sleepless snowy slumber
Arriving once again in Sapporo, taking the bus from the airport.
Being enamoured by the almost too familiar backdrop of an on-going winter wonderland, going through the sharp cold and darkness for the third time is still always fun.
Having to watch my footing so I won’t slip, I quickly made my way to my hotel as my flight was delayed, I am already missing several crucial hours worth of rest.
I stopped by to see if I can get a good shot of Toyokawa Inari Shrine but it was already sealed off.
I still took a nice hot bath and shower and tried to get some sleep though being in Susukino, the night life district, proved to be a bit difficult as right in front of our hotel was a club.
What a harrowing night.
back to niseko
The usual route from Sapporo, I got on the Chuo bus heading to Niseko.
It was another amazing ride through Hokkaido’s winter landscape.
After a couple of hours, I finally got off the bus. This time around there was no Libby waiting for me unlike the first time I visited Niseko but I got in touch with Momo, a friend I made last year, and it seems like she was riding today.
I went to Alpen to get my gear and waited for a bit, taking a rest and watching some tutorials.
I had a goal that I was gonna get snowboarding this trip. I had the classic Niseko priced lunch in the hotel and then got my pass for the lifts.
I waited some more for Momo until she arrived with her boyfriend and we went started to go up the gondies.
It was difficult to get back into it at first but I slowly got better, my toe-edge was still needing a lot of work and soon my legs really started to cramp up. These muscles that I wasn’t used to using always hurt every time I snowboard.
After a while, I had to tap out cuz my ankles were killing me. Not really the best start of the trip but I was still hopeful to make a comeback.
harry potter room
I started to walk back to Himawari sharehouse, where Joe was staying.
He had graciously offered me a place to stay after I let him crash at my place a while back after doing my trip to Mexico, Panama, and Peru.
Momo dropped me off nearby and Iwaded through the snow to a nearby hut which I initially thought was the place but turns out it wasn’t the right one and I had to walk a few more meters to the actual place.
From there, I was able to find the right one and rest up for a bit.
Another person named Joe was there, we differentiated the two Joes by Joe-chan and Joe-san. Joe-san being the older Joe that I had previously gone to Kagoshima and Miyazaki with. Joe-chan was from London.
We talked a bit and he gave me some tea.
Joe-san later arrived and we were able to catch up on a lot of things. Sayuri, one of our housemates, also arrived and together we played some Exploding Kittens to pass the time. I was also able to meet Miki and Hiromi that night as well.
Joe-san helped me fix up my cupboard of a bedroom. Harry Potter room, they called it.
It’s where I was supposed to sleep but not today as we were going to Kutchan to celebrate Christmas with his friend Dan.
a merry christmas
In Kutchan, we went to Dan’s place and there were already a bunch of people there.
I remember some names, Bia, Ian, Paul, Anita, and Christine. Several other people joined us afterwards including a guy from Wisconsin, a girl from China and Carlos from Bolivia and his protege, Shion.
It was a fun night with incredibly delicious food. Christmas songs were playing and it was a first time in a long time I actually spent Christmas with somebody else, I felt a bit reserved at first but I slowly realized everyone was just so funny and nice.
They had a dog and a cat inside as well.
The best part was the Christmas games we played, everyone was just so drunk with all these skimpy Christmas costumes that somehow ended up with the guys. I laughed too hard during pin the nose on the reindeer when Dan was pranked Joe into putting the nose on his nipple instead of Rudolph.
I ended up being friends with Shion and we talked pretty much a majority of the night as we were the only ones at the same age range.
After a couple of hours, we went outdoors to light a bonfire and gathered around it while having some more drinks.
We went back inside afterwards to play some Cards Against Humanity, I had to teach Shion what the cards meant most of the time. I actually won that game, including the charades game from a while ago.
We talked a bit more while I was drawing random stuff on this etch-a-sketch they had lying around.
It got so late already almost 4 am at that time, I excused myself to go to the showers and went to our room to catch some shut eye.
Joe had to work the next day unfortunately.
cozy morning
I woke up to the sound of music, I was supposed to catch a ride with Anita I think but she had left earlier so I was now without a ride back to Niseko.
I went to greet the voices outside the room, Christine and Paul were up and talking.
I sat by the couch and just absorbed the atmosphere of the Christmas afterparty. It was chilly and warm at the same time.
