Hokkaido - day 4

The night before, we reached Utoro, where people take the boat to go around Shiretoko peninsula. After the onsen, lucky we found a camping site in Shiretoko and took a rest.

In the morning, we went down to Utoro to take the boat. Tickets are 8,000 yen for 3h tour. Boats are the only way to see around the peninsula. The guides are very careful regarding to the nature preservation. As nominated the world heritage 2005 by the UN, Shiretoko has been visited quite a lot this year. Local people are very concerned to keep everything as the nature made.

The weather was not so good; many clouds actually made us see many animals there.

Even the bears, what local people say it is rarely seen, we were able to meet 4 of them. They were fishing their lunch and the binoculars helped to see them well.

An "obento" (lunch box) with a super fresh "ikura" (salmon’s eggs) were served in the boat. Delicious!!

On the way to Shiretoko once again, we met some deer and foxes. The are not afraid of human and stay eating in front of us for a while.

They are completely free, none of them can be touched or feed. While you’re driving, just be careful because other cars are stopped in the middle of the way taking pictures ;-)

In the afternoon, we went to the 5 lakes inside Shiretoko’s mountains with a non-comparable landscape. The lake 2 is the biggest and the most beautiful.

In our guidebook, there’s a description of a natural onsen waterfall few km after the 5 lakes. We asked for the place and it’s only possible to reach there with a special bus. No private cars can reach the waterfall to protect the nature.

When I arrived there, the sensation was like climbing the Fuji Mountain with water falling down calmly. The water however is warm. And the smell is like in the onsen tamago’s place.

You climb for about 20 min to reach the place you can take the natural bath. As we arrived end of the day, there were few people and I felt all the onsen waterfall only for you. First time in a real very natural onsen that provides the amazing sensation of what God prepared with His hands. I took some pictures with the instant camera, but I still have to process them... I will upload later on ;-) it's worth!!

After so relaxing time, I faced a problem… to get down on the waterfall is much but much more difficult than climbing… it is very slippery and sometimes you have to go down with the water, otherwise you stay there forever.

Many people were slipping and falling down… when I was almost on the bottom… it was my turn! Boooom…. Fell down in a very beautiful and original way, with my left hand getting all my body’s weight against the rocks…

This made my visit to the onsen waterfall unforgettable. Because after we return to the campervan, I went straight to the hospital to make sure my hand wasn’t broken.

And thank God, it was fine, still painful but nothing broken.

At night, we still drove down to Nemuro, a very interesting area… in a huge farm in the middle of the nature, we rest one more night.

Hokkaido - day 3

After spending the night in Kitami, we took the road 240 to Kushiro. The first stop was in the Akan National Park, Akan lake, with a wonderful view. Me-Akan mountain is still active volcano.

The lunch was a famous fish “don”; the fishes are very small, I don’t remember the name (-.-)#... also, a special sashimi that is prepared frozen, like a Korean sashimi.

Lake Kussharo is the biggest lake in the park. In Kussharo, there is a track around the lake, where there are high places you can have the best view of the lake. At the end of the track, there is a house, we thought it was abandoned, but in the reality, it is an onsen room, with 2 big baths and everybody can take free relaxing time there. This is Japan!

Between lake Kussharo and lake Mashu, the most beautiful view driving the car. You feel as you are in the middle of giant trees, between the mountains and you are part of the landscape.
The best actually was still to come up… considered one of the most beautiful views in all Japan, the lake Mashu! As the weather was wonderful, all the lake was in the best blue color. There is free stop point going forward from the paid parking. Don’t need to pay to see the lake.

If you go further, there is an onsen “central” mountain, where you see the steam changing the rocks color to yellow. Japanese boil eggs on those onsen focus which are called “onsen tamago”.

Hokkaido - day 2

Waking up very early to drive down to Minami Furano! We got a good price at HAT Rafting and they are so organized, preparing everything from the clothes, Japanese words to synchronize our movements, photographer, the bucket of water to wash our feet before getting into the bus to return… everything very detailed and well thought out.

The scenario for the rafting was amazing… not only fun, on those waves but the river is in the middle of green paradise; we saw a mink crossing the river in front of us, the blue butterfly over our heads, the pollen (which name I don’t remember) and looks like a snow in the river.

The water was less then 20C, very cold but nice to do rafting in such a beautiful day.

One hour rafting in that clean water is unforgettable. If I go to Hokkaido, I’d do it again for sure!!

