Stars of `Sapporo Sweets`

After an　early check out from Mr Grumpy`s Ryokan, we wandered around the underground shopping malls of which there are numerous with hundreds of shops - The Japanese certainly enjoy their retail therapy!.. Rach would be dangerous without her money guard controlling the funds!! Half way around we were dragged kicking and screaming (not!) into a rather lovely looking cake shop!　 On ordering the 2009 Grand Prize winning cake - a Hokkaido delicacy 　and also a chocolate wedge for the lady! we were suddenly swamped by　eager photographers and film crews.　 Little did we know we had just stumbled into the grand opening of `Sapporo Sweets`. A big event in the Sapporo calendar! A few cheesey grins and mouthfuls of cake　later and we had gained ourselves a new found celebrity status (in Sapporo anyway!)。After stuffing our faces (at only 11am!) we headed for the Sapporo Beer Museum - Slurp slurp!　

After a free tour and a few tasters 　(could have been more!) we headed for yet another fish market to check out the Sapporo Red King crabs. These boys were absolutely massive! Si picked one up and the body was bigger than his head! 　Glad he didn`t drop it though as these fellas go for 10,000￥ a piece! ;-$　After carefully placing the crab back with his meaty mates, we headed to the station and chugged our way towards Otaru. On first impressions, this town was rather quiet. However, in the numerous nooks and crannies we found some forms of life!

Checking into our first `hotel` felt so luxurious. As great as the ryokans have been, there`s only so much sleeping on the floor our tired bodies could take! The ready made bed and room service was much appreciated! However, it seems no matter where you go in Japan, they still supply you with hard, uncomfortable bean bags for pillows?! At least in our hotel, we don`t have to put a different pair of slippers on in every room we enter. No joke. Even the toilets have their own designated slippers!

A moon lit stroll down to the canal 　and a few snaps later 　we were...(yep, you guessed it) hungry! We managed to find ourselves a little local 10 seater restaurant/shack! Very personal. Ghengis khan was the order of the day. A Hokkaido speciality - spiced lamb, onions and beansprouts grilled by yourself to your own taste. 　YUM! Sorry we keep talking about food, unfortunatley we can`t afford much alcohol in Japan and so these are our treats!

Due to the non-existent nightlife we found ourselves back at the hotel, lounging around in kimonos and slippers　(who says we don`t know how to have fun!) :-) watching bizzare Japanese game shows! The things these people will do for a few yen　would astound you!!

Today - wednesday, only 6 days into the trip and it already feels like we`ve been gone a month! i think reliving our days through the blog makes it seem even longer than it is. After checking out of the luxurious hotel, we ventured into the main shopping streets of Otaru where we found lots of glass shops, music box shops and cake shops. All of which have made Otaru famous in Japan. After being dragged in every　glass and music box shop by Rach　, Si then dragged Rach into every cake shop　ｆｏｒ　ｔｈｅ　ｆｒｅｅ　ｔａｓｔｅｒｓ！Ｗｅ　ａｒｅ　ｏｎ　ａ　ｂｕｄｇｅｔ　ａｆｔｅｒａｌｌ．　Ｓｉｘ　ｓｈｏｐｓ　ｌａｔｅｒ　ａｎｄ　Ｓｉ　ｗａｓ　ｆｅｅｌｉｎｇ　ｐｈｙｓｉｃａｌｌｙ　ｓｉｃｋ！　ｈａ　ｈａ

Ｌｏｏｋｉｎｇ　ｆｏｒｗａｒｄ　ｔｏ　ｏｕｒ　ｆｉｒｓｔ　ｓｌｅｅｐｅｒ　ｔｒａｉｎ　ｊｏｕｒｎｅｙ　ｔｏ　Ｔｏｋｙｏ　ｔｏ　ｍｅｅｔ　Ａｍｅｒｉｃａｎ　Ｄａｎ！　：－）　Ｔｈｅｒｅ　ｗｉｌｌ　ｄｅｆｉｎｉｔｅｌｙ　ｂｅ　ａ　ｆｅｗ　ａｌｃｏｈｏｌｉｃ　ｓｔｏｒｉｅｓ　ａｆｔｅｒ　ｔｈａｔ！　Ａｐｏｌｏｇｉｅｓ　ｆｏｒ　ｔｈｅ　ｔｙｐｉｎｇ　ｂｔｗ　－　ｔｈｉｓ　ｃｏｍｐｕｔｅｒ　ｉｓ　ＲＵＢＢＩＳＨ！！！！

ＬＡＴＥＲＳ！　ｘｘ