Wandering in awe: September 2005

Summer Love #5-Lake Shikotsu & Noboribetsu Jigokuda

Day 3- 8th Aug 2005

feeding the car fuel before setting off on a long drive into the country side and hilly tracks.

Lake Shikotsu

park beside the lake. love interlocking branches overlooking crooked paths...

our lunch.. yum

driving past the lake to the next destination.

Noboribetsu Jigokuda aka Hell Valley

one of the devil..

i can't tell you how glaring the sun is.. but i'm sure you can guess from the grimace on his face.

it's similar to Bukit Timah Quarry, the only difference is the hot steam rising from underground. I guess it really looks more spectacular in winter, where the mix of cold (snow) and heat (hot underground steam) is obvious.
The only reason we are there is because it's a tourist spot .. hee

Summer love #4- Pippu Giant Sunflower Maze

Driving me to Pippu (even though it's so out of the way and totally unplanned) and getting lost amongst the plantations and rain just to fulfill my dreams of seeing tall giant sunflowers (even though many thinks that it's no big deal and not comprehending the need to actually fly to all the way to Japan in the midst of 35 degrees summer just to see it) is the most romantic thing anyone could ever do for me. Never one to scoffs at my dreams and wishes, you tried your best to make all things possible.

It makes me smile to think of how we trudged through the black dirt packed mud and how we tried to comprehend obasan's instruction in the wilderness of the fields and finally squealing with happiness at the glimspe of yellow in the horizen.

Thank you! *Muak*
Sunflower dreamz
many have asked what's the hype for sunflowers?
I think it's the cheery yellow, the spreading of hope and the giant-ness of it all.
Though it's not the exact replica of GTO, a giant sunflower maze is simply.. a giant sunflower maze. *what joy*

a real maze

The cheerful beauty

The darkening sky.

Grabbing every chance to pose with the sunflowers.. *smiles*

Summer love #3- Farm Tomita

IMGP2441
Originally uploaded by ashley rain.

Farm Tomita was our second stop before driving up to Biei Town Tourist Association in our quest for either the mapcode or tel no for the Sunflower Giant maze thingy (further up north from what I can decipher from the map) i saw in the Jap mag last night.

Not too sure whether it is an over rated tourist farm or the fact that many lavenders were quite dried up due to the peak of the summer heat. It wasn't as pretty as what was seen on the brochure.

But the place was really big. Lavenders filled our sights and lungs. Bought lavender essential oil and bath salts (yipee! simply love soaking in hot bath) and postcards.

Saw many HK tourists who were rushing in their souvenirs shopping. Told angel how glad I am that I have slightly more luxurious time to decide on what to buy since we are not bounded by the time of the tour bus.

Summer love #2- Furano

Day 2 in Hokkaido- 7th Aug 2005

1st stop: Furano Cheese Factory

In preparation for the long day ahead and the many places we had to see before we moved on, we got up at 6am (Sg time- 5am; Japan is an hr ahead) and started making coffee and eating our breakfast.

Apart from rows of cheese for sale and tasting, there's ice-cream available in 6 different flavours. We tried Spinach and Cheese flavoured ice-cream, it's not too bad, still palatable. =)

The milk produced in Furano is light and slightly similar to the Sg version. The thick creamy version will be shown later.

Moo..

I'm never ceased to be amazed by the Japanese. How they would make cute and beautiful things so readily.
It's a group of woody people in a miniature orchestra.
*cute*

Summer love #1- Ashahikawa, Biei & Furano

This summer, we packed our luggages and drove 1000km (!!!) around Hokkaido.

We finally reached Ashahikawa Airport at 1230 on 6th Aug after taking an airport limousine to Haneda Airport from Narita Airport followed by a JAL domestic flight at 1105. That's close to 12 hours of journey since we board the plane from Changi Airport at 2335 on Friday night (5th Aug)!!

an artistic picture of a huge ball of hay...

with Mr Hay man at Shikisai Hill

the pictures speaks for the beauty of colourful hills, patchwork garss and picture perfect views that I never imagine I would experience in this life. These leaps from magazines and travel books that I had gone through before this trip. I felt dizzy from the heat and from the beauty of this summer day.