While our parents were holidaying in Beijing, the kids checked out the GSS in Orchard. I can't remember if we actually bought anything during the sale, but we bought into something entirely different.
Over a sucky ramen lunch at Ngee Ann City's Tampopo, we toyed with the idea of making a family trip to KL and possibly extending it into a Cameron Highlands trip over the National Day long weekend. 4 days feel pretty short, considering that there will most likely be traffic jams.
When the only break I get is as long as a long weekend, a Japanese travel agency is the last place I will think of stepping into. Even more depressed that I wouldn't be able to visit my beloved Japan for the rest of my life now that it's entwined in a simmering nuclear crisis. And so it seems like a complete waste of time when Brother decided to check out the strategically-positioned JTB Travel Saloon.
Wow, so many cheap Japan deals! Japan seems desperate for tourist moolah!
A fleeting thought. I would't mind flying over for just a long weekend. O, the crazy thoughts of people with too little time but too much cash sitting in the piggy!
But anywhere hot is out of bounds. It's pretty much the same in most parts of Japan as well as the world when we are in the heat of the summer now. Which leaves us with...
Hokkaido. I have always wanted to go Hokkaido in summer.
But it's insane to do Hokkaido in 4 days! I have always thought I will need to dedicate at least 2 weeks to savor thoroughly. I checked out the SQ fares to Japan. Out for blood for National Day. Similarly-priced in all reputable airlines by no coincidence. Bleah. Not so attractive anymore. Aiyah everywhere also expensive for the National Day period lah. I feel like I could do anything for a getaway, but... not... so... much. Abort?
Not so fast. How about July? Absolutely tame. Ooo... It's a sign.
We could go in July instead right? I can use my birthday leave. I originally planned to use my birthday leave for physiotherapy, but I also don't want to scrimp until like that when I have a better use for it! And ask my boss to allow me to use one day of my no-pay leave for an ulterior purpose. Beg if I have to. While I am resigned to not being able to go on a proper holiday (read: at least 1 week) for the rest of my working life, hopefully my boss will be fine with me using just one day of no-pay leave to keep sane (by doing something insane). That makes 4 days too, doesn't it?
My siblings are fine too :O
The success of our next move will seal the deal.
8/7
Hunting for flights to Hokkaido feverishly. Why doesn't any airline fly there direct from Singapore? I have never done a transit before. Trying to stick to the same airline as far as possible, but their fares are not much cheaper than the SQ + ANA combination. Might as well take SQ right?
Which airline has the best balance of schedule, convenience, safety, service quality and price? Transit or not? How much time to spend on transit? Anything to do at the airport? Got airbridge at the airport?
Concurrently, I researched on areas to base on while in Hokkaido and accommodation candidates. It's quite last minute if we are really set on Hokkaido, as it's the peak travel season now. We don't want to sleep in the streets! Also, the place has to be navigable on public transport.
Feasibility studies completed. Although Hokkaido is best explored by car, there's still enough to see on public transport. Hotels, public transport and fun available at least in Sapporo. Green-light for Hokkaido!
9/7
My boss okayed my request! 感动! Brother and Sister are available too. Priority is to finalize the flights first.
Airlines with transits en-route to Tokyo/Osaka are not much cheaper. Thai Airways flies to Sapporo with transit at Bangkok, but the flights are sold out. Others' schedules suck. ANA does not fly to Osaka direct from Singapore?! Brother refuses to go anywhere near Tokyo. SIA is the logical choice, in fact, a no-brainer when the fare of $749.70 to Osaka on my favorite time-saving red-eye flight is still available! GRAB! Why nobody wanna go Osaka huh? Too hot? There was a $688 flight, but it departs in the day. We will be wasting the day travelling, so that sucks.
While I was confirming the order, SIA's website tried to sell me traveler's insurance by AIG. $30/pax only? Looks pretty standard, but benefits seem lower than Tenet. No promotion at Tenet now, so I just buy AIG lor. Usually nothing will happen anyway. Picking the seats... damn no more window seats. Only wing-view left Trying to sit as far ahead the engines as possible. Our seats are in the middle row, near the front.
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| 3 of the average seats here... |
18-22 July, Japan, SET!
And now, to decide whether to stay put in Osaka or just use it as a transit. In case I can't plan anything, I really don't mind visiting Osaka again and exploring the surrounding areas. But Brother definitely wouldn't like it, judging by the Singapore-like weather these days, so let's stick to Hokkaido.
