Nagoya / Nabana no Sato: 8th Feb 2016

As Bic Camera was just nearby our hotel, we decided to do some shopping before making our way to Nabana no Sato for its winter illumination. If you are tech-freak, camera-freak, Japan-freak, then you've just gotta spend some time at these mega camera shops. Love it! Unfortunately, Dear couldn't find his ideal tripod for his videography, so he left empty-handed while I managed to grab something I like before leaving the shop =D.

After grabbing a bite at a nearby eatery which serves good ramen, we quickly made our way to Meitetsu Bus Center to take the designated bus to Nagashima Onsen Resort. 

There are several bus trips from JR Nagoya station. And you can purchase the tickets from the bus center. The journey took us about 1h to reach the Mitsui Outlet Shopping Park, located in this resort. As it was still early, shopping was definitely right to whilst the time away....

I couldn't remember what we purchased, but the variety of branded goods over there was good enough for us to spend 2-3h there! I remembered we left the place with very heavy loot from all the shopping hehe.. and we still have not explored Nabana no Sato such that we have to drag every to there.

After having some food, we left for Nabana no Sato (なばなの里) and it was already pitch dark. One thing good is that for every attraction, there are always coin lockers for us to place heavy belongings in a safe place! So, all our shopping loot entered the lockers while we explored the beauty of this park.

In preparation for the cherry blossom season

Everywhere was filled with mesmerizing lights with 

soothing music as accompaniment in the park

The Lake of Reflection

The  highlight of Nabana no Sato that keeps everyone thrilled and a must-photoshoot location within the tunnel! It was amazing how their creativity could flow with the use of these lightings in creating a wonderful travel memory for everyone who visited this place. And these lightings were up for a long time from October to March every year so that you can have more chance making a trip there!

After visiting Nabana no Sato, we were pretty tired out and was happy to catch the bus back to Nagoya station. A fruitful day spent! One more winter illumination to cover the following day!

Shizuoka: 5th Feb 2016

This trip was planned to coincide our visit with the night illumination at Shirakawago and also to enjoy the Snow Festival at Sapporo! I was very excited during the planning of this trip itinerary. The trip duration was very short at 6 days but we are to cover Shizuoka, Shirakawago and Sapporo!

We reached Narita Airport after a pleasant ANA flight in the afternoon. After collecting the pocket Wifi and purchased our train tickets, we boarded NEX train to Shinagawa before changing train to go Shizuoka.

Few months before, I have contacted Ms Hiroyo Aizawa, the very friendly guide who brought me around to see the beauty of Mount Fuji from Shizuoka. At that time, it was summer. Mount Fuji was not having the ice-cap. I always wanted to see the winter side of Mount Fuji, hence decided to meet up with Hiro again!

By the time we reached Shizuoka, it was already night as sunset was at 430pm. We checked into Hotel Associa Shizuoka, which is located directly at the north exit of JR Shizuoka station. It was a relief as after a long day of travel, all we hoped is to see the hotel immediately!

The hotel was spacious for a very comfortable stay and it has the Toyota Car Rental Outlet at its lobby, which makes self-drive arrangement easy. After placing our luggage, we decided to pamper ourselves with a big meal at Kani Honten. This is a restaurant specializing in crabs. Snow Crab, King Crab, Hairy Crab... There is one outlet near the Shizuoka station so we have to try it! Boy, having cold beer and crab feast was the best to enjoy in winter!

札幌かに本家 静岡駅前店

7-15 Koyamachi

       Aoi Ward, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture 420-0852

       Japan (1130am-10pm)

Shabu shabu in winter!

Hairy Crab

After dinner, we walked around the vicnity and saw Aoba Oden street. It is an interesting street lined with many odens stalls. Also very nice to enjoy some hot oden in winter time :) 

We called the day off and returned back to hotel for a much needed rest!Looking forward to our adventure with Hiro the next day!

Teshikaga/Kushiro: 28th Feb 2015

We woke up not because of the alarm clock, but due to hearing the strong howling wind outside our windows and yes, everywhere was heavy snow. Snowstorm was still continuing strong. It was the first time I thought snow could be a danger. Mostly because in Singapore, we do not experience snow and we find snow to be a beautiful season. Of course it is, but too much of something always bring along danger!

