Travel Completed - February 11th

The plane was brand new. This is the first flight I have been on with the lay flat seats in business class. My seat was facing backwards so it was an interesting takeoff and landing. I could see the wing and engine bouncing with each bump. The gentleman I was sitting next to was a retired Boeing engineer. He had worked on the fly by wire systems on the 787. It was pointed out to prevent from losing all control of an aircraft you have to project where the turbine blades will go when the engine breaks apart. Our seats were right in the kill zone, at least it would have been quick. However air travel is extremely safe and we arrived at SEATAC a little ahead of schedule, despite being delayed at Narita for de-icing.

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2011-02-11

Narita Snow? - February 11th

I got a taxi from Bryan's to where the bus picks people up on base. With no house phone or working cell phone I had to use Google Talk. Worked very well, as do most Google products. Of course the taxi was waiting for me by the time I got down to the lobby. A quick stop at Starbuck's and I was ready to go. The bus ride only took an hour and a half today slept the whole way.

After wandering around the mall for an hour we checked in and had lunch at a great Korean place in the mall. Then it was through security and into the lounge. The snow has really picked up. Soon back to the Northwest.

Silent Tokyo Tour - February 10th

I have found out a new thing today. If you are traveling alone in Japan you likely will not have an English conversation all day. I have people try to talk to me in multiple languages which were not mine. Good times.

Nothing too new on this trip, just hit up Akihabara, Asakusa, Roppongi, and then Yokosuka. I did go to the top of Roppongi Hills this time, very nice day for it.

Packing and then travel tomorrow.

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Silent Tokyo February 10th

Kurihama, Kamakura, Enoshima, Yokohama, Yokohama February 9th

After the vacation starts another vacation. I didn't meet my goal of leaving Bryan's place by 600, I actually got to the train station around 830. I decided instead of heading back to Yokosuka to instead go to Kurihama and then transfer to the JR Line. After the transfer I could ride the train right to Kamakura.

After I left the train in Kamakura I went to Starbuck's for breakfast. I really do enjoy coffee shops that have real mugs that you can sit down and enjoy the handcrafted drink.

I then walked up to the Kenchoo-ji a temple around a mile away from the station. At the very top there is a temple and then a view point. I made my way to the top, and then kept climbing. At some point I thought about turning around, but just kept going. After around 4 miles I was finally back to the station, always moving forward.

I then rode the Eoden line to Enoshima. My previous time to the island was during a weekend and the train was very busy, this time everyone got a seat. After a quick walk to the Island I went to the top and down to the caves on the far side. I wouldn't recommend the caves, check the pictures you will be 500 Yen ahead. On the way back there was a side path that I had seen on my previous trip, so I took it. Turns out it is how all the supplies get to the top, just a regular road back to the bottom of the island.

After getting back to Kamakura I transferred to the JR line. I was planning on going back to Yokosuka and walking around there. Instead, I ran up to the platform and hopped on the first train that I saw. This was headed to Yokohama, as soon as the doors closed I realized that the train was heading away from where I wanted to go. No worries the plan just changed a little. I went to UniQlo in Yokohama and tried on sports jackets. Then I got onto the Keikyu line back to Byran's apartment, the timing worked out well I got back just before him.

We had wanted to go the a Brazilian restaurant in Yokohama on Saturday but he was a little under the weather. We decided today was the day and headed back to Yokohama. The Restaurant is in Chinatown and is great. It is an all you can eat place that has high quality options. Servers walk around with meet on swords and cut you off pieces as you request. The only downside is the price, but a great experience to have once in a while.

At Yokohama I had never seen so many people on the platform. We went to the last car and then realized as the train was pulling in that we need to be two cars ahead. We ran and were the last two people on. It was as full as any train I have been on here. Fortunately most people departed at Kamiooka.

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Kamakura, Enoshima, Yokohma, Yokohama - February 9th

Sapporo Day 3

Another day in the cold. After breakfast it was back out into the cold. We went over the Susukino to see the ice sculptures and how they had progressed over night. It was impressive to see what had been done in such a short amount of time. After we stopped at Starbucks for some warmth it was back through Odori street and then to the hotel. From the Hotel we went to the Sapporo Beer History museum and outlet mall. They had the largest UniQlo I have seen outside of Tokyo there.