Secure our passage to Sapporo first. Then we can base ourselves at wherever that has suitable accommodation and sights XD
Trains take way too long, must fly there. Will Sapporo's New Chitose Airport be able to provide me with ample assistance? I recall in Heaven's Coin that the male lead had to walk on the tarmac to get to the plane. Good for me and the world, the airport has come a long way since 1995.
You must be thinking that I'm siao to judge an airport based on an 18-year-old dorama...
No idea how much Japanese domestic flights cost. Not cheap ley... like $100+ $200+ per trip :O
Hey hey ANA has a Star Alliance Airpass for domestic routes! But cannot book online :\ I need to confirm the details for the consumption tax and booking charges. These days, work HAS to drive me up the wall with no breathing space. Throw to Sister to do! Since she's so free.
10/7
Got Sister to call up ANA. The CSO was very helpful in recommending the flights we could take based on our SQ schedules. It's a shame that Kansai International Airport schedule pales in comparison with Haneda; we are stuck with it. What a relief that my special requests can be accommodated! Book now! No internet booking available, only either through phone or in person. And got to collect the physical ticket before departure. Why so low-tech? :(
Round-trip @ ¥100 each way, plus $80 service charge payable per pax. Rip-off! They should just charge the service charge once :( Consumption tax is inapplicable. Total $338 per pax. Works out to be $169 each way. I never foresaw myself forking out so much for a domestic flight! But to be fair, the distance isn't short. A 1h 55min flight could take us to Phuket from Singapore.
Hokkaido, SET!
I have always thought I will need to plan 1 year ahead for a Hokkaido trip. Can I pull it off in 7 days tops? Not mission-impossible with my prior experience with Japan's public transport network, spotty Japanese and Google Translate! Gonna throw a quickie plan together!
Now to research on the feasibility of going beyond Sapporo. Popular destinations are Furano, Otaru, Niseko and Lake Toya. I'm more keen on Furano after seeing the pictures of the beautiful flowers my friends have posted on Facebook :D
I begin by finalizing the accommodation, the most important thing after flights. I favor rooms with a kitchenette so that we can cook some greens and get an extra sink.
Ah shit, no hotels with western room available in Furano, even if I'm willing to up my budget. Seems that holiday rentals are more common than high-rise hotels. The bane of kampongs. Those holiday rentals only have rooms on the upper floors. Even when there's a room on the ground floor, the house itself is has steps leading from the road. Deja vu. Haven't I gone through this headache while searching for rooms in Hualien and Jiaoxi?
Found a seriously cheap room, but it's a Japanese room. I think Brother will die transferring me everywhere. To make matters worse, it's so deserted that it's like at least 1km away from civilization.
There are rooms that misrepresent themselves as wheelchair-accessible. Quoting Cottage Four Seasons:
All beds are in the same room in each cottage, located on the second floor with the living and eating area located on the ground floor.Seriously? So where is the guy on the wheelchair is supposed to sleep? On the sofa away from the rest? So discriminatory! And they haven't mentioned the location of the bathroom.
I found myself drawn to Fresh Powder Apartments Furano, a fully self-contained luxury apartment. Very sleek, modern, good location and reviews with a price tag to match. It's usually used for long-stay, but it's available for short-stays when there's gaps between bookings. It's located at the foot of a ski slope, which will be meaningful 6 months later. They have a 1 BR apartment featuring Japanese deep soak bath. They have more than a kitchenette - a full kitchen with oven!
I'm hesitating because of the small flight of steps at the entrance, but it might be manageable for Brother. KIV.
11/7
Brother collected the domestic flight tickets from ANA office and also informed them about my wheelchair requirements. We could get Krisflyer miles! Cool!
Our seats. Gosh the planes are almost filled.
Really can't find the perfect accommodation fitting my stringent requirements. Checked out Lake Toya. Same issue with the accommodations. Anyway we have stayed at a lake before, stay somewhere different!
Niseko does not seem to have much to offer for wheelchair-bound people. I get the feeling that as a popular ski resort, it's kind of trying hard to find something to offer in summer. Well, there's nature hiking, canoeing, rafting... but I really haven't heard of people going to Niseko for these.
Otaru is a quaint town, good enough as a backup plan. I want to prioritize destinations with summer-specific sights and activities. By the way, hotels there aren't cheap! Must be over-touristy.
12/7
Fresh Powder Apartments Furano is still available. It's as if it's beckoning to me. Anything wrong with it? Why isn't it snapped up? 左看右看都ok ley. They have a 360° virtual tour of the room. In love with what I saw. The FAQ said there's street level access right?
Ok don't guess liao. Email and ask. At the same time, I booked the room first to be kiasu. IT'S MINE, DO NOT TOUCH!
