November 12, 2015

The Land of Bedtime Stories

When I was a little girl, my mum used to read me bedtime stories. Lucky me, that applied for afternoon naps too. I never understood the reason for such rituals until I realized just minutes ago that I rarely had nightmares after an episode of Enid Blyton. Instead, my little strong imagination conjured up fragments of stories ranging from picking fruits so ripe their juice trickled down my fingers, blowing dandelion wishes into the crisp autumn breeze, winding up keys of 100 music boxes, painting the day with ice cream, to taking romantic strolls along a peaceful river missing a faraway lover close to heart; this as I grew to become a maiden with a great passion for reading.

These liquified dreams all came true that one day spent in Otaru, Hokkaido. It was exactly like a day lived from a page of my favorite bedtime story book.

1. Fruit picking at Jozankei

I had my series of fruit picking experiences, but never in Asia. There is something bedtime story-ish about the idea – something that makes you feel like a fairytale character, lost in the woods. The best part here at this orchard is being able to harvest the crops you want and eat them fresh from the tree – unlike claimed by many brands at the supermarket of what ‘freshly picked’ actually means.

{Getting my hands purple with a handful of fat, juicy, prunes}

{Seriously, just how HUGE is this apple?}

{Still dandelion}

2. Mount Moiwa Observatory

I was received with a thoughtful, sincere welcome at the foot of Mount Moiwa (see: the signboard with Malaysian flag and ‘Selamat Datang‘ on it) but the point is this: the peak. So here’s the journey of how I made it to the top:

{Hello, surprised new friend}

{Cable car ride up}

{Your humble narrator}

{Unsure if it’s true or a gimmick, but in love we trust, yes?}

{It is said that if you ring the bell together with your lover, the said message above (on the aluminium signboard) will come true}

{Wavy hair and Sprigs of Autumn fashion post here}

{Can you spot the heart of grass in this picture?}

3. Otaru Canal

Otaru is famous for its reflective mirror-like river landmark, that stretches beautifully almost endlessly. Take a leisure stroll along this picturesque scene to buy souvenirs, or witness how they’re made.

{Lunch was obviously spelled out loud from this picture – all about fishes and seafood}

Itinerary 4 – 6: Sakaimachi Street

Here is a little ‘Must Do’ list I put together into a nutshell on what you should do when frolicking at Otaru’s Sakaimachi Street:

Must Visit / Buy

• ~ Music box
• ~ Glass ware (yes, wait and see)

Must Eat

• ~ Cheese cake and cheese ice cream (!)

So the story goes . . .

4. Kitaichi Music Box shop

Whether you end up buying a music box or not (surprisingly I didn’t), one has got to visit this quaint, cozy museum of a shop of a museum that gives you a fantasized adventure just like one in Santa’s factory.

{There is a clock outside the shop that releases smoke like a toot-toot train every quarterly}

{Customised music boxes are available too}

5. Glass Handicraft 

Another ‘hit’ thing to purchase are these pretty potion glass bottles that don’t spill no matter how you pour liquid from it. You will see many shops selling them along both sides of the street.

6. Double Fromage Cheese Ice Cream

We’ve all heard about cheesecakes, but what about soft CHEESE ICE CREAM?

{Cream ice}

More travel posts on Hokkaido:

An Autumn Festival

Natural Emotions

Hello Hokkaido!

AirAsia X is the ONLY airline that flies directly from Kuala Lumpur to Sapporo, offering x8 weekly flights. Book your flight here for a fresh, new adventure!