We packed up and quickly checked out. Today, Takashi-san was not there to receive us. Instead, his colleague, whom I had forgotten her name, met up at the lobby. The vehicle she came by to pick us was not as big as previous days. But Takashi-san told us that she is a professional driver.

We struggled moving our luggage to the van as the snow had reached to our kneecap level. Praying for the best, we steadily moved ourselves and our barangs up the van.. Hoping to set off. But, something happened! The van could not move or budge at all due to the heavy snow. This lady driver could only speak Japanese and minimal English. In fact, I was trying my best to understand what she meant whenever she said something. I could see she was also frustrated with the snow. We helped her out by shoving the ice beneath the wheels away..and some of the guys helped to push the van. It was a real challenge!

Finally, we got some help from the hotel too. I remembered we spent 1.5hours just in the snow, hoping to move the van. At the end when we finally reached the main road where snow level is much lower, our van could finally move and we were all elated with joy! Initially, we planned to visit Lake Kussharo again but with the weather like that, it was impossible. So, to avoid any delays in boarding our plane, we decided to make our way to Kushiro Airport.

I must say this lady driver is indeed a professional, not just in driving, but also in wild-life spotting! She told us not to worry, we should reach Kushiro Airport on time. She even tried to suggest some places we could visit as it was still very early. But, this worrisome bunch of Singaporeans cant wait to reach the airport haha..

Along the way, she suddenly drove to a small road and told us to get down but keep quiet. Initially, I wasnt sure what she meant and what was the purpose. Then, she mentioned owl in japanese.. I was surprised and stunned as she pointed out Ural Owls resting in the tree holes at a protected area. This was simply an unexpected discovery! Although the slope to reach the area was quite steep, we managed our way and took many photos of this beautiful Ural Owl. What luck!!

After that, we made our way back to the van and then, our female driver spotted another young Sika deer along the roadside. None of us spotted the deer. And I felt the deer was giving us a smile to say Sayonara just before we left Hokkaido! I would never forget this scene!

As there was still time and we were appraoching Kushiro Airport, I made a suggestion to have a brief stop at Kushiro Washo market for some seafood quick brunch! Since all of us did not have any breakfast earlier on.. In Kushiro, the main attraction is really this market, which offers the best seafood as compared to Sapporo and other parts of Hokkaido. It works in a way, you buy a bowl of rice according to the amount you want, then you visit other stores and buy sashimi to place it on top of your rice. And there are benches for you to rest and have a meal! I got some crab legs from hairy crab and snow crab. They were really fresh! I wished I had visited Kani Honten at Sapporo but due to lack of time, I didnt :( Leave it for the next trip then!

My mini-crab feast

Busy day at Washo Market

 So after a short 30min at the market, we set off for Kushiro Airport which is about 20min drive away. Bade farewell to the female driver and I said O-tsukaresamadeshita to her! It meant thank you for her hard work. I could not have imagined what will happen if we did not get away from the heavy snowstorm-laden road! It was indeed a wonderful trip with an adventurous moment putting an end note to our stay in Hokkaido. A 1h flight to Tokyo, and we left the mountaineous Hokkaido with huge spans of winter landscape to an urbanised Tokyo! All seen from the plane window.

And I said farewell to the rest of the photographers who would be continuing their journey to Nagano to see the snow monkeys. It was an amazing trip! Adventure! Wildlife! Discoveries! Onsen! Gourmet! You name it, we did it! As a team :) I really look forward to visit Hokkaido during the summer season in the near future! Probably to areas like Furano, Biei where picturesque landscapes have often captivated my eyes when I read brochures related to these places. Hope to catch Takashi-san again as my guide in future trips to Hokkaido!

In any case, if anyone is keen to engage Takashi-san as your tour driver in Hokkaido, you may contact him via the details below. It's tough to find Japanese drivers in Hokkaido who can also speak English and Im glad to know him through this trip :).Also, thank you for C.S.Ling Photography for helping to coordinate this trip.

