Today, we departed at 8am as the time on the road would be longer. We would be going to Furano! During the bus journey, Shallen educated us on some of the food culture in Japan. One of the most loved dish is Natto, a kind of fermented soybean that is known for its many health benefits. It is generally served during breakfast and eaten mixed with white rice. Another fun fact is that onsen eggs are served cold. I must say that I was really surprised when I realized the egg I took during breakfast was cold. It taste like the soft boiled eggs we have in Singapore, just at a different temperature. Shallen also mentioned how we could only see seaweed displayed during breakfast. We should only eat seaweed in the morning because it is difficult to digest.
Furano Glass Forest;
At 11am, we finally reached the Glass Forest in Furano. Here, we were given freebies! We each got one handmade sushi keychain and a glass cup, which we used to drink their tea from.
Our mission here was to create our own candle in a glass. My favourite kind of activity :D. We got to choose our main glass animal and I chose the one and only owl figurine. It looks like a penguin as well.
First, we fill the glass with coloured sand partially. Placing the candle string in the middle, we continue to add in more sand to weigh it down. Initially, I was trying to show my creative flair and experimented with different colours in specific areas. One accidental shake, and my art was destroyed! Same goes for my bf's art piece. We added the sand until the required level and placed our animal figurine and other decorations into the glass. After the finishing touches, we gingerly brought our glass to the staff's desk and she added in the final liquid to set the design.
First, we fill the glass with coloured sand partially. Placing the candle string in the middle, we continue to add in more sand to weigh it down. Initially, I was trying to show my creative flair and experimented with different colours in specific areas. One accidental shake, and my art was destroyed! Same goes for my bf's art piece. We added the sand until the required level and placed our animal figurine and other decorations into the glass. After the finishing touches, we gingerly brought our glass to the staff's desk and she added in the final liquid to set the design.
While waiting for our candle to dry, we walked around the area and viewed the beautiful glass artworks. And of course, we explored the beautiful white outdoors. Can you see what I wrote on the snow?
I loved the lunch at Herb Hill Furano because of their famous pumpkin tempura! As per Shallen, the place is like a farming area and they grow their own vegetables. As a result, their pumpkins are extremely sweet! All the pumpkin tempura I ate are hot and crispy. But somehow, those that my bf ate have cooled down, and those that he took were from my plate :P. I guess he has no fate with piping hot pumpkin tempura. My other favourites were the creamy pumpkin soup (Hokkaido milk!) and lavender ice cream. I have eaten lavender soft serve cone in Singapore but this is ICE CREAM. The texture is icy hard and I love it so much! Our meal also came with a free dessert. Fruits in Japan are really sweet.
There is a store beside which sells all Lavender and Horse Oil products. There is this one lavender SPF spray which smells so fresh. But that one bottle already cost over S$70 and I couldn't bear to spend that money. We saw pillows filled with dried lavender which we thought would be great gifts for our parents. When we lifted one up, we realized how heavy it is. Can't possibly bring back 4 of those with the luggage weight limit. We bought lavender pillow covers (¥1295 each) with a layer of dried flowers instead.
Snow Mobil;
The next activity was the highlight of the day and we were warmly dressed for it. It's the SNOW MOBIL which my bf have been telling me so much about. We chose the couple snow mobil (¥15000) inclusive of the ski gloves, high boots, helmet and water proof pants. The single snow mobil costs ¥10000. These prices are set as the standard across all the places and they did not increase the price over the years as well. We paid for our snow mobil at the counter and were each given a red band to wear around our arms as prove of payment.
The boots provided to us were like rain boots and will not protect our feet from the cold. However, it is higher than my original boots and snow wouldn't get in so easily. We wore downpants that day and it is already waterproof. But we still wore their thin baggy ones for extra protection from the snow. They are probably wind proof as well because my legs were warm throughout the journey.
Our tour group members have to drive in a single file, with the leader being the snow mobil staff. So there is no cutting queue or speeding throughout. I drove for the first part of the route, just accelerate and brake using the right and left hands. Other than the pungent smell (and smoke) emitted from the engine, the whole atmosphere was beautiful. For the first part, I was trying to be a safe driver and bring my passenger around smoothly. Maneuvering the vehicle was manageable but at the turning, which requires a fair amount of strength to turn the handle, I felt like I was going to fall off. The scenery was spectacular but I couldn't multitask while I drove :/. We couldn't hear each other as well.
