But if you couldn't tell from the title, I'm loving Sapporo - I think because it is so similar to Toronto (minus all the Japanese people)! The weather is very similar (they have 4 distinct seasons too with a "cold" winter - minus 5 Celcius is nothing haha), there's a nice city feeling but there's only about 2 million people in Sapporo, and the streets are obviously very clean - so you can see why I think it feels like a Japanese Toronto! The weather is great here too - it's almost always sunny, it will rain from time to time (because it's rainy season) but it finishes fast and it's never that heavy, and it's pretty cool (it's been around 17-20 Celcius here the past few days). And the Susukino area comes alive every night (luckily the hostel is in a very good location, it's less than a 10 minute walk to the area, and yet it's very quiet here at night) - I've never seen so many old businessmen walking along with a young woman with the typical (in Japan) fake brown hair, heavy make up, and stylish clothing before - the escort business seems to boom here in Sapporo.
But like I said, I've been keeping busy so far here in Sapporo. My first day, I managed to visit all the places I wanted to see in Sapporo, accompanied by an American backpacker (also named Ben) who I met in the hostel that morning. It was nice to see some sights with a like-minded traveler - we had some surprising things in common (like both being left-handed but using our right hands to do everything else except write or use eating utensils) - we were both on a tight budget, and he's on an even longer trip through Asia than me (500 days!). We first visited the Sapporo TV Tower (pretty much a miniature Tokyo Tower), then went through Odori Park (a park stretching across 13 blocks), then over to the Former Hokkaido Government Office Building (a tourist attraction because of it's Western design), then a short walk over to the Clock Tower (rated as 1 of the 3 most disappointing tourist sites in Japan), and finally to our main destination: the Sapporo Beer Museum. Barely a museum (but hey it's free), but obviously the best part is the beer tasting! Sapporo makes good beer; I took the sampler again, and this one offered Yebisu Black, Sapporo Black Label, and a brew using the original recipe (I forgot the name now)...you could definitely taste the changes to the recipe made from the original recipe to the current Black Label. After finishing our beers, me and Ben got to chatting for a while, and while showing him some of my photos from Shanghai on my camera, I accidentally knocked over an empty glass onto the floor! Surprisingly, I didn't have to pay for it, but I felt bad about it. And no, I didn't knock it over because I was drunk haha, I simply didn't see it. Ben was leaving Sapporo that afternoon, so after the beers, we headed over to a basement food court for a quick lunch - where I finally got to try okonomiyaki! (though it wasn't that great) - and then returned to the hostel. Then later on that night, one of other travelers I ate with the first night, Christophe from France, took me to eat at a soba restaurant. I had hot soba with seaweed and a raw egg (that's how they serve the eggs here) - quite delicious, though not too filling haha. Then later on that night, Christophe treated me to karaoke - even though it was just 2 of us, it was still quite fun (though much more expensive than Shanghai)!
At the Sapporo TV Tower and the neighbouring Odori Park. If you're keen, you'll notice the time on the tower in the 1st photo is after the time on the tower when I was in the park - I retook the photo of the tower itself on another day when the sky made for better shooting conditions.
The Former Hokkaido Government Office Building. The bicycle parking lot was in the back...so many bicycles (and they don't lock it up here as much as in Toronto - I guess bike theft is not a major problem when you're culture is based on respect, honesty and generosity).
The Clock Tower...you see why it's so disappointing? It's so small that you can easily miss it if you're not looking for it.
At the Sapporo Beer Museum. The 3rd photo was of an interesting museum piece...I'm not sure who the man is, but it's a pretty funny action figure to own haha.
Okonomiyaki for lunch.
Soba for dinner.
