Aloha followers! I’m back with this post after one week time. Kinda busy with schools’ events in this past few weeks that caused the delays of my posts. Will surely update more about that in my blog later on. Today is Deepavali and a public holiday here, so have some time to blog on. Actually writing post didn’t require much of time for me since my photos are usually more than words but not for watermarking the photos. Still wondering is there any free and faster method to watermark them without changing the quality of images instead of one by one using meitu apps? If do, please comment me the easier way of doing this. Anyway, thanks again for continuing reading my posts here and wish all the Indian friends a Happy Deepavali !
# DAY 4 #
Konichiwa! It’s still having a good weather today. If let’s said yesterday was a fruity/flowery day, then today will be an ocean/nature day for me. We travel through the costal line at the eastern-north and today we’re going to discover the nature beauty of Mombetsu city!
Mombetsu, the third largest city in Hokkaido located in north-east of Hokkaido, the northern most area of Japan (facing the Sea of Okhotsk). The harbors are important not only to Hokkaido but also to Japan. Its harbors are surrounded by gently sloping mountains and farm lands cover the region.
A simple and healthy breakfast before the journey. I love Japanese style breakfast the way they eat with 5 colors in a plate to balance their diet.
In Japan culture, costumer is always the king to them. Japanese always give the most sincere welcome or goodbye to their guest with warmest heart. Even our bus had went off far way, I still can see them waving their hands to us from the window until we can’t see them.
First destination of today – Okhotsk Sea Ice Museum of Hokkaido （鄂霍次克流冰博物馆）
We’re now locate at here !
Sea Angels Aquarium - Sea Angel is a sea creature related to sea slugs and they really live up to their names as angels. They have these tiny wings, which they flap front and back for motion. The whole body was transparent, except for the red heart. And they have something which looked like horns, but the whole thing really looked like an angel and they only survive in cold waters, they are so cute!
My new handsome Japanese boyfriend XD
This is the tornado wind generated by a machine, could you see a spiral rotating in the smoke ?
And we’re now entering this simulation room with a super low temperature of -20°c, MY GOD! Could you imagine how frozen is it ? It’s even colder than winter! Just feel like you are entering a frozen fridge O-O I just went in for about 10 minutes, quickly took some photos and came out. Otherwise, I think I’ll freeze inside there …
I’m here! I could feel the cold into my bones when the first moment I step down here …
Grrrrrrrr … I’m already frozen like the bear !
Another frozen statue here
Are you okay ???
It’s even colder in this room, I didn’t dare to enter here, these photos were taken by my dad
The wet hand towel we brought in just now had became a frozen stick when we came out
Yes, we’re still alive! The cute girl beside me is one of my tour mates.
A clear bright sunny day today !
The Snow Crab from Mombetsu is reputably the best in Japan, and is such a source of town pride that a Sculpture of a Crab Claw nearly 10m tall was built on the waterfront!
Next, we’re visiting to the Okhotsk Tower（鄂霍次克塔流水馆），the world first undersea drift ice observation tower.
An ice breaker ship, Garinko-go II
In reality, we could see lots of jelly fish under the sea, but it is not clear in this picture.
Beautiful crystal blue Okhotsk Sea view from the observation tower
Hundreds of seagull resting on the jetty
Viewing the red light house at the end of jetty using telescope
Okhotsk Tower is the world’s first underwater drift ice observatory. It’s undersea windows and other facilities are the largest of their kind in Japan. This 7.5-m deep undersea world allows visitors to see a variety of creatures, including rare fish and cliones, in the Sea of Okhotsk all year round.
The undersea water looks cloudy through the window
Stingray with a monster look
A real fish which looks like stone statue
Hairy crab
Blue star fish with thorny sea urchin
All these small fishes will come to “kiss” your hand once you put inside the aquarium, that kind of feel is really itchy.
After seeing all the undersea marine creatures, we now heading to the Okhotsk Seal Centre/Tokkari Centre（鄂霍次克海豹中心），also known as seal protection center. This is the one and only specialty care center for injured seals in Japan. Injured seals and lost baby seals are taken for rehabilitation here, and release back to the Sea of Okhotsk when they are recovered. A small transmitter or tracking device will be fix on the Seal for continuous monitoring, will safe them back to the centre when they are in danger or having health problem or unfit to nature habitat.
Hello Tokkari !
Feeding Time
They were trained to do funny tricks such as rolling over, slapping their bellies to say goodbye.
Do you enjoy my touching ? XD
Can you differentiate all of them ? The difficulty level is totally UP UP UP for me! I can’t even recognize people face well, how could I remember animals looks clearly? Should be a difficult task for me ! ^^
It’s almost noon time now! So let’s move on for our lunch! Beautiful scenery could be seen everywhere even just looking through the bus window …
Buffet style Japanese Lunch with Tempura, Ramen, Japanese Curry available
After lunch, we going to a black bear farm nearby the restaurant, I can’t remember what is the name of this farm because it is not include in the literary initially. I still remember during that time I’m busy to solve some problems on my camera so not really took much of photos there. We were given a small package of feeds to feed the bears which have been locked in the cage.
