Sapporo/Hokkaido - Japan (Day 6) Winter Time

What a disappointment. Duh! Sightseeing crumbled crushed because of heaviest winter lashing. Can you imagine how I would have felt when told sightseeing infinitely has been cancelled? For me personally, travelling is about sightseeing and none other. Not shopping neither even food tucking. But I suppose I had to accept the fact that there's nothing much for us for the day except shopping (Otaru Sapporo). In fact, we were also told to be prepared for flight cancellation and another day, if we have to, staying back due to this one of the worst winter. Yet, I didn't stop keeping my fingers crossed. Hope still continued to flame for "Okurayama Viewing Point", the 1972 Winter Olympic Games sky jumping venue. In the end, hope came crashing down like the massive white snow falling. Confirmed its a no go as well for viewing the entire Sapporo city from atop mountain peak and Sapporo Shrine located in Maruyama Park. Bottom line, no sightseeing at all (Sapporo, Noboribetsu, Hokkaido & Chitose/Hokkaido). Bang! Frankly speaking, I felt as though a shape travelling arrow had pierced into my heart and a big explosion has erupted in my head despite being aware that we shouldn't make matters worst when weather is playing sparks. Being safe definitely must be adhered. tell me about weather ruining our hard earned travelling money? Never mind I then calmly told myself. Was there anything I could have done? Unfortunately and sadly, nothing.     

Otaru (Sapporo - Hokkaido) - Winter Time

Day 5. Our day in Otaru which is about 45 minutes drive from Sapporo. Waking up feeling really well rested, we, yes, we totally crashed on bed early the previous night due to tiredness already catching up on us (Noboribetsu, Hokkaido & Chitose/Hokkaido). I definitely woke up looking forward to exploring Otaru. Said as must be included in your Hokkaido tour, it will be trust me and like the rest of the tour groups, I knew we will be exploring the same tourist spots. Nevertheless, I couldn't help but slide into my deep thoughts. One one side, I was sort of glad I will returning home in another two days time, on the other, I dreaded the daily grind awaiting me the moment I am home bound. Quite a dwelling matter actually, given a choice, honestly, I would love to travel 365 days, yet, the reality is that unless money fall from the sky, I need to work and I need to save before travel venturing again. Tell me about it. The reality bullet to middle income people like us. Sure. Anyway, instead of wasting more time getting worked up emotionally, I got ready and came down to the dining area for breakfast. Walla! Satisfying favourable Japanese breakfast. Bacon, eggs, Japanese porridge, soups and a cuppa of piping hot coffee for body warming me before we embarked on our journey along the Pacific Ocean to arrive in Otaru.   

Hokkaido, Japan - Day 2 (Winter Time)

Always and forever, the first night away from home is the most difficult night to sleeping. In fact, this matter to sleeping while travelling has always and I think will always be a code non cracker for me. Hammer house of horror scariness mostly is the main reason, thankfully, during this Hokkaido/Sapporo travel venturing, I had my other half-half, the love of my life with me. That pretty much calmed me down from ghost haunting playing on my mind and of course, on the other hand, for winter snazzy cuddling, warmth lovey-dovey bed time. Still, when you have to sleep over in a bed which is not your familiar home bed, it will I guess, no matter what, be an interrupted sleeping rhythm. Most to most, I reckon both of us slept for maybe 4 to  hours. Up by 7.00pm for showering and believe me, layering yourself in winter clothes can eat up on your time as well. To the dining area by 8.00am, we tucked into the favourable spread. Great meal. My kinda meal of all sorts. My-My! Utterly satisfying Western, Asian and Japanese food goodness. 

Colombo - Sri Lanka (Nava K Seen)

Final league. Final road travelling league for our 2 days in Colombo from Galle. Miles and miles already on the road, starting from Negambo, Kandy, Nurwara Eliya and Katagarama, today, its the final loop. Another road loop. Thankfully. Frankly speaking, if you are asking for my opinion how it has been so far,  let me be out-rightly blunt. Basically, honest to goodness, listen, I must agree and I must salute Sri Lanka as haven paradise. But the thing to hours from one place to the other I think made us the losers to time. I really couldn't get it. Road mode of transport literally taking up our time instead of more on sightseeing. According to our tour guide, he kept telling us there is nothing to see for this route we have opted for. Beats me. We still sense this lazy bum of a fellow is taking us for a joyride. Maybe not his fault. He is we concluded merely a driver, not a tour guide. Nevermind. But he is another person who love to sulk and complain. Like the worst one in our tour group, the rest were not too bad, this fellow is only interested in safe guarding his interest. Sulking about sightseeing spots due to lack of parking, so little knowledge on Sri Lanka and coming with it attractions, additionally, his Sri Lankan ascent, through his thick and thin birth. By the third day, we sort of knew. His tricks definitely didn't work on us. So much so we literally forced him to thirst for sightseeing spots we wanted to visit. Imagine ending up this sort of person? Whatever said, he knew he had to pull up his socks. Good. On our route to Colombo, he made it a point in stopping us at the beaches, monuments and he slowed down to driving as well so that we can peep at the whatever which attracted our attention along the way. 