Paul had kindly offered me a ride back to Niseko which I happily accepted.
After a while of talking and asking their Alexa to play some music, Paul and I set out for Niseko, making a brief stop by Lawson where I bought some stuff for brunch and dinner.
Arriving back at Himawari, I took a nice hot bath and kind of really just spaced out for the rest of the day since I was so tired, I remember talking with Hiromi about joining her yoga class the next day.
I had a pretty hard time sleeping in the cupboard that night too. Pretty bad feng shui looking back.
a new day
Waking up to the snowy backdrop is always so enchanting.
I can never get tired of the silent mornings when everyone else was still asleep or have already left for their respective works.
It was quite relaxing and even meditative. I tried my best to still do my meditation and kundalini yoga whenever I had the free time.
I took my shower and got my gear ready, I was going to ride today.
I went out into cold and walked a couple of meters to the bus stop, I had no idea if it was coming or not but after waiting a couple of minutes, luckily a free shuttle bus going downtown arrived.
I took it and was dropped near the Visitor Center. I walked a bit more to reach Aya, where Hiromi was doing her Vinyasa yoga class.
I was able find and join the class, coincidentally I was somehow the only one there so it turned out to be an awesome private class instead.
The yoga session was very zen, there were also some challenging parts but I had experience with it and my body was strong. It was my first ever yoga class but I would say I did pretty well.
After the class, it was just a short walk on the way to the lifts, I put on my earphones and began my ascent to the top where I practiced for a bit.
My tendency to go to my heel side was evidently strong and I really had to work on my toe side as well. But after a while, my usual pain spots would hurt and I would have to take some breaks in between.
This went on for a while, though I really did enjoy the tunes and slopes.
When I reached my limit, I went to Tamashi’s to get some ramen and maybe find Momo but she wasn’t there at the moment so I got some butter-corn ramen to fill me up and walked my way back to Himawari.
the classics
The two girls, Miki and Sayuri, were having a massage session by Sakurako, another house mate. This was also the time I got to meet her formally.
Miki was getting a massage done and I offered to burn some Palo Santo for them much to their delight. We got to talk a bit about today’s riding and yoga session.
After a while, they went to throw out the garbage and to buy some stuff and I spent most of the day lazing around by the couch.
Dinner was also pretty good, we made some okonomiyaki and at night Hiroki and Yuuki, Sakurako’s boyfriend, came over.
Everyone took turns playing the NES game console, from Mario Kart, Super Smash Brothers and Mario Party. What a blast it was.
exploding kittens and birthday cakes
I was riding with Joe-san today, we ate some breakfast and freshened up. He hauled us to the lifts and we rode several rounds together, I was getting better at doing my toe side and he gave me a lot of tips too.
We also got to meet up and rode with Sam and Momo. We rode until late noon and we headed back down, I bought us some chicken karaage and he dropped me back at the sharehouse.
I did some snow clearing to help and hanged around until night.
Joe-chan, Sakurako and Yuuki were there, we had some nabe for dinner, it turns out it was Yuuki’s birthday.
Sakurako had some delicious fruit cake and I offered the icecream cake I bought at Kutchan’s supermarket as well and he smoked us up outside in the snow, right after we were off playing some more Super Smash Brothers joined by Hiroki and Shin.
I brought out the old Exploding Kittens after some of the guys left and it was much to Yuuki’s enjoyment.
Sakurako also joined in and it was a wholesome night.
I transferred to Joe-san’s room because sleeping at the cupboard was unbearably difficult.
improvements
I was out riding with Joe-san again today, just the two of us this time. We went up and coincidentally met up with Joe’s friend from Tokyo.
Apparently they were seeing each other before.
She was with her other friend and we were riding together for a couple of runs, I was getting better and she even made a comment that I had improved so much in just a short time.
I could definitely feel my confidence going up as I slowly got used to riding on my toe-edge.
But still, I had to tap out because the pain was there again. I took a rest at the nearby cafeteria and waited for them to do another run before heading back down with them.
miss me with that noise
I was off solo-riding today, I’ve made substantial improvements, the biggest one so far.
I remember everything just clicked and I was riding on my toe and heels without problems with Begin by Shallou playing in the background.
As the blizzard came in and turned everything to an effervescent white, I was blissful and ecstatic as I swooped easily down the slopes that I once wiped out a lot on.
I did this again and again, feeling like the king of the hill.
