours. Truly, it is the Land of SNOW.
As the revolving doors spat us out into the open, the bitter wind howled and tore its way into the 4 layers I was wearing. At -15°C, it felt way colder - probably around like -25°C due to the crazy wind chill.
The bus we took to the hotel swayed in the heavy crosswinds, making some unfortunate souls really sick. Eventually we reached the hotel, and the storm eased. Hokkaido is a polished diamond in an already amazing country. Take a look! :)
We toured Sapporo, taking in the local scenery and amazing hot springs. Eventually, we moved on to Lake Tōya, a volcanic caldera lake. To the south of the lake, lies Mount Usu, an active stratovolcano. It has erupted 4 times since the 20th century, and scientists have predicted that it will do so again, soon. Luckily, it was not to be on the day of our visit! Hot gases wafted down the sides and we were warned to stay well clear. The gases were up against the north-easterly winds though, and dissipated quickly. We climbed up an adjacent hill overlooking the lake to a breathtaking panorama. The sun was barely touching the horizon at this point and forced us to turn back.
Food in Japan is a no-brainer, and there is no such thing as a bad meal. Fresh seafood is seared, pan-fried, deep-fried, grilled, broiled to perfection yielding a satisfied soul that hardly any other country's offerings can deliver. Blue-fin tuna sashimi melts precariously in the mouth, shellfish writhe as they cook over a midnight-black charcoal stove and the steaming lobsters were fished out of the Sea of Japan barely an hour before being thrown into screaming hot water. Needless to say, if one has tasted authentic Japanese cuisine, nothing other than that offered in Japan itself will ever satisfy. Here are some of the exquisite dishes we sampled over the course of a week:
After about a week in Hokkaido, we moved on to Tokyo.
A massive change of pace soon presented itself. Compared to the sleepy isle, Tokyo is much like Singapore - just way more mono-cultural and in many ways, better. The most common topic where the Japanese have beaten Singapore hands down would be transport. Nothing is late and the ride never breaks down. The weather is much easier to "tahan" as the humidity is low, resulting in little sweat even during hot days! :) Shopping is great too! Other than frequent natural calamities - typhoons and earthquakes, and the existing overwhelming mono-cultural stance the Japanese take, Japan is the best country I've stepped foot in so far.
Mt Fuji glistened as our plane headed into Tokyo Bay, and the early morning mist had not dissipated, giving the scene a surreal feel of nature and man-made existing in harmony.
Tokyo has managed to combine past with the present seamlessly, and Singapore has definitely a lot more to learn from their achievements. A truly brilliant trip, to say the least. :)