Contact:

Japanese Guide: Mr Takashi Miura

www.go-hokkaido.com

Email: info@go-hokkaido.com

Wildlife Photography Trip Organizer
By C.S Ling Photography

Rausu/Yoroushi: 26th Feb 2015

Again, our alarm clock did not fail us and we did not disappoint ourselves. We woke up punctually at 4am, got ready by 430am and set off to board our boat to catch the intense action of the Steller's sea eagles!

Today, the sunrise was really beautiful. You could see the sun slowly approaching upwards, with very nice shades of gold, yellow and orange creating beautiful light in the sky. The eagles were already on standby, awaiting for food. I found a good seat this time and I desperately needed it. Reason being on the previous day, I was on my knees and in the end, had much bruises on them that I could not bend my legs well :( So a seat was much needed this morning!

Some tango among the eagles

Crow on the left, Steller's sea eagle on the right.

No crow/eagle is going to catch its fish!

Trying to perfect its landing

Close-up photo of the Steller's sea eagle

3 hours of intense shooting and I saw much action that day. We were anticipating what we saw yesterday. We were all trying to get better shots than the previous day haha. In fact, today I ditched my tripod in the car as it was so tough juggling both the tripod and myself on balance on the boat.

All of us felt pretty satisfied and we made our way back to hotel for our breakfast. So looking forward to a hot bowl of miso soup at that instant!!

After breakfast, we packed our stuff, rested a while, before meeting Takashi-san to drive to Yoroshii. I went to say farewell to Kuma-san, the dog in the hotel. He was just too adorable and I gotta take a last look of him :)

We took a brief stop at a museum which showcased the various wildlife that one can catch at Shiretoko Peninsula. A pity we didn't manage to see the seals. We thought we saw one..but end up it was a Stellar's sea eagle :( Talking about daydreaming -_-

The beautiful landscape outside the museum

We set off for Yoroushi and along the way, we spotted so many deers! Beware of the photos below..nothing but the deers!

They spotted us and ran away! 

Luckily, we spotted more deer as we drove towards Yoroushi. Some battle happening real-time!

    

Taking huge heaps of fresh air

Father and child : Connection

Then, we drove past along the coastline and saw few wandering deers, looking through for some food in the midst of snow and debris.

          

I love animal photography. One of the reasons is that I learn the animal instinct from them. Many times, man will think that he is the smartest living being on earth. But animals do have their intelligence as well. Just like how they signal to each other whether there are vehicles coming along their way and making sure it is safe before crossing the road. It is through animal photography that I practice patience so that I can capture and witness these priceless moments of communication between the animals. 

And so the whole herd of deers quickly made their way across the road. Safety is the utmost importance.

Drift ice along the drive

It was already 2pm by the time we had lunch. Time just passed when you are busy snapping away haha..and we didnt really felt the hunger. What shocked us is the huge servings of food served at that particular restaurant. 

The food was oishii but the amount was too much for us to take in. A single meal could be a better choice for 2 person sharing haha.. Then we learnt from the guide that people staying around this area are all farmers who work very hard, and they have big appetite. Hence, the food serving size is usually big to cater for them. Now we appreciate the reason haha.

After lunch, we slowly made our way to our hotel at Nakashibetsu town. There is only one road to this hotel. It is pretty secluded. The hotel is known as Yuyado-Daiichi

I can tell you this is the most posh onsen/ryokan accomodation I have ever stayed in. I will go visit again in the future!!It is so much better than in Kinosaki and Shibu onsen area haha. This I believe is the splurge factor of the trip!

The spacious lobby which we did all our shooting

We hoped to see some martens at the area. An excellent place for photography as the hotel lobby is facing large window panels, which faces the forest outside. So you could witness any animal action and photograph them while in comfort and warmth!

And our guide informed us that the onsen at this ryokan was the top best! It is a must try and of course I would not miss the chance!