We then went over to another Factory Outlet mall for lunch. We ate at a Ramen place in the basement that was really good. I did forget one thing about ramen, it is very salty. So we then went and filmed these.





After that excitement it was to the airport. After getting some last minute shopping done it was onto the plane. The plane ended up leaving around 30 minutes late, because someone in our travel group was not there. Finally we took off and left them behind.

At Haneda I decided to pass all of the people in front of me while getting out of the airport. When I got outside it felt really good. The one thing that I will remember about Sapporo is that it was very cold outside and very warm inside.

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Sapporo Day 3

Sapporo Day 2

Today was the free day of the tour, so it was up to us to find stuff to do. Breakfast at the hotel is included with the trip so it was Japanese style western breakfast. This basically means that everything is slightly cold and undercooked. I mean you wouldn't want to ruin something by cooking it. The most interesting piece at breakfast was the pancakes. They were around 1/3 of the size but 4 times the thickness. Pretty good, it was almost like an English muffin.

The first idea was to head over to Otaru. This is a small fishing village around 40 minutes north west of Sapporo by train. We did stop at a MontBell store to pick up grippers for our shoes. These have turned out to be the best purchase of the trip. It is very icy everywhere we go. After taking a couple of local trains we got to Otaru. There was a restaurant that I had heard about on the Japantimes website. Very cool little German Pub, very happy German music being played. We got to the pub at exactly the right time as a flurry kicked up. I part of me was hoping that there would be a TV to see how the Superbowl was going, but that is not the purpose of this vacation. Also pretty cool to have a WSU commercial shown for a few folks in the Northwest during the SB.



After we finished lunch the plan was to walk around Otaru for a while longer, but the wind was making it too cold. We decided to cut that portion of the trip short.
We got to the station just prior to the Rapid Express to the Airport left. Got a perfect seat by the window and got nice shots of the Sea of Japan. After we got back to Sapporo it was back to the hotel to get some energy back.

We then headed out to find another MontBell store. We finally got there and realized they had another Sapporo factory right by the mall. The mall is huge, inside they have a little garden area with three "Windmills" being as they are indoors I don't think they count. The selection of outdoors stores is impressive, just about every brand you can imagine has a store. The tour bus stops there for lunch tomorrow, so we will get another shot. On the way back to the hotel we stopped by Toys R Us.

Another time back to the hotel to get some warmth back before heading out once more. We walked over to the Hokkaido government building. As the temperatures began to drop the ice started becoming a factor. All vehicles do really well here, but it started to take them more time to build up speed. On the topic of full speed next we went to the snowboard ramp. Lots of people doing tricks. Pretty cool, but there is not a lot of room to stop at the end.

After this we went up the TV Tower. Cost was 700 Yen, but you do get a great view down Odori street. You can take the elevator down or use the stairs, if you do the stairs you get a discount at their cafe. The stairs were interesting, and took around 5 minutes.

Dinner was now in mind. I had seen a place that services Japanese steaks in the Snow Festival pamphlet, and that has become a tradition for the winter/spring trip to get great steaks. The restaurant is called Cairn Annex and is located over by Susukino in the Tokyu Inn basement. It was a great meal and it is very entertaining to watch the show they put on. Some of the high lights included a flaming onion volcano, flaming steak, and Hello Kitty fried rice. The meal was around 8000 Yen, so not cheap but very good.

This dining establishment was also chosen for its relation to the Ice Sculptures. There are around three blocks of Ice Sculptures, two are finished and they were working on the last block tonight. This probably was the most interesting thing that I have seen on this trip, how they plan it out and then use chainsaws and chisels to get the work done. Most of these sculptures were sponsored by different companies.