Very hungry after rafting, we went up to Furano and we went to a famous restaurant there. We were not expecting, but their special dish is the “deer, duck and chicken nabe”… yes, I ate deer which was delicious… very lucky that I ate before meeting it’s relatives in person later on… I wouldn’t eat them after see those beautiful animals…

The meat is a bit tough, however the tasty is special, it’s similar to beef (more soft tasty actually then beef).

Of course, we went to Furano and Biei for the flowers field. It was already in the end of the season however still very colorful.

Hokkaido is very famous because of the lavender fields…. The best is to see in May or June, however we were still able to see many lavender and other flowers fields.

At night, we went up to the highest mountain in Tokachi. On the top, we went to the onsen (rotenburo, which means outside hot spring) and we saw the reflection of the sunset on the mountains.

Hokkaido - day 1

On the 23rd, 1.5 hour from Haneda, we reached Shin-Chitose and took a train to Kita-Hiroshima to pick up the campervan. Old model! right...ok! there is not much campervan's rental service in Japan, especially in Hokkaido. In Sapporo area, there's only one... but at the end, I was feeling so good traveling in that campervan... I will miss it!

It was my first travel in a campervan; very very interesting, it has a table, a coach that becomes a bed, sink, stoven, refrigerator, shower, toilet, TV... we got a camping kit, with camping pans, sleeping bags, ... all the controllers in a panel, which you set to be able to use the water, light, gas, 12V/battery set for the refrigerator...

After all set, we took the 36 road to Sapporo and did the sighseeing in the main tour points. The old Gov building is very beautiful... the tower and odori park are very nice. Take a walk there is very relaxing...
Sapporo station is quite big and the downtown looks like Ginza in Tokyo. Brand stores and nice buildings...

After a quick sighseeing, we drove up to Takikawa city, to reach Furano area next day. In Takikawa, something very nice happened; we were looking for an onsen and as the streets are very difficult in Japan, a taxi driver took us to the onsen which was not so near. He did it for free and I feel very glad as he showed us one of the best onsen we had in Hokkaido. The rotenburo (onsen outside) was amazing... and as it was very late at night, I was myself out there, in a very beautiful scenario.

We continue a bit more to find a very quiet place to sleep, in the middle of the trees and a river besides... Sleep with the stars and listening to the river was a gift from the nature!

My backpack is ready!

Leaving early in the morning with my backpack for my summer vacation.
Where to go, well, I even dunno which cities I'll be... you will know after I come back... probably it will be a place with no internet and in the middle the nature ^-^

See ya...

First snorkeling

Phi Phi Maya Bay, an hour from Phuket by boat.
The one day trip around Phi Phi Island was amazing.
Snorkeling and swimming in those islands are a special gift from the nature.
I heard abt this place from the movie "The Beach" (with Leo)... he had a wonderful time for sure.
I actually don't remember exactly the day I was there... some day in November 2003, a week before joing the new company ^-^.

Seoul...

I have to register this trip to Korea in the blog. It happened in 2003 Sep, for my first business trip.
The project was for the 2nd biggest bank in Korea and the clients were really hard workers and nice to me. They are more hard workers then Japanese (^-^).
After this trip, I realized it is possible to travel to anywhere in the world without knowing their local language. Well, Korean people can speak a very good Japanese; better than English.

Hanabi

The fireworks festival in Japan happens every summer.

People wear yukata (summer kimono) and the environment is completely different from the usual one.

They are long, about 1h with 1 or 2 breaks and usually there is no space to between people. All the festivals are very very crowded and if you don't arrive early you will never find your friends.

Some of my friends go in the morning to keep a good place and spend all day waiting for the fireworks.

Feijoada

The most famous Brazilian dish is the black bean Feijoada.
Once a month I still need to have a Feijoada and I really like
the "linguica" (Brazilian sausage) in there.
And today was the day! Hmmmm, delicious!!
It matches if eaten with orange! Believe me (^-^)v

Tsubame Kichen

They serve almost the same menu as lunch in the evening,
and as usual I ordered the salad set.

The food is good, delicious hamburgers and sausages!
My friend got a spinach soup and we both had a very
healthy dinner :D

They are a chain, the one we used to go is in Oazo Building.
The building is very close to our office we often go there
for book shop, nail care ^-^, coffees, shoppings, and to
see live images from the space at Jaxa.