11-21 December, 2014
Wow. This is it. The end of the trip. All the planning, activities, flights, busses, hostels, hotels, hangovers, smiles and adventures have now come to an end. We've been to 15 countries across 5 continents in 265 days of traveling since April 1, 2014. What a year.
This last blog comes to you from the grandiose location of Niseko, Japan, where we decided to finish the trip with some snowboarding and skiing fun. Enjoy the read and pics, we promise this is the last time we will interrupt your emails or facebook feed, and we look forward to catching up in person over the coming weeks!
The highlights
Tokyo
- We lived in a ryokan - a local Japanese house, where they had plenty of rules, we slept on the floor, and they had paper walls. There would be serious trouble if a fire broke out! However it was a unique and enjoyable experience.
- Having been to Tokyo a couple of years ago, we revisited some of our favourite spots, such as Shibuya, Shinjuku and Golden Gai, and we found an incredible sushi joint that electronically shoots out your food on what looks like a mini monorail setup. Awesomely delicious!
- We ate sushi literally every night. Surprisingly we're not sick of it!
Niseko
- Bliss! We enjoyed chalet living with awesome morning view of the snow.
- Boarding and skiing! We had four mountains to choose from, it snowed pretty much every night, and there were surprisingly zero crowds. If there were 10 people in front of us waiting for the chairlift, it was a very busy time...
- Night skiing! They really light up the mountain. We went one night after it snowed all day and enjoyed fresh powder lines with no one around.
- The food here is incredible too. No sushi, but we enjoyed ramen noodles, burgers, good coffee, and even a fancy 3 course meal one night.
- And finally, the onsens. Japanese skiing isn't complete without ending the day in an onsen!
The Summary
Weather: Tokyo was chilly and obviously Niseko was freezing! But constant snow and even some blue sky every now and then made it awesome!
Activities: Re-exploring Tokyo and skiing in Niseko.
Food: Sushi, Ramen, repeat.
Beverages: Kath is loving the sake. Damo preferred the local whiskey.
People: Sort of did our own thing in Tokyo and Niseko but the hotel people in Niseko were awesome.
Accommodation: Japan was local style and Niseko was luxurious, two very different types, both of which were great though.
Fun fact: Niskeo attracts a lot of Australians. In fact, half the tourists here are Australian, despite Sapporo being less than 4 hours away from 50% of the worlds population.
Budget: Forget about it! Niseko blew the budget away, however totally worth it.
Overall: Tokyo is an incredible city and a place we can come back to constantly. And Niseko, so far, has been the best ski slopes we've ever seen!
Tokyo
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| The lights of Tokyo! |
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| The trick with Golden Gai area is to arrive early. When there's no one around. Like now. Then sit back and wait for the show! |
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| The scramble crossing is a busy place! |
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| So much sushi, so little time. Mmmmm. |
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| To order sushi, here's the process: pick what you want on the ipad, drink tea whilst waiting, magically sushi appears via a mini monorail, eat said sushi, repeat. We gallantly managed 15 plates. Two little girls next to us ate 20. Whatever. It's not a competition. |
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| See? Voila! Sushi magically arrives! |
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| Pork buns are plentiful and delicious in Japan |
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| When in Rome... or Japan, act like the locals. Kath sleeps soundly on the subway. |
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| The bed on the floor in our ryokan. Surprisingly comfy. |
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| No shoes allowed in the ryokan. So you have to wear slipers. Sizes to choose from are small, tiny or miniscule. Damo tried small, looked like a giant. |
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| A great time to visit Tokyo is December when the trees change colour! |
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| Kath depositing our wishes and hopes into a certified box guaranteeing that each dream will come true. |
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| A local wedding |
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| Seriously busy! |
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| The guy behind me loves it! Or he's freaking out. |
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| Donated sake to the yoyogi park. Lucky park. Ignore the girls doing selfies. We waited for ages for them to leave but they were there for the long term. |
Niseko
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| Not the worst view |
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| Even the bus ride transfer is incredible! |
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| Snow proof luggage, thankfully. |
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| Breakfast at our humble abode |
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| The bedroom view |
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| From the outside. Looks so good Damo talked to the guy about buying it! If only he could find the money. Minor details. |
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| Defeated after a brutal snowball fight. Kath was the victor, she won this round... |
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| Not a bad day at all! |
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| Fresh snow fall, blue sky, no one around? Deal! |
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| Excited! |
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| Kath ripping it up right before a black run. This chick can ski! |
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| Damo getting shifty. Note: shifty is the jump damo did, not a direct reflection of his character |
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| Damo launching before a front side board slide... |
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| Nailed it! He gets pretty excited by this. Like a little kid. |
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| Niseko's 4 mountains. We smashed them all! |
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| Quite a colourful place |
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| Trees defiantly standing up to the snow |
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| Reflecting... |
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| Smiling faces before another epic snowfight! |
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| Ramen! Yes |
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| Jump shots are hard to do in the snow. |
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| Looks cold outside. How about we just stay indoors? |
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| We even went night skiing. Recommended. |
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| Tell me this outdoor onsen doesn't look incredible. |
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| Kath's new man - frosty. Nice guy, bit cold though. |
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| Definitely a man... |
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| Special night out. |
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| Apres skiing |
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| How good is this, the entry to the bar is via a fridge door! |
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| After a long day of skiing, it's good to come home! |
