will i am's delayed diary

In a major change of direction, our third day was spent in the mountains. Drove about an hour up to the Daisetsuzan Asahidake Ropeway station. Mist covered most of road up the mountain as we had started our journey pretty early. The ride up to the Sugatami Station only took a short ten minutes, but the view was breathtaking. As beautiful as I remember it. The Sugatami Station is 1,600 metres above sea level, and is the starting point for hiking to the summit. For the less adventurous, there's a short circuit around Sugatami Pond that only requires a pair of gum boots. Now they charge JPY300 for boot rental, but they provide insoles as a value-add. During my last trip, the rangers didn't mark the trail, so KH and I didn't complete the circuit. The wind chill prompted me to wear another layer of clothes, and the glare made me put on my sunnies, which was a mistake! I took off my glasses and put it my jacket's inner pocket, which wasn't a pocket at all. So whe

Breakfast in Biei was a simple affair at home. Mum boiled eggs and blanched some asparagus that she had bought from Furano Marche, while sticks of coffee premix was provided by the host. The second day of our trip turned wet with constant drizzle.We didn't have far to go, as all of the planned sights were within Biei city limits. Hokusei Hill Observatory wasn't very impressive. Once again, its because we came in the wrong season. Took leisurely walk around it and ascended the unique Observatory that looks like a pyramid squatting an a grassy hill. At the top is a great vantage point of the surrounding landscape. Next came the tree-hunting. Doesn't sound exciting, but the drive around the rolling farmlands of the Patchwork Road is really beautiful. One of the famous trees in the area is the Ken and Mary Tree , a talllllll poplar that was made famous in a 1977 commercial. Another tree was the Seven Star Tree . Due to age, it doesn't look as lush anymore, b

It's never easy task planning a family trip especially when my sister has her kids to consider, my brother is working in Singapore, and I have my own work commitments. Our last trip together was in 2012 to Hong Kong. In order to make things work, my sister took the lead and declared that she would be ditching her kids and hubby. Just the four of us. That made travel arrangements a lot easier. Secured our tickets three months before our flight period in late May. Another summer in Hokkaido for me, which was low season ( cheaper flights, cheaper lodging ). Temperatures are still generally pleasant, but flowers aren't in full bloom yet. On the day of departure, my brother flew in from Singapore and he practically camped at KLIA2 for half a day ( since he was there early, he helped me collect the TravelRecommends WiFi hotspot ). Mum, Sis and I took a cab from home after dinner. I was hoping for my usual cab driver's Estima, but for some reason, he sent his brother instead a

We had a long drive ahead of us. KH and I split the 300KM drive to Chitose . The expressway was quite boring with no big rest stops. Mostly just toilets and a vending machine. Pushed on and arrived at Mitsui Outlet Park , Kitahorishima at about 2:00PM. Our Mitsui Premium Outlet in Sepang has a similar design, but the selection of brands is much better in Hokkaido. Although shopping was high on the list, eating lunch was more important. The food court offered a good selection of lunch options. Miso ramen is popular in the Sapporo region, so KH tried that. I for one found it to be overpowered by garlic oil. I chose Hokkaido pork don with leek. What I ate was pretty close to what Senya serves in KL. Kudos to Senya. Found the best bargains at Rockport and Banana Republic. Surprisingly, they also have a supermarket there selling fruits and vegetables. When we left MOP, our hands were full of shopping bags. Been trying to find SK's Albion products for two weeks but to no av