Tim, the Manager, replied promptly, in perfect English, no less! Yep, from the reviews, I found that they have an angmoh Manager :D
Thanks very much for your enquiry. The apartment is at roughly street level, however due to the architecture of the building, there are one stair up, followed by four stairs down. The doorway here is unfortunately quite narrow. Also, I am afraid that the interior of the apartment is not particularly wheelchair friendly. So, I am sorry to advise that our apartments are not particularly recommended for guests using wheelchairs.
Noooo! :(
Our only property which is designed for wheelchair access is the 5 BR Parkside Chalet. There is one step from the entry to the main floor (as is customary for Japanese house design.) The master bedroom on the main floor has a large sliding door. The toilet is also designed with a sliding door and hand rail.
I know, but it's not available for my dates. And it's too big, too expensive.
I'm not giving up yet. I requested for photos of the room and revealed that I don't plan to use my wheelchair in the room.
Guess what, instead of giving me the cold shoulder, I received a sign of willingness to accommodate me.
The smallest doorway is approx 60 cm wide...
:O *Quickly got Sister to measure my wheelchair.* Just nice sia. Just nice means tight fit lor. Don't care.
In case you did need to use the wheelchair inside the apartment, could we also ask to please make sure the wheels are wiped clean of any sand first. Our flooring is not designed for outside footwear and can be easily damaged by sand or small rocks from the street.
I think we will rather not use the wheelchair than clean it! No worries!
The apartment is accessed from street level via our ski locker. At the moment the this entry is not normally used by customers, and the ski locker is used as a storage for our gardening equipment. Since we have a few days I think we can clear any obstacles out of the way so you can use this entrance. If we could ask for your understanding in advance that it may not be so neat and tidy as the interior of the apartments.
Nah who cares, as long as it's not a cesspit.
Thanks for placing your booking request through Jalan.net. since the booking is less than 7 days from now, no deposit is required to secure the booking. However in case you change your mind, please let us know as soon as possible.
Hooray! So I guess it is difficult to sell a room within 7 days. Glad that there's a sucker liaising with him now?
We can pick you up at JR Furano Station that evening. I have an 8-seat van so there should be plenty of room to fit the wheelchair in the back.
Sure man!
Tim came back with the photos! How helpful is that?
I showed them to Brother, who okayed it, probably reluctantly considering that he will have to sleep on the sofa-bed. Else, Furano is out. My wheelchair is 65cm wide, rounded up. I do hope it can clear that said narrow doorway. Else I will have to be carried...
I sealed the deal. ¥58,000 for 2 nights. Gosh it's gonna be $123/pax/night!
With one major item out of the way, now to shortlist candidates for our 1 night in Sapporo and to plan the itinerary for Furano, 2D2N. I will plan for the 1D1N in Sapporo if I have time, otherwise I think we will still do fine playing by ear.
My eyes hurt from staring at maps of unfamiliar places and trying to figure out whether 2 places are near each other.
13/7
Feeling the need to be frugal after splurging on comfy flight and luxury hotel. Booked a triple room in Hotel Sunroute Sapporo from Agoda for $176.45, after redeeming US$50 of Brother's hard-earned rewards points.
16/7
With 1 day to go, I finally finalized the cost estimate. Brother can finally go ahead to do the forex.
Unexpected bad news from Tim.
I have just realized one possible problem. Unfortunately JR Furano station does not have an elevator! There are also no station staff there from 9:00 pm onward. Based on that time, you will be arriving from Sapporo via Takikawa, which normally arrives on track three. We would have to take stairs up and over the station catwalk. The staircase is quite tall, I believe it’s about 20 steps. I can come to meet you at the arrival track if I can be of assistance… will that work for you?
You will also transfer trains at Takikawa along the way, but I understand there is an elevator to cross the tracks.
O no! How could I have neglected to check whether the stations have lifts? Speaking of which, why does a presumably major tourist destination NOT have a lift? I know how high station stairs are. Too risky to piggy-back.
We have called JR Furano Station to check. It seems they have a similar machine (it crawls up the steps using a caterpillar track… I think the word in Japanese is 昇降機), however, the staff is only there until 6:00 pm…
Whaaat? Is this how kampongs are like? How annoying!
Tim suggested the Chuo Bus (中央バス) for ¥2200, which features later arrival at Furano and no station stairs to climb. But we all hate taking buses. No choice, got to swap leisurely lunch at Sapporo for The Amazing Race from New Chitose to Furano.
According to Brother, Hokkaido has just gone through a wet spell and we are lucky that the weather has been predicted to be dry. *V*
Sleeping late these days to perfect the Furano itinerary. Hope I am sufficiently awake to carry it out.
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