On t o Sapporo! The white winter I never had!

Yes, I am now in Sapporo, Hokkaido (for those of you that don't know, Hokkaido is the northern most island of Japan).

I left Tokyo and arrived on the 5th. After getting to the airport way too early with Andrew, we then got to board a Pokemon decked airplane and had a nice relazing hour or so flight. We had emergency exit seats (my choice), so plenty of leg room. We arrived in Hokkaido and caught our first glimpse of snow and then go to spend about 30 minutes on the train seeing part of the country side on the way to Sapporo. Beautiful.
The hostel we are staying in was easy to fine and is a short walk from the southern area of Downtown sapporo, and an even shorter, though somewhat expensive, subway ride. I'm rooming with for other girls (one's from singapore, the other from south america, and the other has hardly said a word). The hostel is nice and really cheap, with a Japanese style bath or either a normal shower. I really couldnt ask for a better place to be staying for the first half of our trip.

In any case. The first night Andrew and I didn't do much except we did manage to find a nice little soba restaurant to eat at. Cheap and delicous.
The second day we had our first go at the Yuki Matsuri (snow festival). We decided to walk and discovered that not only does it save money, it's really a nice walk during which you get to see a ton of beautiful snow, a nice long bridge, and you even walk by a park. The walk lead strait to the main street of Sapporo which had the ice sculpture section on it. Though we realized they werent finished, indeed the competeing sculptors were either just starting or not even out yet. We had left the hostel a bit too early (9:00), so nothing was open yet except fast food joints and some shopping places. So we spent some time in a famous Japanese...errr, junk store?, Don Quioxte. After that we grabbed some cocoa and finally some of the more entertaining stores/locations were open, i.e. the arcade. We went and had a grand time playing games and even got to ride a ferris wheel in the snow (it was on top of the building with the arcade). We spent enough time there that we thought the Yuki matsuri might be a little more underway so we set off. Indeed, the festival was hoppin. Although the competeing snow sculptors were still working (they had till today), the sponsers ad humongous and eaborate snow sculptures to enjoy. Vendors were selling everything from warm milk to meat popsicles (andrew bought one so there is a picture) and I even got to play a flag game on one of the stages.
For a late lunch we went to a sort of Ramen expo in Sapporo station which probably wasnt the best idea (considering how indecisive andrew and I are) but we did make a choice and enjoyed some Sapporo Ramen (one of the foods Hokkaido is famouse for, also: crab, lamb, sushi). Being pretty beat we decided to head back to the hostel (which from Sapporo station, the northern most part of downtown sapporo, is about an hour). We did stop and check out the observation tower as well as the ice bars selling drinks in the street. These were fun and I had a bailey's and milk which was really good. We finally made it back to the hostel where I remembered to check my cell phone. Turns out that John from my japanese class, who was also in Sapporo, had called. We talked and Andrew and I headed back out to meet him for a couple drinks...which turned into us all drinking a few bailey's and milks in the street followed by my first experience at a sushi rotating belt restaruant. The sushi was delicous and really cheap and John made my day by saying we made his trip to Sapporo (he was traveling with his host mom and her relatives, all older people who are in bed by 8).
By the way, most of this day had been a little drizzly but by night time the snow was falling almost constantly in varied heaviness. These, as we learned today, were far better conditions for snow sculpting. Good thing for the competetors. Yes yes, we woke up today to find the snow still falling and looking more beautiful than ever. Andrew and I walked once more to witness completed Ice and snow sculptures. This took a good while to observe but not too long which was good.
We then headed to Maruyama Zoo. We had planned to go on the Sapporo Beer Museum tour afterwards but aside from the subway to Maruyama station we walked the whole way to the Zoo (instead of taking a bus or taxi). Once again, not only did we save money but I really feel like we got to truly experience the snow...no matter how cold it was.
The Zoo was practically deserted but we got to see all the animals (except the Gorrilas who we couldnt find and their Elephant who recently passed away). I really liked the zoo...It's been a lonf time since I've been to one and you kind of forget how amazing animals are. I also felt like this one had animals I'd never really witnessed at a zoo. For instance, I really enjoyed seeing wolves and reindeer. The big seal was entertaining because the minute he saw me he jumped up on his pedestal and started posing. The bears were a bit disapointing, though one looked like baloo. I am completely in love with birds of prey so no need to explain how amazing they were to see. For some reason, the Giraffes were expecially asstounding to me and Andrew, their sheer size is incredible. And I've decided a few things about monkeys. Though they can sometimes be cute, they are really quite disgusting. I'm not sating I dont like monkeys, like I said, they can be cute and I know they are just animals so I'm not supposed to expect too much or something. But after seeing the chimps poo in their hands and/or lick their poo of the walls....after witnessing some little black monkey just jump on a female and start humping, five second later stopping producing the most hilarious yet disturbing "o face" I have ever seen (from the female)...after seing way too many puffy, lumpy, oddly colored monkey butts...I just can't help but think they're kind of gross. But the chimp babies were cute, and it was somewhat exhilerating whenever the monkeys would get all excited.
After the zoo we were pretty beat so we just came back tot he hostel and here I sit typing up my adventures thus far in Sapporo. We may go bowling later and tomorrow we may do the beer museum but I'm not sure yet. Andrew and I have never been much for planning.

By the way, I finally got through finals and that last week was the worst. I know I said I'd post my papers but they, hoestly, were not a product of my most dedicated work. I was seriously resenting the fact that I had to spend a whole week writing papers. Andrew and I did go out to dinner with a few people from My japanese class and my japanese teachers, which was odd, and we bowled after that, which was fun. Hmmm...anything else? I'm really kind of missing my host family here in Sapporo. It'd probably be really fun to see them here, all in the snow and stuff.

I'll be uploading pictures in photobucket at the end of the week so you'll have to wait till then to see. Andrew also has a lot of pictures which he'll likely put in his account at the end of the week.

Yay!
Much love,
Jessica

PS-to those of you who say I was hardly on Skype, I had actually been on skype a lot more the two weeks before leaving for Sapporo than any other time. It was all of you thta I was not seeing. I miss you all so after this week you had all better be on skype all the time until you talk to me.

Oh and, I really want to go see Stevie wonder in osaka or something but I don't think I'll be able to. Timing and money is way off. Those same reasons...well, the money part anyway, are preventing me from snowboarding here in sapporo! Sad.

And special thanks to dad for the fabulous shoes...thoough my right achilles tendon is really sore from wearing them, they protecdt really well from the snow.