Yo, on holiday. By train, ten hours traveling of which a considerable chunk by shinkansen.
Here you can see four of Frank’s best friends.
Even under the shinkansen platform there is a whole World.
It really makes a difference, the high speed train. It makes the countryside accessible for the toughened city dweller. How could we know it is winter already …? The land appears tob e bold and dry. On leaving Tokyo it was still 12 degrees.
After the shinkansen on with the slow train. To Hokkaido, the northern large island of Japan. In the distance we see the construction of the new shinkansen track to Hokkaido. The tunnel between Hokkaido and Honshu is ready. The Seikantunnel is the longest tunnel in the world. Nowadays it is used by slow trains only. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seikan_Tunnel
Change trains in Oshamambe. Real winter. Although we are much more southerly than the Netherlands it is much colder here. The air that makls the weather here comes from Siberia. That does it...
When you go and stretch your legs as an architect, quite some things meet the eyes. The colours.
A blown off roof? No. A expressive local colleague then?
Hurrah, the hotel. Just like their website.
As everywhere in Japan: take off your shoes and slip in slippers.
Although the hotel is operational for two years now, it looks like being in the start up. It is very clean. And it is packed with vacuum cleaners.
The washing machine is operational.
Hotel room in Japanese style. Sleeping on futons on the floor.
Oh, and er… how to call this? A minor item...?
Massage chairs are very popular throughout Japan. Such a chair does the job fully automatically. The foot thingy does your calves. Oh and there is a vacuum cleaner again!
The snow is really fantastic here. They say the best in the world and we may not deny it. It is truly terrific!
Sometimes it is bit annoying. That unashamed politeness. In the daily routine of the politeness contest it happens every now and than that nobody dares to go first. Therefore quite some lift chairs go uphill empty. Leaving us waiting down there…
We heave only a few pictures of snowboarding and skiing.
Such a big camera is limiting the true vacationing...
The trump of the hotel: Jay, the cook. Wow, could he cook. This salad was for another guest. The absolute top on Jay's menu: fried oysters. Onforgetable.
Ayami, the wife of the boss (Clayton from Canada who was too busy being chaotic and stressed) together with Jay. Ayami is the business talent and a truly marvellous hostess. She drove us on our departure day “by the way” to the railway station at 6.15 am. And on saying good bye we even got two breakfast boxes.
Daybreak in the local train.
In Oshamambe (sounds as if it is in Africa, like most city names in Hokkaido) more snow than last week.
Station hall. Often very homelike. Probably because of the many leaflets and cute stuff.
In the train we found this lad with a Rubik's Cube. Rubik’s Cube was a craze in the eighties. 300 million were sold. It seems to be a one time. A revival never occurred. This boy therefore is a special. Even worse: his sister too thinks it is a funny puzzle.
The proof: he knows how to do it! Who knows this might be the new beginning?
The home like station hall. Left side, back is a Udon Soba booth. Delicious noodle soup is offered there. You can smell it throughout the hall.
Snow cleaning squad on the platform.
Noon in the Seikantunnel.
Is there any other way of taking a picture of a tunnel?
Back on Honshu. Blue roofs.
Approaching Tokyo. Fuji in de the background.
In Tokyo the hard city life slaps the face: did we think in Europe the Bolivian pan flute band was well over its top, do they pop up here!
No comments:
Post a Comment