An Autumn Festival
Exactly a month ago from today, my senses were exposed to all things queer. To start, I was brushed against a – 40 Celsius air that nearly knocked me down. Banged a nail with frozen bananas. Learned how tall and pretty weeds in Japan can be. Tasted RAW corn that tasted as sweet as SUGAR (no exaggeration intended). Ate oysters so huge one mouthful couldn’t contain. That was how I was introduced to my third day in Hokkaido.
1. Kamikawa Ice Pavilion
Hokkaido is a winter town. What I mean, is that most tourists look forward to visit it during the winter season. But what happens to travelers who didn’t know that and end up during the other 3 seasons? You visit the ice pavilion, which allows visitors to experience how cold it can actually get in Hokkaido: a mind-blowing NEGATIVE 40 Celsius.
{Smile, while it’s still warm}
{Hello, scary snowman}
{Try knocking the nail with these frozen bananas and be surprised!}
{Lunch @ Sunagawa Highway Oasis}
There are 2 ways to see Hokkaido thoroughly. One is get a tour arranged, and two is to rent a car. Either way, try stopping by Sunagawa Highway Oasis for the ICE CREAM:
{The Japanese’s winning friendly service makes it tastes better than it already is}
{High on weeds}
{See what I mean?}
2. Sapporo Autumn Festival 2015
From Monbetsu, the bus took us through a lucky ride to Sapporo. Lucky, because we were in time to catch the last day of the amazing autumn festival where 7 blocks of food stalls serenaded its crowd with fresh seafood, yakitori, a dedicated block just for ramen, juicy beef cubes, wines, sakae, and the must have Sapporo beer . . .
{Kampai!}
{Giant mushrooms turning gold on the grill}
{Raw, sweet corn as sweet as sugar}
{The view that made me longed of having the same occasion, under the same weather, all day, everyday in Malaysia. Alas! If only}
{A dash of bright kawaii-ness}
{The oyster so huge I reckon it deserves worshipping}
{A special kind of overflowing sakae an old lady ordered for herself, which left me and Pin Yu at a lost for words}
{Those finger signs . . .}
Just when I thought my special day of queerness has ended, I found myself amongst a bunch of naked Japanese ladies bubbling in an onsen (hot spring) on a rooftop, outside in the cold.
More on 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!