Negambo - Sri Lanka

Taking my time for digesting the fact that I actually, truly had my moment to one of the best travelling prides in South Africa (Pretoria City Tour & Cape Town), prior to that travel conquering Thailand as well (The Golden Triangle & Chiang Mai), within the next few months, I decided. Money was still sunny, so, why not, I had already allocated the cash aside, I ventured on my own again. However, I had no clue whatsoever where it should be. I went like, where should I start. Of course, what are travel agents for? For us to opt between the choices to all paid for packages. After weighing the pros and cons, I made up my mind. Sri Lanka my paradise. Already been said, countless times as a must do, primarily by Indians. Whether Sri Lanka is a popular destination amongst our Malaysian Chinese or Malays, I really can't affirm, but Sri Lanka, without a doubt, sincerely have been ranked as one of the number one spots by Indians. Why not? I too have been toying with the idea of Sri Lanka venturing. Can't be all the time lending my ears to others who can't stop blowing hot air on literally Sri Lanka everything instead of me myself finding out if Sri Lanka is as sensation as said to be? 

Pretoria City Tour - Gauteng Province (South Africa)

South Africa! My-my! Never in my slightest moment, honestly, would I have thought South Africa will be an absolute travel wonder winner. Not at all. I actually had no clue whatsoever what to expect in South Africa. Neither did I bother to imagine, nor did I read up prior to flying the distance. Of course, like many of you who keep abreast on world issues, I knew who is Nelson Mandela. The legendary man of history who struggle for South Africa's independence. 27 years of spending his life in prison and known as the longest serving political prisoner. Salute him till this day. What a man of the century. Besides Nelson Mandela and looking up at him from Malaysia, I was quite alien to lo and behold South Africa, until I stepped foot in Cape Town (Cape Town Part 3, Part 2 & Part 1), followed by Johannesburg & Sun City, and on this day, we embarked on Pretoria City Tour. 

Johannesburg Travel Guide - (South Africa)

 

Cape Town (Part 3, Part 2 & Part 1) and Lion Park conquered, subsequently, its gonna be here we coming to get you Sun City. Where we will spending the hours at our leisure or at our whims and fancy, free and easy fullest. Into the coach after breakfast for the estimated two hours journey to north-west Johannesburg, our lunch break in between took place in "Upper Deck Restaurant”. Another similar ambiance to Kirstenbosch Garden Moyo Restaurant, boosting a laid-back rustic, huge lively garden and live music, Upper Deck Restaurant on the other hand is a grill restaurant. Wow! Impressive for someone like me who have always been fond of dining in a garden setting, shaded by trees and plants. Taking our seat at the already reserved outside dining area, thank god, instead of being cramped in the inside, noisy and packed to its rim dining area, we tucked into our meal consisting of soup, salad and opting between the seafood, steak and lamb platters. Washed down with canned drinks, some preferred chilled beers, whereas the sweet ending of the extremely and overly sweet local delicacies were too much to handle. All in all, I must say it was an appreciated meal. That's about it. Nothing sensational nor spectacular or something totally new to me and honestly, this kinda of huge portion meal will go down well for big eaters and not for small eaters. Basically, such a waste when you can't finish up.        

Despite literally forcing ourselves, maybe one or two managed to lick the platter clean, but for the most of us, there food went to waste. However, the good thing of it all, instead of leaving behind the portions, we helped our tour guide to pack them for the underprivileged whom we were told dig rubbish bins for food. Sad and heart breaking isn't it? I know. Here we are dining in a classy restaurant and there people are scavenging bins for food. In fact, for the past few days after our lunch and dinner, we packed whatever leftovers for the needy and poor people. Initially, we didn't know what was going. We couldn't understand what our tour guide was up to, but once it reached our ears, we too did our part in lending support to her kind deeds. Sincerely, something that touched us deep into our mind. More importantly, one of the best lessons to our travelling gram for making us realise not to waste food and to appreciate each decent meal we sometimes take for granted or fuss for no apparent reason. 

Oslo, Norway

We made it, Hallelujah!! We made it even earlier for our overnight cruise to Oslo (Copenhagen Day 2, Copenhagen Day 1 Part 2 & Copenhagen Day 1 Part 1). Nothing! Literally nothing to do neither to see, of course  you can stare at the sea for the longest time. Into our tiny, basic and well maintained cabin for putting our things aside, thereafter, pretty much an earlier dinner. Aplenty seafood, obviously you can eat till you drop buffet in the wide dining area, it will be nice if you sit near the windows for the sea view while tucking in. And then what? As I have already said, nothing much, maybe most to most 30 minutes of walking the ship. Even then, it is back to doomed. Boredom. Henceforth, I decided to shower and practically forced sleep on me, whereas other half-half got together with the guys for poker and some drinks. Don't know what time he returned because surprisingly, I slept like a log of wood, every now and then, I did feel as though I was sea floating. A tiny bit of rock and roll which I don't think got to me. Thank god. Our morning was broken with, before anything else, showering, prior to tucking into breakfast, subsequently, clearing our room and awaited for an hour for safe landing in Oslo. Right off, sightseeing started.