A Japanese Summer: Chapter Two (i)

HOKKAIDO SAIKOU!

It couldn't get more Hokkaido-ish than the picture above. I can see at least three 北海道 (Hokkaido) all over one building. And the main board reads Hokkaido's Sapporo Beer. *points to the one with the biggy star* I know because I bought a can home for dad. *grins*

Now now. Remember last post we were still in Tokyo? *nods* Woke up before 5am to catch the train down to Hokkaido. Here's the scary news. It takes almost 10 hours to get to Sapporo, Hokkaido. Yup, it's a day worth of journey even with the bullet train.

Ekibens!

The return of Hiyalish Lesson 101: Budge Trip Advisor 01
Ekiben is derived from the word eki (meaning: station) and bento (meaning: lunch boxes). Thus, ekiben is lunch boxes sold in train station.

My First Ekiben in Japan!
On top of it is my Japan Rail Pass aka Super Pass and my ticket.

The wonders of the Japanese culture. Ekiben prepared in the wee morning at 2.12am and expires 13 hours later at 3.12pm. *nods*

QUIRKY JAPAN
♥

Lookie at what's inside. It suppose to contain 30 different types of ingredients that should provide me with all the nutrients I need. *points to the pink paper I stuffed under the box* That paper has the break-down of every single detail you need to know on what you're eating. *shrugs* Aiyo, I not Japanese I Malaysian. I makan sedap and kenyang sudahlah. XD

Train sampai! Double decker bullet train wei!!

CANGGIH JAPAN
♥

But but... itu bukan train kami lah.

We get second best train. LOL. No complains.

And off we go!

THE VIEW!



Don't believe still picture is it? Let me repeat again then.

THE VIEW!

Nyek nyek nyek... Cubbie filmed train conductor at work.

Hensem tak?

Hensem not your type?

No worries.

Cubbie also film train attendent at work.

Pretty tak?

After changing a few trains, get on a subway, walk walk a bit with a map in hand. Gua sampai sudah petang loh.

Marks Inn Sapporo. Our Very First Hotel in Japan! My first online booking! Which reminds me I haven't wrote a review as requested. *sigh* Buat advertisment a bit dulu, booking done through here. *clickie*

The funniest thing is, Marks Inn Sapporo is the only place we stayed with the most English name to it. Come'on Marks Inn woh! Right? You would have expect a Mr Mark who knows English serving you at the reception. YET! It's the only hotel that has receptionist that don't speak English. DOT!

Our hotel is nicely located by the river. ^___^

After checking in, put our backpacks down, rest rest a bit we go out to hunt for dinner with one aim in mind:

SAPPORO RAMEN YOKOCHO

So we walk and walk till we reach Susukino, the town area. *cough* Susukino is also famous for one other thing.

See picture of girls on billboards? Yup. It's also sorta like a... red light district *mumbles* But Japan is very equal in this business. Because there's equal service for men and women in this manner. *grins* That's where Cubbie's super camera goes into action.

ROLL FILM!

See see the smart dressing men all over the place. See see men holding cards approaching guys and also gals. See see! How openly they do it. They mind their business, we mind ours. *nods*

So after loosing our way and our temper, we finally found the place.

It's really true you know, a hungry man is an angry man. It was really frustrating not being able to find the place we want even though we were already so hungry and yet even more frustrating to give up and eat at some other place. -.-;;

RAMEN YOKOCHO
a whole street of little ramen shops

We have no idea which to enter. This alert obachan noticed and came calling us. Pandainya buat business. The ramen was okay okay only. I'm really not a person that takes a big bowl of only one taste. *nods* I need variety to makan punya. So ramen don't work well for me. ^^;;

BUT WE WERE HUNGRY! So habis juga. XD

Hiyalish Lesson 101: Budge Trip Advisor 02
When a bottle of 500ml water cost at least 100yen (approximately RM3.20), try get FREE water whenever you can. i.e. you paid 1000yen for a bowl of ramen and water is free. Be smart and courteous and ask if you can fill you bottle with water. There, you just saved yourself from buying a 100yen worth of water. Therefore, your ramen secretly cost only 900yen. XD

Macamlah a bowl of ramen is enough to feel my stomach. Hee... That's me lining up for Takoyaki.

And that's them making my takoyaki.

It really really can't get more Hokkaido-ish than this! I hearts this song so much that I still humm it at home nowadays. See see, that goes another two guys approaching *cough cough* "business", if you know what I mean.

Ho-Ho-Hokkaido
♥

One last shot for the night.
Crescent moon. Susukino's Night View. =)

Back to the compact hotel room.

Remember what I said about tiny toilets? The hotel has the same compact toilet. LOL. I suspect its a few inches wider because I didn't knock my arms to the walls as often when I bathed in the hotel toilet. Never the less, tiny.

That's Cubbie getting all comfy.
The room had no closet. LOL. So you see our pants hanging up high on the wall. ^^;;

Repeat after me.

TINY.

Supper!

Supper includes dessert! *__*

Now, I still don't quite understand why Japanese love pudding so much but honestly, they're everywhere. Believe me, you. Pudding the staple dessert of Japan. *shrugs*

After makan, we lie in bed and watch some Japanese TV before calling it a night.

Next: Vin and Cub off to the farm!

Read Also:
A Japanese Summer: Prologue
A Japanese Summer: Chapter One (i) Arriving in Japan
A Japanese Summer: Chapter One (ii) A Day Out in Tokyo