The next day, I made a day trip out to the nearby town of Otaru. It's a small port town that's a tourist spot because of a canal that runs through part of the town - which they try to advertise as the "Venice of Japan." It's also known for its many old Western-designed buildings (from its past), it's local breweries, and it's ice cream (they have many strange flavours like lavender flavour, but I didn't try any to save some money). After a short tour of the canal, I made my way to the Otaru Beer brewery and restaurant to try the microbrewery's beer. I had the "dunkel" (they try to imitate the classic German breweries), and the food was quite expensive, so all I had for lunch was a pretzel! After a bit more wandering (including up a steep slope to the Suitengu Shrine for a nice viewpoint of the harbour area), I stopped for a little snack at a mochi shop - my first in Japan (finally!). Then I walked around for a few more hours, visiting some of the recommended sights, before finally heading back to Sapporo, where I tried another Sapporo specialty for dinner: soup curry (that's the way they call it here haha). Basically, it's curry soup, that's served with a plate of rice, and meat and veggies (of your choosing) in the soup. You get to choose the level of spiciness of the curry - and it can actually get quite spicy (unlike the "spicy" curry you find at many Thai restaurants in the GTA)! The spiciness level rating is out of 7, with 7 being the most spicy - I chose 5, and I felt a bit of heat, but if I do try it again, I'm definitely going with 7 (5 was similar to the level of spice I add to my lentil soup at home, which I don't find all that spicy). I actually didn't plan on eating soup curry that night, I just stumbled upon it on the way back to the hostel.
On the train to Otaru.
At Otaru, first looking down the main street from the train station, and then along the canal.
At the Otaru Beer brewery and restaurant (similar to the Mill St. brewery restaurant in Toronto). As you can see, they really tried to create a German brewery atmosphere.
During my wanderings around town after lunch. The last 2 photos are at the Otaru Orgel Emporium - a shop selling only music boxes...there were a lot haha.
Up at the Suitengu Shrine (and passing an Anglican church on the way down).
My mochi snack, and my very first daifuku in Japan (it's what the snack is called). The shop was so kind, they gave me the piece of cake and cup of tea for free! I chose the daifuku with black beans. That's red bean paste in the middle, called anko in Japanese. Very good!
More sights of Otaru. The first photo is of the Former Temiya Line, the oldest railroad in Hokkaido, now not is use. The 3rd shot is of the Tanaka Sake Brewery shop, one of the original sake breweries in Otaru that's still operating today. The 4th shot is of Canal Park, a small park next to the canal, with some old building that's supposed to be an attraction in the background. I didn't realize I had overexposed the shot so much when I took it.
On the train ride back to Sapporo. I got some nice views of the coastline.
My soup curry dinner. I had the pork. The restaurant was Garaku, a place recommended to me by the hostel owner.
Another night shot of the Susukino area. The 2nd photo is of a little dessert I decided to treat myself to from the convenience store: glutinous rice balls in red bean paste. I later found out this dessert is known as oshiruko, and it's normally eaten hot.
The next day, I woke up early (or tried to) to head to Sapporo's fish market - Nijo fish market - for my first sashimi breakfast (what I had originally planned to do in tokyo)! I was joined by Christophe again. The Lonely Planet guidebook of Japan said you could find some restaurants that serve sashimi in the morning so fresh it's still twitching - we found nothing of the sort - in fact the place area is quite small, and we only found 3 restaurants serving sashimi. Then in the afternoon, I made a day trip out to Noboribetsu, an area nearby Sapporo. The most well-known part of Noboribetsu is Noboribetsu Onsen, the hot spring (onsen) resort town in Norboribetsu. I skipped over this area to head for the short hiking trails at another attraction of Noboribetsu, the hot spring lakes and Jigokudani (known as "Hell Valley" in English). Jigokudani is a valley full of smoking, thermally-active sulfur vents, and is known alone for it's fragrances. Yes, it did smell quite bad. Luckily, there was a good breeze that day, so the smell was nowhere near choking levels (it can get quite bad there sometimes). I didn't plan to walking so many trails, but I ended up also visiting Oyunuma and Oku no Yu, 2 hot spring lakes, as well as Oyunumagawa, a river from Oyunuma where you can also enjoy a free foot onsen (known as ashiyu). It was quite relaxing for the feet after all that walking! Then back in Sapporo, I treated myself to a small Japanese treat, mochi balls on a stick known as kushi dango. The one I chose was multi-flavoured (I couldn't decide what I wanted to try). Also quite delicious! Then later on that night, I tried yet another Sapporo specialty known as "jingus kan" - self-grilled lamb. It was good, but I didn't see what the big deal was - it as like Korean BBQ back home, except much pricier. Of course, the quality of meat (well at least the lamb since that's the only meat served) was much better here.
Sashimi breakfast at Nijo fish market. That's Christophe with me in the 2nd photo.
At Jigokudani at Noboroibetsu. The smoking vents are quite obvious. Despite the smell, it was quite scenic, and quite interesting to see.
At Oku no Yu and Oyunuma. The first photo is of Oku no Yu.