Upon reaching the hotel, I changed and marched straight to the onsen hahaha..and it was just about sunset...so the rotenburo(outdoor onsen) offered spectacular views of the forest! It was a luxury as you immersed in the hot onsen while enjoying snow falling on your head :)

Something which I always envy while watching Channel News Asia's Japan Hour haha

And after freshening up, I headed to the lobby to meet the rest of the gang. We were awaiting the sight of any wildlife right outside the hotel window. After waiting for 1h or so, suddenly there was a big commotion at one corner. A Blakiston's fish owl was spotted! 

It was our first encounter and we were overwhelmed at this sight! The boss of the hotel commented that we were very lucky to spot this owl right in front of the hotel!

If not, we might be spending hours in the snow awaiting the arrival of this owl!

Everyone were so excited. Any slight movement of the owl was accompanied with heaps of camera clicks haha.. well I guess the owl must be very proud to have captured such an attention!

You can see how happy the owl was, savoring its catch!

And then, another person alerted us to another owl, which was hidden above the branches in the trees! Goodness! Two owls that night. It's likely the martens would hide though, as they knew there were the owls around... too bad , we did not spot any martens :(

With that owl-watching for 1.5h, we were famished and headed off for our long-awaited dinner.

The total number of dishes served was astonishing! We almost could not finish every single of them. But, it was real whole luxury for all of us! I didn't take any pictures as I was too famished but the food quality was really good!

To celebrate a wonderful night, some of us headed off for onsen again before resting!

It's my first time doing onsen at night. A memorable experience too :)

Rausu: 24th Feb 2015

This morning had a perfect sunny weather, imagine wispy clouds in a vibrant blue sky. That was in stark contrast as compared to the weather the day before! This morning, some of the participants will be going for a ride with the ponies together with the host of this farm to some very beautiful landscapes around the farm.

I was orginally planned to go as well, if not due to a fall on the icy ground with a huge bump on my hand :( Both hands are required to hold on to the pony as you ride along. In view of safety, I had no choice but to skip this opportunity. So the rest started to get prepared for their memorable pony ride..I was snapping away with my functional right hand haha

My friend with her "hubby"

One of the ponies getting ready for some action!

The instructor with the riders

Some warm up session

I took a quick picture with one of the ponies before they set off!

And off they went happily! I wished I was a Go-Pro camera tagged to one of them haha

It was interesting to see these ponies getting ready and the riders getting prepared! Having a Go-Pro camera bound to your helmet or shoulder would be ideal for the action to be captured while enjoying the ride. It was a 45min ride priced at 4500yen, no doubt expensive, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Unless you come to Kushiro very often haha

Fell in love with this scene

After the horse ride, we took some group photos around the farm with the lovely backdrop. It was really an awesome visit for us to discover this Tsurui Dosanko Farm. I hope to visit in the near future during autumn time...you could imagine the autumn foliage welcoming you while you ride ponies through the trail :)

So we set off, dragging luggage to the car where Takashi-san was patiently waiting for us haha..and we went to a nearby eating place to have some delicious and hot seafood ramen. 

Fresh oyster!!

There were some souvenir and seafood shops below the eating place..and we purchased some dried scallops for folks at home to cook some delicious porridge! I must emphasize here the cost price is so much lower than what you paid for in Singapore! 

We drove about 1.5hours to our next accomodation at Rausu Marumi Hotel. The sky had already darkened at 4pm. There was nothing much to do after check-in as weather was not great for shooting. 

So what should we do while waiting for dinner? It's time to check out the onsen! As I was craving for onsen after being in Hokkaido for past 6 days, I immediately prep myself and chiong for the onsen once we settled down. It was just....awesome! Having to "steam" myself in the hot water after so many days in the cold when I was suffering from some backache and an injured hand! I was hesitating whether to go for the onsen experience as I was afraid to slip again. But, with precautions taken, everything went fine and it probably helped in the healing haha :)

It was then R&R before our dinner time arrived and yes, we were greeted with huge variety of food during the buffet. I almost stuffed myself to max before we called it a day and enjoyed some icecream in the room before resting early. 

It's going to be early wakeup days for the upcoming 2 days as we will be going onboard the boat to catch some Stellar Eagles action on Drift Ice!