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Free and Easy was the order of the day. Sunday was always going to be a good day to go downtown for some shopping and mingling with the Sapporo crowd. Ron chan drove me to Teine station to meet up with Junlong and Wai Kit whom were driven to the station by Kira. This is the first time we will be taking public transport on our own for the first time in Sapporo. It was a piece of cake though with Ron chan and Kira around to give us some simple instructions before they left us on our own. But then again, the system in Japan isn't as straightforward as in Singapore, they have trains that bypass certain stations which can be a little tricky to identify if you aren't careful.
It was a quick ride to the Sapporo station as we managed to hitch the express train. Fresh memories of the stations soon came to our minds as we recalled how we were first picked up by our hosts at the very same station. Wai Kit rushed off to get himself a hot coffee first thign while Junlong and me decided to step out the station for a moment to see how the day was like. Lo and Behold! It was snowing! Our prayers for a white Christmas has been given an answer. By this point of time, we were actually worried that it might not snow during our period of stay since the host mentioned before that the place should already be snow-covered by now. Not that this is the first time I've seen snow but for us Singaporeans, But I guess we get more or less a little excited everytime we experience snow. Totally loved the moment! Anyway we headed back inside the station to look for Wai Kit who by now must be wondering where we were.
There were a lot of shopping centres connected to the station itself, with Daimaru being one of them. We strolled along the inside of the shopping centres before deciding to go up the JR tower to appreciate the view from the top. Wwe were warned at the counter by the staff that the weather was bad for viewing due to the snow and the reduced visibilty that resulted. But we decided to press on with it nonetheless. After buying the ticket, we headed straight for a lift which directly brought us directly to the 38th level.
The view from up there was indeed very restricted. Can't see further than a couple hundreds of metres and even then, the view wasn't clear. Right below us were the little buildings with their rooftops turned into huge signboards which gave directions to the major landmarks. It was disappointing that we couldn't see most of the landmarks that would have been visible on a clearer day. Well, it couldn't be helped and so we went one round just to finish checking out the place. A couple of memorabilia machines were located near a souvenir shop and we each made ourselves a medallion which we could engrave words on.
Then its on to The TV tower and Odori park. We strolled relaxingly along the streets and went along with Cam-w****-Wai-Kit's requests to pose for photos at every other junctions and landmarks. One of the more notable landmark we passed by was the Sapporo Clock Tower and museum but we didn't go in as we decided we weren't interested it in. Soon we arrived at the foot of the TV Tower which was located on the grounds of Odori Park. There was this little store which sold hot food and we couldn't resist it. Snowing means its cold and cold means hot food is a must!
We had scallops and frankfurts and they are so delicious! Then at the foot of the TV Tower, there was a huge space with decorations and also it sort of marks the start of the Sapporo White Illumination stretch. We were informed that the lights will come on around 4.30 when it gets dark. So we decided to venture furher down the street and return later. We went to some DVD shops and a couple of other shops along the way and then turned back to return to the TV Tower as the sun began to set.
Once back, we were taken aback by the bright and beautifully lighted park. A major Cam -whoring session ensued. We played with snow and had lotsa fun. We made our way down the park towards more Light Displays and found ourselves admist a whole lot of bazaar style shops selling food and beverages. The stmosphere was filled with warmth as you see families and couples and friends gathering and sharing the space even though it was out in the cold. A slim Santa made his rounds posing for photos and teasing little kids. We took some time to look around the place and after which we continued down Odori park.
We saw a crowd gathering a short distance away and we hurried there to see what the excitement was all about. Upon reaching the crowd, we realised that there was a performance playing keyboard inside a capsule. It was so interesting! We stopped to watch and listened to the music and it was quite nice. Just beside was more light displays and there was simply nothing quite like this anywhere else. The whole place feels so warm and cosy. Everybody all looks so happy and relaxed.
Having spent a lot of time admiring the Sapporo White Illumination, we called it a day and headed to wards Susukino to look for food to satisfy our every hungry stomachs. We ended up in a Ramen street where there were a line of Ramen shops each looking attractive in their own way. We settled ouselves in one of them and ordered Shoyuu Ramen. Wai Kit thought it was good but not as good as the one we had in Otaru, I didn't really them much of a difference though. Still, nonetheless we're satisfied and thought we should start heading back already.
Junlong wanted to get a 30000YEN jacket which he saw earlier in Daimaru, so he took a train for a station to the place while Wai Kit and me felt like strolling back. We met back at the station and together purchased the train tickets to return to Teine Station. We called our host mamas respectively to inform them of our intention to return so that they could fetch us. On the way back, Ron chan tuned in to the FIFA World Club finals on the in-car TV! Perfect, I thought I will miss the whole match. She's an eager sports fan just like me. LOL. And the great thing was, we caught the only goal of the match while in the car. FATE i guess. LOL.
A simple and nice free and easy day which we enjoyed exploring the downtown city. Lots more to cover should we have the chance to go again.
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