Yesterday: We awoke from our comfy loft beds to a stifling heat here in Sapporo. It is more or less like Berkeley here. No one has A/C for when it gets hot. But that aside, our hostel is incredible. A get away resort more accurately describes the place. Nice hardwood floors, light colored, hardwood furniture, leather couches, beautiful kitchen, free coffee and tea, a tv with a huge dvd and cd collection, and a very very nice japanese woman with 2 little kids who speaks english very well.
But yeah, we went to the beer festival in Odori Park near the hostel. It is quite impressive. Odori park is a long and skinny park spanning about 5 or 6 blocks. At each block, there is a corresponding beer sponsor, who has set up hundreds of tables, and booths, selling their respective beer and foods. The Kirin block was really rocking, so we went there. The tables were crowded with those enormous 6 liter beer bongs, and tons of japanese bar food. We joined in the fray, had some fried octopus, soy beans, yakisoba, and a couple beers. And we got some of those famous japanese grilled corn-on-the-cobs. mmmm.
Today: We ventured up to Noboribetsu, which is pretty much like Shasta City outside of Mount Shasta...by this, I mean, it is in the middle of no where.
But that said, there was a lot to see. First, the Kuma Bokuo, which translates quite terribly as, The Bear Ranch. I had been warned that it is disturbing to most Westerners who are used to going to a theme park, and seeing a few bears living in a pretty big area. In the Bear Ranch, there must have been 20 to 30 bears living in several, very small enclosed areas. All the while, japanese tourists are throwing them little bear biscuits from the guard rails. And if you can believe it, the park teaches them to do tricks! One bear had an amazing american wave. he would stand up on his hind legs (like many other bears), wave his left hand, and then put his right hand in his mouth. A few others would do the pleading-for-their life pose, as they would clap their hands together and move it up and down over their heads. These bears got most of the food, while the other non-assimilated bears would sit in the corner dumbfounded at their brethren.
After that experience, we walked around Hell Valley and saw some hot springs, got some ramen, and headed back.
The best part was going out to a japanese BBQ (which is right across the street from our hostel) after we returned. They had no english menu, but our waiter was happy to help us digest the meanings of some of the more obscure names, and I got him to just recommend us some dishes. Then they brought out the portable BBQ, put it on our table, and gave us all the dishes to cook. And beer. It was one of the better meals we have had here. I plan on doing it again tomorrow night, but this time I will be ready with names. I do not understand why we cannot have an awesome bbq place back in redding. cheap food, bbq, and beer would be such a great success.
anyway, time for sleep
But yeah, we went to the beer festival in Odori Park near the hostel. It is quite impressive. Odori park is a long and skinny park spanning about 5 or 6 blocks. At each block, there is a corresponding beer sponsor, who has set up hundreds of tables, and booths, selling their respective beer and foods. The Kirin block was really rocking, so we went there. The tables were crowded with those enormous 6 liter beer bongs, and tons of japanese bar food. We joined in the fray, had some fried octopus, soy beans, yakisoba, and a couple beers. And we got some of those famous japanese grilled corn-on-the-cobs. mmmm.
Today: We ventured up to Noboribetsu, which is pretty much like Shasta City outside of Mount Shasta...by this, I mean, it is in the middle of no where.
But that said, there was a lot to see. First, the Kuma Bokuo, which translates quite terribly as, The Bear Ranch. I had been warned that it is disturbing to most Westerners who are used to going to a theme park, and seeing a few bears living in a pretty big area. In the Bear Ranch, there must have been 20 to 30 bears living in several, very small enclosed areas. All the while, japanese tourists are throwing them little bear biscuits from the guard rails. And if you can believe it, the park teaches them to do tricks! One bear had an amazing american wave. he would stand up on his hind legs (like many other bears), wave his left hand, and then put his right hand in his mouth. A few others would do the pleading-for-their life pose, as they would clap their hands together and move it up and down over their heads. These bears got most of the food, while the other non-assimilated bears would sit in the corner dumbfounded at their brethren.
After that experience, we walked around Hell Valley and saw some hot springs, got some ramen, and headed back.
The best part was going out to a japanese BBQ (which is right across the street from our hostel) after we returned. They had no english menu, but our waiter was happy to help us digest the meanings of some of the more obscure names, and I got him to just recommend us some dishes. Then they brought out the portable BBQ, put it on our table, and gave us all the dishes to cook. And beer. It was one of the better meals we have had here. I plan on doing it again tomorrow night, but this time I will be ready with names. I do not understand why we cannot have an awesome bbq place back in redding. cheap food, bbq, and beer would be such a great success.
anyway, time for sleep
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