After we finished walking through this area it was back to Odori to see the Snow Sculptures. They close the walk through around 2200, so we had to move around. They have various groups from around the world competing in a competition. One group of from Oregon and is doing a scene where Salmon are swimming up river. There is also a group from Hawaii. After walking through this for around half an hour it was time to head back to the hotel. Which was a little longer than it should have taken, we got a little over confident and kept walking. Luckily the phone showed that we needed to turn right and then get to the hotel.

Another good day in the books.

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Sappro Day 2

Sapporo Day 1

Long Day, seems like vacations always are over here. I suppose that is just the way that I do them though. So it was up early at 420, quick breakfast and then the walk to the train station. The walk takes around 15 minutes. The original idea that we had was to get a taxi to the base, but this was a much more elegant solution. We just use the existing services and go that way. We got to the bus and piled on.

It took around an hour to get the Haneda. This was my first time taking air transit in Japan. Very interesting, they do not check your ID at the airport. It is all based off of you boarding pass. You scan your own pass at security and then again at the gate. They have little blocks at the x-ray machines to keep luggage which is too big from being brought aboard the airplane. I was told mine was too big, which I took care of and no worries after that. At the airport there was a Pokemon airplane, it apparently is one of the ones that goes to Sapporo. It was amazing to walk around the gates and look at the schedule for the Sapporo runs, it is like the Seattle to Portland. This is high travel season though, as approximately 2.3 million people will visit Sapporo this week.

The airplane had a feature which I have never seen before, it had a camera facing forward, and one facing down. So you could see what was happening, that was cool. As cool are the temperatures up here in Sapporo. We arrived at the airport and had an hour and a half to eat. We choose the Mos Burger, always a little different. We then hopped on the bus and headed over to the Lake Shikotsu ice festival. Interesting place, very slick everywhere. I wish that I had purchased the shoe grippers around the second time I almost fell. The one really cool thing they had was a room with evergreen branches built into the wall. It smelled awesome, just like home. They use a wire mesh to make the shapes and then spray lake water over it, to form the ice houses. It was back to the bus and then to the ANA Sapporo.

The ride took around an hour and was really quiet. We picked up our hotel packed dropped off our stuff and headed out. We walked around and saw the Snow Sculptures. Some amazing work. I slipped and performed a perfect slide tackle and took out a teenager. Everyone was okay, but they form could not be better. Also the question was asked earlier which I would protect in a fall my camera or my body. The camera won the first round. We went back to the hotel and got on the bus to head to the Sapporo All you Can Eat Buffet. Which turned into around one round of meat and vegis. Apparently they had no negative ventilation and all the smoke from the grills just hung in the air.

After we got back to the hotel, it was mission Starbucks. Using Google and my phone we headed out. It was a nice walk and we eventually got there. The snow had really started c0oming down at this point. We found a boot without an owner on the street. After a little time inside it was off to find the ice sculptures. It was a nice walk and we found some very impressive sections of Sapporo including a Ferris wheel on top of a building. Then it was back to the hotel to recharge and sleep. 420 to 2345 a decent day.

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Sapporo Day 1

Yokohama to Kurihama - February 5th

Finally had the experience of transiting mid day with your luggage. I left the hotel around 900 and got to Bryan's place around 1020. It is not difficult, but it is not the easiest thing either. We spent the early part of the day playing games and cooking stew.

A coworker came over and then we headed out to Kamakura. I ran around quickly showing the hi-lights; Starbucks, Shrine, and central path. Then it was back to Yokosuka for dinner. Had to get in one more time at Nirvana.

After a quick train ride back to Bryan's it was time to pack and then sleep for tomorrow we travel.

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Yokohama to Kurihama - Saturday February 5th

Yokohama Friday - February 4th

After work I headed up to Yokohama for dinner with a coworker. I had not had a chance to ride the Yokohama subway line as of yet, so we tried that. After taking a local from Shioiri we transferred at Kanazawa Bunko and transferred to the subway at Kamiooka. Not too much different than any other train I have been on here. Once you get the process down you can navigate around fairly easily.

We wandered around Yokohama for a while before finding this BBQ place that was pretty good. It is always interesting to see what portion sizes are in Japan. Between the two of us it was a decent amount of food. Back home this would not have even made up one portion size. And we wonder why we are fat.

