Terence's @rchive

This is my 2nd trip to Hokkaido but a totally different route from the previous trip in 2007.

Hokkaido still gives me the exciting feeling of travelling that other places like China and Taiwan can’t. Today I fly from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Memambetsu Eastern Hokkaido.

Haneda Airport

Lunch today is on own expense today and I tapau 2 bentos (lunchbox) to bring onto the domestic flight.

Shop that sells huge varieties of Bentos

I’m so spoilt of choices I wanted to buy a few bentos at once because they all look so tasty.

Many kinds of Bentos in nice packagings

1st Bento I bought. Salmon Sushi Bento

Sealed packaging. Comes with chopsticks and soy sauce

Salmon Sushi

This bento cost me 1050 yen (around RM40) and it don’t taste that good. The fish not very fresh. Can’t ask too much since its pre packed. Had this bento while waiting for time to board plane to Hokkaido.

Beef Bento

Inside the beef bento

Had this bento while on the plane to Hokkaido. This bento didn’t disappoint me, the beef taste very good going with the japanese rice.  Price for this bento is 1000 yen (Around RM38.60). So I spent in total around RM70+ for lunch on 2 lunch boxes…. Could have nice big Salmon in Italianese for that money…. Well, this is Japan… All things are expensive.

Landing in Hokkaido. Full of snows

Thick snow scoped and placed beside of road

1st stop today. Ice breaking cruise

The Ice Breaker Ship

Some floating ice pieces

VIP seating at the front. Pay 400yen extra and you get to sit here

Normal Seating

Thin ice pieces around the ship. Started snowing abit

Was really cold outside when the wind is blowing. Good thing my newly bought North Face Winter Jacket is able to withstand the wind and cold.

Other tourists on the deck

Opening up a trail though the thin ice pack

Seagull following our ship

Sunset and Floating Ice

Floating Ice Pack

After the cruise, we took around an hour bus ride to our Onsen(hot spring) hotel – Shiretoko Hotel. The rooms wasn’t top class but its the onsen here that are famous.

The seafood buffet dinner at this hotel is great too. I took around 10+ big sweet juicy scallops and beef teppanyaki to go with nice japanese pearl rice.

Giant crab legs

BBQ scallops. Yum!

Thick and Sweet Scallops. Took 2 at once. I went like 4-5 rounds

Whats left of the scallops...

We wore Yukata (bath robe) while having dinner.

After dinner, need to rest for at least 30 minutes before going for onsen bath.

Entrance to the mens onsen

The onsen bath I had was really relaxing. Haven’t had such nice bath since end December last year. Gonna wake up early early tomorrow to bath in the onsen again. Will try to snap some pics inside if no one is inside.

Edit: Managed to snap some pics in the hot spring.

The changing area

This is where we strip naked and placed the Yukata in the basket and go in for the hot spring bath.

The hot spring pool

Bath area

The bath area is for people to wash themselves before dipping into the hot spring pool

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I just had a very rejuvenating and relaxing bath in my hotel room in Danshui (淡水), Taiwan. The hotel is called 活丽养生会馆, Alive Regimen Hotel. Each room in this hotel has a big jacuzzi bath tub and steam bath.

The Room

The room is simple and clean with nice soft bed and 32″ LCD TV.

Bathroom washing area

Bath and spa amenities

Steam bath and shower cubicle

Button to start the steam bath

Press on this button outside the cubicle to start the flow of steam. Each press will last for 3 minutes.

Steam Bath

Shortly after pressing the button, the cubicle is filled with steam of herbal scent.

Herbal bag for bath tub

The Jacuzzi bath tub

The water takes around 20-30 minutes to fill up the entire tub. I tossed the herbal bag into the tub.

While waiting for the water to fill up the tub, I followed the spa guide provided by the hotel to 1st take a shower. Then proceed to do the steam bath. The steam bath was quite hot but has nice herbal scent. I cooled myself down by showering myself with cold water.

When the water is full, I went into the tub and turn on the water pumps. As soon as I turned on the jacuzzi, the toilet lights are dimmed to a nice and relaxing ambient lighting. I sat in the hot water and started squeezing the herbal bag to hasten the mixing. I end up bursting the entire bag which immediately spread the herbal powder to the entire tub, which was good. With the lights dimmed and water massaging me, its a perfect end to today’s hectic tour schedule. The ambiance is so nice, I wish I had someone special to share with me at that moment.

I come out 20 minutes later. Was sweating inside the hot water and had to come out twice to shower cold water to cool down. I can feel my body loosen up and mentally relax after I come out and lay on my bed. Too bad I had to get up to pack my bags, and I end up losing the mental relax state after all the shoving and squeezing the stuffs into my luggage.

This round Taiwan tour sure is a relaxing 1. Had 4 consecutive nights of spa treatments in the resorts I stayed. 1st spa hotel was Fengtai Hotel (丰泰大酒店) in Chihpen (知本), followed by Dakeng Leisure Farm (大坑休闲农场), then West Lake Resortopia (西湖度假村). I didn’t post the photos because I cannot take pictures there and the 1 in Dakeng I can take but I forgot…… So just check out their website lar.

Will be flying back later at 8AM. Gonna miss all this spa experience. I will be back for more!

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