I walked home quite happy with myself and spent some time in the sharehouse watching Super Crooks on Netflix.
At night was the infamous night for the whole sharehouse.
My stay in Joe-san’s room was short lived as the aforementioned “friend” from Tokyo was coming over today so it was back to the cupboard for me.
However, I couldn’t even get good sleep as the noises they were making in Joe’s room was so loud, even with my earplugs on, it was no use.
I had texted Joe to keep it down and thankfully they stopped after a while.
In the morn, Joe drove her back but the damage was done.
new year's eve
New Year’s Eve. Always a blast spending it in Niseko.
Joe-san and I were off riding again today, meeting up with his “friend” and her companion as well.
Pretending like nothing happened, like I didn’t just lose another good night’s sleep. Still, it was still loads of fun as I was definitely better this time around, being able to keep up and even breezing past the other girl with ease during the more difficult slopes.
We were doing the more challenging routes this time around and I was able to do it just fine.
After the morning ride, we went back to the sharehouse because Sam was picking us up to go to the onsen. We stopped by a convenience store to buy some snacks to fill up our bellies before taking the dip.
We drove to Kyogoku Onsen and were able to just get a lot of bonding time with the bros, eating some dinner that came with the ticket coupon.
We got back to Himawari and I watched Netflix’s Death to 2021 movie with Joe-chan, similarly we watched Death to 2020 with Libby and Kieran last winter. I guess, it was becoming a Niseko tradition now.
It was hard to decide where to spend New Year’s as there were a couple of choices including the usual at Tamashi’s but also spending it at Dan’s bar, The Way or at a private invite-only junction.
We had our pre-drinks, mine was the gift I got from Paul during the Secret Santa a couple of days ago which were some Rusutsu Love Beer.
I decided to go where Joe-san was going which was the private party, Joe-chan and the rest of the girls, as well as Sam were also heading there anyways.
We were picked up by Bia and Ian, and with us were Hiromi and Joe-san.
We were dropped by the bar which had a trippy entrance and waited until the countdown.
I was able to meet a bunch of people so it was a really fun night, we then headed out into the snow to set off some fireworks and went back in for some more drinks before heading out to Tamashi’s.
all roads lead to tamashi
Starting off the New Year drunk seemed to be an annual global thing as we waddled our way to Tamashi’s. I got to see Momo working behind the bar and then a girl tapped my back, much to my surprise as I looked I had no idea. She took off her mask and it turned out to be Ami!
Who knew she was in Niseko, I had asked her previously if she was going to be there but she said she wasn’t but lo and behold, what a pleasant reunion it was.
Much to my delight, Ami pointed out that Hina was also here, now it’s a party!
We were all just hugging and shouting like crazy people making the other people around the bar wonder what on Earth was going on.
I brought them to meet Sam and Joe as well, and we got to have a little Niseko Wow Lodge reunion.
After a couple of more hours, the Himawari gals decided to go back home and I decided to tag along with them.
We had another mini-party at home where I showed off some breakdancing. I took my shower and after awhile went to sleep at Joe-san’s room once again.
In the morning, I found out that Hiromi actually lost her phone and spent the night trying to find it, with Joe-san trying to help. She had to wake up Sakurako early to go find it but thankfully was able to get it back.
It was a hang over day as usual.
blizzards
I spent another day riding solo and when I got back, I spent some time playing some Super Smash Bro. with Joe-chan.
As it was pretty much my second to the last day, Sam and Joe-san were coming with me to get some ramen for dinner up in Kutchan.
I also invited Joe-chan to come along and off we all went into the darkness of the night.
The blizzard was so intensely strong that it pretty much wiped out all that we could see, we had a ton of laughs about it though.
We had several candidates to go to but it turns out everyone of them was closed, we ended up at Yamaokaya and had our ramen.
Afterwards, we went back to Himawari, we played some Exploding Kittens with Hiromi for a bit as well as Sayuri. Hiroki and Yuuki also came over, I was able to get one last smoke with them and then some more Smash Bro. before ending the night with a smile.
The next day, I had done all my laundry and packed my things. I was a bit too tired and couldn’t be bothered to ride today so I just spent most of the day at the sharehouse.
Sakurako dropped me off at the bus stop and Sayuri and Yuuki also came with her to see me off. It was such a nice gesture and I really appreciated it.
As our bus cruised through the snow-laden streets, another blizzard was brewing.