At Oyunumagawa and enjoying my first ashiyu! The sand in the water was a strange grey sand, probably due to a high concentration of a mineral...which one I wouldn't know haha.
My little treat of kushi dango back in Sapporo. The first mochi ball had some sweet syrup on it, the 2nd and 4th balls had red bean paste on it, and the 3rd ball had black sesame paste on it.
A shot of the hostel at Sapporo at night. It's called Time Peace Apartment (in case you ever come to Sapporo). I highly recommend it: very nice atmosphere, very clean and quiet (for a good night's rest), free breakfast (which many hostels don't offer) and a very friendly host/owner (by the name of Jin)!
Jingus kan for dinner, at a restaurant called Daruma (recommended by the hostel owner).
Then yesterday, Me and Christophe headed for a day-trip to Jozankei, another popular onsen resort area near Sapporo, this time with the purpose of trying an onsen. However, Jin recommended we go to an onsen just outside Jozankei, another small town called Hoheikyo, since the onsen at Hoheikyo was a real outdoor onsen (versus the onsens at Jozankei, which are all inside the hotels). So we made a stopover at Jozankei to visit a few of the recommended tourist sights, and then headed to Hokeikyo. I think I had pulled a nerve in the morning while I was stretching my neck in the shower, because my neck and shoulders started to seize up during the day, so the onsen was amazing. I'm very glad we took Jin's advice, the view and atmosphere at the Hoheikyo Onsen was spectacular. Unfortunately you're not allowed to take cameras into the actual onsen pool area (since it is onsen etiquette to enjoy the water completely naked), but it was like a slice out of heaven. Tall green trees and some shrubs of various colours surrounding the pool and up along the mountain side, a nice setup of goldish-brown rocks defining the outdoor pool area, a clear blue sky with a few white pillowy clouds, just enough sun to light up all the detail but without being too bright, slight steam rising from the perfectly warm water (it wasn't as hot as I thought it would be based on what guidebooks report - very relaxing with not much adjustment required to the water) - it was a great experience just to sit there nude in the pool and lay my head back on the rocks, and close my eyes and soak it all in. You'll notice I mentioned nude again - I had no problem being nude in the onsen (all the other patrons are nude, and the sexes are in separate areas so as not to create any awkwardness), and in my opinion, it wouldn't be the same wearing a bathing suit. It's definitely something I will do again. It was also quite easy to pick-up the proper onsen etiquette on my first time - there's information everywhere (including the Web).
Shiraitonotaki waterfall at Jozankei. I quickly realized the tourist attractions in the small town of Jozankei are largely overexaggerated - the waterfall was quite small and nothing too special.
While walking around. I found the sculpture quick interesting. Is it a monkey? It's supposedly some Japanese folklore monster that has to do with water known as kappa...the statues all over Jozankei.
At Futami Park and Futami Tsuribashi (suspension bridge). Small town = small park and bridge. I took the 2nd photo on some rocks in the river...the river was very shallow, almost no risk of dropping my camera in the water.
Iwato Kannondo shrine. There's supposedly 100 lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Again, not that big of a deal...small town...(I won't say it again haha).
At Hoheikyo Onsen. You can see the area outside the actual onsen pool in the 2nd photo, already quite picturesque.
Outside the onsen as we waited for the bus to return to Sapporo. It looked like the sky was on fire as the sun started to set. It looked much better in-person, but I tried my best to capture it.
On the bus back to Sapporo. The buses here are so much more sensible here than in Toronto and the GTA. If you forget about the prices (which actually isn't too bad when you consider the distances), the system is much better here. Your fare is based on the distance you traveled (with pricing shown on the electronic board at the front of the bus), and the fare machine is also equipped with a money change dispenser, so you can change larger coins/bills to smaller ones so that you don't have to bother other people or overpay the fare if you don't have the correct change. So simple, why can't we do the same (haha)?
So, that wraps up my past few days here in Sapporo! I know it was a crazy long post, but I had a lot of post about, and I'm taking it easy today. I've pretty much spent the whole day here at the hostel. When I woke up this morning, my shoulders and neck were worse off than yesterday, almost completely seized up. It hurts to do anything. I'm planning on going camping for a night near a town near Sapporo called Asahikawa, so hopefully I can still go tomorrow. I'm just going to keep taking it easy for the rest of the day and apply more Myoflex.
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