I’m so surprising that even the bears in Japan knows how to goodbye us. It knows that we want to leave that time and waving its hand to us, so humanity !
After that, we continue our journey to the highlight of today – Daisetsuzan National Park. Before reaching there, we stop by at the nearby famous valley, Sounkyo Gorge for a while to take some photos. Personally thinking, I was totally impressed by the amazing scenery here even more than the Daisetsuzan. But it was really too cold there that time especially when winds blew until I can’t stand and quickly rushed back to bus after taking few photos.
Sounkyo’s Gorges （層雲峡峡谷）which stretch for 24 km along the Ishikari River feature a number of waterfalls. Down in the valley, 3 kilometers from Sounkyo, there are 2 most beautiful and famous waterfalls: Ginga （Milky Way Fall 银河）, with its 120-meter slender descending line of water like a white snake；RyuSei（Shooting Star Fall 流星）, with its fierce 90-meter drop, which can be viewed from a small observation deck reached via a steep walking trail.
I really love this red maple trees with a bicycle background but too pity that it was blurred TT
120m Milky Way Fall 银河
90m Shooting Star Fall 流星
One last group photo before we move on to the next destination
Less than 5 minutes of journey, we reach our last destination of today – Daisetsuzan National Park.Mt.Kurodake. （北海道大雪山国立公园）. We travel by Sounkyo Ropeway cable car which takes about 7 minutes to reach the fifth station of Mt.Kurodake （黑岳）， 1984m in height for a 360° panaromic view. The tour guide told us that if lucky, we may able to see 10% of maple trees start turning red. Below this picture is the imaginary autumn scenery that I expected to see, however …
I’m quite disappointed that at this time beside greenery still greenery only TT
Finally reaching the observation station
The super strong wind that cause my hair flying around XD
What you can take are only pictures and what you can leave are only your footmarks.
Our 5 stars onsen hotel tonight – Choyo Resort Hotel at Sounkyo （層雲峡温泉朝陽亭饭店） . Throughout the whole trip, I could say that this is definitely the best among all the hotels/resorts! This onsen resort is famous with their hot spring which already included in our trip so my mum and I decided to try at least once tonight otherwise sure will be regret if didn’t try any hot spa in Hokkaido before.
This is our room tonight, so in love with the natural wooden Japanese design
And we were so impressed when we open the window! Forest and river are just right behind us! I could hear the sound of stream of Ishikari River through the whispering of trees. Natural breeze fill the atmosphere with cooling air and we didn’t even require a fan or air-corn at all. This is totally a luxury leisure for you! Such a pity we could only stay there for one night, I wish I could stay there forever …
Finally have a normal and bigger build-in bathroom tonight !
Buffet Dinner Time
My cute cousin sister with a huge crab stick !
Erm … Oi-shi ne !
After dinner, we chit-chatting at the lounge area before going to the hot spring. We choose to go there on midnight so hope that would be less people there. As the first time experience, surely we’ll feel shy with naked in the public. Of course, male and female bath is separated. Even though all female there, still will feeling quite weird and uneasy at first. However, others wouldn’t care too much or even bother you when you enter it because everybody is the same there. Whatever you have I also have right unless you’re special, haha!
There are two themes of natural spring bath available for female and male which will be change at morning and night. In the wooden house, there’re few hot spring ponds with different water temperature and also have the open-air and inside bath options. I personally prefer the outside one which the spring is cooler and could enjoy the beauty of nature too! The temperature of the indoor spring bath is around 40°c, maybe you can try it yourself at home with the water heater, then you’ll know how hot is it. My body and face immediately turning red when I enter the bath, feeling like I’m boiling. But just lower down bit by bit slowly and you’ll sure adapt to it. When you get use to the temperature, you will surely enjoy it. My first experience of onsen is not too bad and I enjoy it especially for the outdoors.
Knowing that hot spring is actually good for our blood circulation and healing skin problems but as a first timer it is better to shower with hot water before trying the hot spring and for about 20-30mins is advisable for you. Also be caution that not everyone can be down there if you’re pregnant, having hypertension or cardiovascular diseases, it is not advisable for them to try onsen. Below are some photos of the inner structure of the hot springs wooden house, of course we can’t carry phone/camera in there. These pictures were taken from internet source.
Natural Spring Bath "Tori no Koe"
Big Bath with the theme of Wood. At both open-air and inside bath, spring water is categorized as simple spring with slight smell of sulfur and clouded with Yu no Hana.
Natural Spring Bath "Kawa no Sasayaki"
Enjoy the sunlight through the big window filtering down through the trees that reminds you taking a therapeutic treatment in the forests. At the open-air bath faced to mountain-side, you can hear the sound of stream of Ishikari River through trees.
Beautiful autumn scenery at "Kawa no Sasayaki", it is too amazing !
A traditional style Japanese family photo before we rest. Should have a sweet deep sleep tonight after onsen with surrounded by the sounds of nature and away from the hustle bustle of city. Oyasuminasai everyone! Hope you have a great day ahead! ^^
To Be Continued 5.0 …
Seriously, you like a korean here.
ReplyDeletehihi, jin zia ? but still not tall enough TT
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