After dinner we walked over to, around, and through Chinatown. The lights are pretty amazing at night. Another nice walk and it was time to pack.

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Yokohama Friday

Train Training - February 3rd

After work I had an opportunity to take a coworker who just arrived and show them the train system. Obviously it is always important to bundle travel with a meal.

After work it was my new favorite stop in Yokosuka. The new Starbucks is awesome. The only downside to the whole thing is that it doesn't open earlier. If 630 was the time they would make so much more Yen it would be ridiculous. They have prime location next to a travel path where thousands of potential customers are being missed everyday because of the fact that Japan sleeps in compared to the western world.

The next stop was the Shioiri station and the crash course as how to use the ticket machine and the important things to remember. My favorite is, "There is always another train, bro." After a quick discussion and throught the wicket gate. A short burst of speed got us onto the Red train to Yokohama. The timing was rather good. When we arrived in Yokohama, we stopped over by Yodabashi Camera. I needed to pick up a couple of things, but additionally they had the 3DS to try. The woman helping tell people about it, was a little concerned that I didn't know Japanese. She apologized for not knowing more English. I like to collect information in my brain so I knew everything she was telling me.

Now onto the 3DS experience. It is a little heavier than a DSi, but very similar layout and feel. The game they were demoing was Nintendogs and Cats. The type of screen that this unit uses is a paralax set of screens, basically two screens which are slightly offset. A slider is on the lid of the unit to adjust the amount of 3D you are seeing. She had adjusted the unit to full 3D, after about 30 seconds I was a little overwhelmed by the experience. My eyes had a little trouble with that much information. This type of technology is different than what you may see at a movie theater. When you boil it down to the simplest terms, the images are into the screen on this unit. Most movie theaters the images appear to come out of the screen. Now I am of the opinion that 3D is a waste of technology and we should be investing instead in holographic images. Things which are truly 3D, and not tricking your brain into interpreting something as if it is 3D. Sorry to turn this into a tech blog, but it was cool to get a quick hands on with the unit.

After that experience it was over to Minatomirai for dinner. We ate at a Ramen place that was really good. As my coworker was staying in Yokosuka I got him to the last train station and gave him some quick tips as how to get back and let him go. It will be good to hear how it went tomorrow morning. It has been one of the more satisfying things in my travels over here that of the people that I have taken out and shown the ropes, they have progressed and surpassed me in many ways. It is nice to be a force multiplier, as an Engineer I come at things from a different way than some of the other coworkers over here might and sometimes engineers need to be with engineers.

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Train Training - February 3rd

In the groove - February 2nd

I have now timed the commute down to the minute. A nice brisk walk from the hotel gets me to the train station and on the platform as the train is rolling up. I then wait three minutes at the next stop. I enjoyed an episode of Top Gear Series 5 on the train this morning. Then another brisk walk and in at work. A nice and healthy commute.

After picking up more cold weather clothes from MontBell I went to dinner with a coworker. It was the Okinomiyaki place in Landmark Plaza. Always good.

I got in a nice walk after dinner then it is off to bed.

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Back in the groove

Morning Jog - February 1st

What better way to start out the day then waking up late and running to your train. Now normally I am all for waiting for the next train, but I really wanted to start work at 600 so ran I did. Normally I deplore the practice of running, I think humanity should have moved beyond an activity like that by now. We can come up with much more creative ways to exercise. Running did pay off in this case though. I hit the top of the platform and jumped on the train and then slept on the way to work.

After work I met up with a coworker and went to the Thia restaurant that I enjoy. Turns out that it is a lot of food, but as always it was great. On the way back to Yokohama I stopped by Starbucks and tried the Earl Grey roll. Basically it is a cinnamon roll covered with a frosting that tastes like the tea. Very good, but I am really sleepy now.

I also noted today that the Cosmo Clock 21 (Ferris Wheel) is on a 12 hour clock, not the standard 24 hour that you see with digital displays. In an effort to not run tomorrow off to bed.

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Morning Jog