We had a short break to take photos with our snow mobil. For the first time, I laid on the snow bed and made a snow angel. The cotton white snow is thick up there and my feet got buried as I walked :D. The break was so short that we had to go before I could make a snowman. We didn't get to throw as many snowballs as we wanted to as well!
The snow is so fluffy!
Bf drove the second part of the route. We were advised not to swap drivers because the first part is to familiarize with the driving of the vehicle, and the second part would be faster. Since my bf has already tried the snow mobil before, it was alright. They did not go that fast for the second part anyway. He drove "recklessly" while I, seated behind him, enjoyed the sudden burst, the speed, the bumps and the wind in my face. At the same time, my helmet kept knocking onto his when I leaned forward to grab his waist tighter. The sun was setting <3. My foot was freezing.
When I came back and took off my boots, I realized the reason why my right foot was numbed. Apparently, snow got in and they became ice, stuck to my socks. As we were wearing two layers of socks, bf gave me his outer socks layer as mine were wet. It took a heatpack and some time for my foot to become normal again. Note that I was holding on to my socks while I took the below photos lol.
Dinner; Prince Hotel, New Furama
We reached Prince Hotel, New Furama at 5.30pm. It is a ski resort as well so the people can ski at their convenience since it is just right beside. We saw the most number of tourists here. It is probably one of the most popular hotels in Furano due to the ski attraction. It was a special dinner that day at the Japanese restaurant so we had to dress appropriately. By appropriate, they just meant we cannot wear the clothes and slippers they provided within the premise of the restaurant.
Our dinner set was already decided beforehand and it was slightly different from the one stated in the menu. One by one, the dishes were served gradually. I have never been a fan of sashimi because I don't take raw food that much (weak sensitive stomach :/) But since we were in Japan, we ought to try what they are famous for. Besides, their sashimi are guaranteed fresh and clean (words from our tour guide) so I should be safe from the possibility of my stomach being upset.
"This is the best sashimi ever!!"
The rest of the meal was great as well. The tempura in Japan are really cooked to perfection. They are crispy and not so oily (都吃不腻). I particularly love vegetable tempura like the eggplant and pumpkin ones! There is also a creamy milk coloured soup served in a chawanmushi sized bowl. We cannot be sure what that is but it taste like onion, fried onions in cream. Pretty good!
After dinner, we went for a romantic walk along the beautiful lighting and ice sculptures. It was quite rare that we get to explore around the area of the hotel because there is nothing much usually that is nearby where we stayed. But this time, we had the admission ticket to Furano Kankan Mura, Snow Night Fantasy. It was a chilly night but we had a great time.
We were also given 1 complimentary snow tubing ticket each. One of our tour members gave us one extra ticket as she did not dare to try it. The snow tube went down the slope quite fast and the wind made my face even colder than it already was. When we were done with the ride, we had to pull our tube back up. At some point, I felt so cold I thought that jogging up the slope would get it over and done with faster. Almost to the end, I told my bf I couldn't take it anymore and gave him my tube. Apparently, I shouldn't run in that below-zero degrees cold weather because it made it hard to breathe. It was a horrible feeling as I gasped for air, with tears in my eyes, catching my breath back. It seemed like common sense, but with no prior experience with winter, I never knew running in such cold weather can cause adverse effects :/. My bf had no idea I was unwell, he thought I ran because I was excited, and that I stopped because I was tired. I recovered shortly but he was still worried for me.
Bf brought me to the nearby coffeehouse for a hot cup of beverage to help me warm up my body. They were closing in 30 minutes then but it was good enough. We ordered a hot cocoa (¥420) and an almond au lait (¥420). There is no almond taste in my drink though, just like a usual latte. But I was very much warmed up!
The coffeehouse is located in a cluster with the other shop-houses which sell creative artistic pieces. Each shop specializes in a certain area such as paper art, woodcrafts and handmade accessories. I couldn't help but to wonder whether the owners can make a living through their small art businesses. Still, I admire each and everyone of them for realizing their remarkable talent and showcasing their unique work. Looking at those brightly lit wooden houses and stairways topped with white snow, I felt like I was part of a fairy-tale story in a wonderland. It is an amazing sight to behold.
Onsen time;
And we ended our day here.
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