Otaru 小樽- Otaru Canal - shops selling authentic Japanese dolls and paperware; also stalls that sell freshly grilled/barbaqued seafood (like scallops). Something that I could resist: BBQ seafoold and ice-creams!!! Though cold, the entire street was filled with the 'aroma' of boiled crab! The intense fresh seafood smell deceived the greedy stomach! (despite of the heavy breakfast!)... for 500-yen, we shared the yummy juicy scallop... yummy yummy :P
- According to Turbo, our guide... there's some similarity on background of the Otaro Canal and Singapore river, which both were lined up with warehouses in the past and the canal was the key channel of trade with cities beyond. I guess the main difference I could see now is... it offers different look at different times of the year... the snowy look is certainly captivating... The lamps along the canal remain since the old times... they are gas-operated.
- The area was simply so.... Christmas-sy!!!
- Kitachi glass shop - reputed for its hand-blown glassware
- Otaru Music Box Museum - the beautifully crafted musical boxes, with a steam-operated clock tower standing right in front of it... one could find a similar one in Canada.
- (above pictre) Stopover where we collected bottles of spring water. I think it was a park... a very beautiful park when the trees swayed as the wind sweeps against them... with a flight of wooden steps that leads to the lake around it... it's around surrounded by some stone sculptures carved with images of characters of Buddhism... well, it's now blanketed with think snow where we experienced, for the first time in Hokkaido (in our very first 24 hours here), to sink our feet into deep snow... The spring water was really sparkling clear and light! That's spring water! Also got some small hot boiled potatoes that went with butter... hm... that warmed the chilled heart :D
Lake Toya 洞爷湖
- Checked in to Toya Kanko Hotel
This is just opposite the music museum... Very cute, first thought... a 3-D cat hanging out there! Oh! Ying Leng will love this! So lovey... she'll hug it... hahaha...
