Wonder.Food.Travel

Gomen'nasai, Did the title catch your attention? Was i really naked? Yes, i was fully naked. Why? ... Lake Toya An interesting fact about this lake is that it is ice-free (it never freezes despite the cold). It is part of the Shikotsu-Toya National Park. Our bus stopped here and although i don't favour lakes, i enjoyed the short time at this lake. Posing with the lake behind. Close-up shot. Just chilling by the lake. Mount Showa-Shinzan Also located in the Shikotsu-Toya National Park is this volcanic lava dome with observable active fuming. Delicious melon ice cream against the fuming Mount Showa-Shinzan behind. We had lunch nearby; authentic tempura.   Nugget? Yummy chicken kaarage. And pork slices to cook in the boiling hot pot.  Bear Ranch Just across the Mount Showa-Shinzan is this Bear Ranch. There were many Hokkaido brown bears, also known as Ussuri brown bears, in separate enclosures. I was told that when the bear raised ...

Ohayou gozaimasu! The moment i saw snow from the plane, i couldn't believe my eyes; i pinched myself. As the buckle sign was turned off, i quickly unfastened my seat belt, strapped my backpack on and stepped out to breathe in the wintry air of Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. The cold never bothered me anyway...  ...but the wind does. *** My excitement came late. Granted the vacation days and the opportunity, i joined my family on a tour with Apple. Although not my usual travel style, it felt good to be pampered and to let someone else arrange the travel (i realized later that i may not be able to experience what i experienced if i didn't follow this tour). Needless to say, i was pleased with Apple and henceforth recommend this. Nevertheless, just a few days prior, i did my research and prepared a food list. A list i wrote in my notebook, kept in my backpack, and marked done as the journey progressed; side by side the tailored itinerary by Apple. ***...