Breakfast; Shiretoko Grand Hotel Kitakobushi
Breakfast included thick congee, more corn soup and the best black coffee of all hotels so far! Dessert is also necessary for breakfast hehe.
Oshinkoshin Falls;
We had short 15 minutes visit of the Oshinkoshin Falls from a distance. Due to winter weather, I think snow has piled up and we were unable to walk up. The toilet nearby was also surrounded with heaps of snow and nobody could access it due to the blocked entrance. On the opposite side of the road, the scenery is delightful as well.
Our tour guide, Shallen, started to introduce the Hokkaido products that her company sold at a more competitive price. We got to sample the scallop snacks, tiramisu chocolate, wasabi ika and pistachio. They also recommended items like the blood circulation stick-on, gold T bar face lifter and cleaning water beads. Our total from this purchase is ¥43000. We never really saw all these products at the places we went so might as well buy from them at a cheaper price.
The beauty bar was an item I considered for awhile because it is so
expensive. But after using it for two weeks now, I always feel more
rejuvenated after utilizing it around my eye area. Shallen warned others
about purchasing the fakes online as they could pose as electrical
hazards. Decided to just buy it to prevent more wrinkles from appearing!
Mt Lou; 硫黄山
The journey to get close to Mt Lou was my most challenging walk ever 😣. The snow had piled up and even though other visitors have paved a route, I walked with difficulty. The ground was uneven and I threaded unsteadily with full concentration on the ground. It was too tough for my small sized feet. With the strong wind blowing at the face, it was also best to keep my head down, lest the snow goes into my eyes. Everybody walked the same path because there was no other way haha. It was so cold that my camera froze and my bf's phone restarted itself.
On top, the sulphuric smell reminded me of century eggs. When the smoke flew into my face, it was a bit choking. Otherwise, it was quite tolerable and interesting to see nature in action. Back to the flat ground, I had a hard boiled egg at the store (¥100). The eggs are cooked by the natural heat produced by Mt Lou and it only has a slight sulphuric taste.
Lunch; Lake Kussharo
Our lunch was at the food place along Lake Kussharo, the lake where you get to see many swans and ducks. The meal that day was steamboat style, featuring our add on 1.6kg crab (¥16000), just for the two of us! The tour leader suggested that 2 groups of couple can share a crab if it was too much. But it was just nice! And we ate to our heart's content :D. But we were slowpokes in eating since there were only two people digging into that one large crab. Not much time for us to get beautiful pictures at the lake.
The crab was very fresh, only prepared
moments before we arrived. The pincers of the crab could be eating as
sashimi, but it does not taste great. We cut up the crab in its raw form
before we placed it in the pot. It is important not to overcook the
crab, otherwise, it might stick to the shell and does not come off as
one thick piece of delicacy. The meat is extremely juicy, tender and
chewy. We also ordered two Mudan big prawns (¥1500 each) which were supposed to be eaten
raw. The flesh is thick and slightly crunchy, with a sweet seafood
aftertaste. I cannot believe how much I love prawn sashimi! The original
meal without the extra seafood would not have been satisfying at all.
Bits of seafood splattered here and there but the mess was all worth it.
We gathered for a group photo by the lake and we got our driver to be the photographer. The strong wind was howling and blowing away, I could not even keep my hair in place.
New Akan Hotel; Lake Akan
We reached New Akan Hotel earlier at about 3.30pm as we were heading for some ice fishing! Walked a distance to Lake Akan, listened to the instructions, and proceeded to test our fishing skill. One foldable chair and mini fishing rod were provided for us. Thankfully, the fishing took place in a covered tent and we were protected from the cold.
Unhooking the lock, the line of the fishing rod will drop down fast into the ice hole. Once it stops, you lock it back and start to slowly turn the reel, hoping the fish gets attracted to the lure. No gloves are allowed when you handle the fishing rod. I think we only fished for 15 minutes before they close! Nope, we did not managed to catch any fish.
Fish Tempura;
We were given vouchers to claim our fish tempura at the store nearby. I am guessing the fish they used is the Shishamo, the fish with many eggs at the stomach. Omg, it was the best fish tempura we have ever eaten! 😋 Tempura wise, it is perfectly fried and makes you wanting more. It does not have any fishy smell as well.
The night was falling as we explored the shopping area nearby. The shops were mostly selling wood-crafted art pieces and daily items. This was the place where my bf almost drowned in snow. We were standing outside the shop when I heard a sound and pulled him closer in. Then, a large pile of snow came falling onto the ground. Had he stood a little towards the outside, the accumulated snow on the shop front canopy would have dropped all over him! So dangerous leh.
There was also this dog who came smelling my bf's leg and walked away, and then sat outside the convenient store. When other people wanted to go into the store, it would politely move away and then go back to the same position again. We were wondering whether it was a stray dog but it was wearing a collar tag. The staff of the shop came out to pat and talk to the dog, and it was so obedient. Then, this old lady came walking out of the door and it jumped on her so happily. It was then that we realized this cute little dog was waiting patiently for its owner :D.
Dinner; New Akan Hotel
Everyone got a tatami room that day because there is no standard room in this hotel. They have 3 designs of yukata and they were so comfortable. They even provide a Nintendo playstation, which we realized later that it requires payment to be able to play. There was also a dryer at the far end in which your clothes can be dried in between two hot plates. I do not think it works very well as my underwear was not even half dried.
More hairy crab legs for dinner! I like this buffet place as well because the ambience was great. They have the pumpkin tempura and pizza which I kept on refilling my plate with. Japanese pizza are so yummy, with a thin and crispy crust. The terayaki chicken here is also tender and flavourful. Desserts wise, everything is awesome, especially the crispy fruit tarts and grape juice jelly. They have special tea like jasmine-oolong, rose-collagen and yuzu, which I very much love.
Onsen;
The onsen is opened 24 hours and we went at about 10.30pm. They have a special garden onsen which requires us to wear their swim suit or overalls to enter. However, when I wanted to go in at about 11am, it closed! The sauna was also closed at the same time. This was the shortest onsen session.
Tried the massage chairs (¥100 per 10 mins) outside instead and it was great with my sore back muscles.
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