Kraut_in_HongKong
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Posts posted by Kraut_in_HongKong
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Originally Posted By: thursday.yeah mate, you take the Narita express from Shinjuku.
You cheked in at 15:25 for a 15:25 departure??
I'm not ever going to fly Asiana. Though the Korean girls would be most handy for the overhead luggage racks.
My typing error, that was of course 14:25. Still tight. I recently missed a flight from Hk to Beijing.
Asiana seems quite low budget. Eco class was much larger then on CX (usually 50% on CX, rest is Biz and 1st.). No screens in the seat (on the leg from Seoul to HK). Lousy movies. Not that I really care, I fly to get from A to B. The rest doesn't really interest me.
I have never seen HK Aiport that busy. At 23:00 there were 20m long lines for immigration - and that's the fingerprint scanner!
PS: arrival in Tokyo was perfect. Despite long lines at immigration I was through in 5 Minutes, thanks to my APEC card. -
Originally Posted By: thursday.would that unbalance your helmet and tilt your head to the side making you look like Quasemodo.
You need a light weight one and fix it well. Either on the top, or on the side. If on the side then the helmet should be fit well.
I did some videos just holding the camcorder. That's OK too, but really not convenient.
It all depends how much you record. I would do it a few times a year. Not really worthwhile to buy a helmcam, which will then be outdated next season. -
Plus I get HD quality and not grainy VGA mode in slow frame rate. Nowadays camcorder are small and lite enough anyway.
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What I plan for my next trip:
Just use a normal camcorder and fix that to the helmet. Maybe get also a simple splash bag as protection. That does the job, has excellent full HD quality (if your camcorder does that). Really no need to buy any extra stuff for that once a year fun.
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Here is how it ended:
I wanted to return to Tokyo one day early, to have a nice dinner in Tokyo and a little morning shopping. However, all hotels I checked were full on 2/12. Since the skiing was nice it was an easy decision to stay one night and leave Hakuba on the flight day.
We took the 07:00 Alpico Bus to Shinjuku. Supposed to arrive at 11:30. Our flight was 15:25
That night it was snowing heavily and I guess that affected the bus journey. We finally arrived Shinjuku at about 11:55. I didn't really check all forms of transport (my error), I had the Skyliner from Ueno fixed to my mind. So we went to Ueno and arrived there at 12:40 - just too late to catch the 12:40 skyliner. Next was 13:20 , for an 14:20 arrival. Quite late for a 15:25 departure.
We then took the Keisei Rapid Express at 13:03 , takes only about 10-15 longer then the Skyliner and would arrive there at the same time. End of story: we were about 14:25 at the Asiana Check-In counter and the girl said we have time enough. What a relieve!
Well, with a little more research I would have known that there is also airport transport from Shinjuku.
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Well, she had a catscan (I saw the screen too) which was examined by at least 3 doctors. With the large number of ski related accidents that clinic handles (I guess 90% of their business in winter) they should have some experience and I don't really doubt their findings.
I was advised to go another hospital if she starts of vomit or shake. That didn't happen. For us the case is closed and it's a good reminder to be aware that things can happen anytime.
In our hotel was another large group from Hong Kong. The most experienced of them broke his arm.
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My hotel didn't took cards. That was already 165,000 (we bought most lift passes there too). Alpico also doesn't take cards.
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She simply does not remember what happened. And I doubt we will ever find out. We couldn't see, or feel any signs of a knock to the head. Directly after I found her we just skied slowly down the 300m to the Restaurant.
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She's 14 and skies OK. She refused helmets up to that day. No problem now.
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My experience:
I bought my JR shink tickets in Ueno. The place would not read my Hong Kong HSBC Visa card. She tried a few times. She then asked me to wait and after 10 Minutes (I say her walking around, talking, checking), she came back with the slip to sign.
So it worked in the end, but there seem to be underlying problems. Better make sure you have cash on hand too.
Side note: Alpico Bus does not take cards, cash only!
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My experience:
Went to the 7/11 in Hakuba. They have an ATM. They take Maestro (which includes my German EC-Card). You can chose between several different amounts, up to 50,000. There is 210 handling fee per withdrawal.
I took 50,000 - I thought it's the daily limit. I tried a 2nd time and got another 50,000.
It works perfectly. Side note: it also accepts Chinese "Union Pay" debit cards, but I didn't try that.
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Just another pro helmet thread:
Arrived Hakuba Saturday 2/9. Got the rental stuff, went straight to Happo, Nakiyama area. We had lunch in that Austrian guys place (good food!) and did some skiing.
At about 15:20 or so I saw my daughter Standing at the top of the first double lift, just looking. Went to her to say "hi". She asked me for the time. Then 30 Seconds later she asked me again, and another 30 Seconds again. Then she said "I think I am brain damaged". I asked her what's up - she said "I forgot". I said, lets have a rest and have drink in that Austrians place - she forgot the place! I asked a few more questions, our hotel, what she did yesterday (in Tokyo) - all forgot! She had no bump on her head or anything and didn't look like she fell. But it was heavily snowing and we were all covered in snow anyway.
Long term stuff was still there, her school, class etc. The Austrian guy was so kind to call us a taxi and I took her to the Shintani Clinic (near Goryu). It's a small clinic. There where about 10 people in the waiting room, I would say 9 were related to ski or snowboard.
My daughter got a catscan. Skull ok, no brain bleeding. Doc then said it's common and memory will come back for most people within 24 hours. She had very strong headache, but the hospital advised not to give her pills. Cost was ¥20,100 , which I think is very reasonable - they take credit cards too. Communication in the Shintani Clinic was OK, quite rudimentary.
We were back in the hotel at 18:00 or so and we send her straight to bed. I had dinner and went to the White Horse. Back in the hotel at 22:00 or so she woke up. I asked her what she had for lunch - and she said Fried Sausage with Fries. Seems the memory started to return.
We still have no idea what happened to her, and will probably never find out.
Next day a rest day was refused and we all went back to ski - now all with helmet. And we will keep that habit.
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Originally Posted By: Heather Locklear RocksSo it's a 3 day weekend
What 3 days? Fr>Su or Sa>Mo ? -
Originally Posted By: thursday.except Watami.
I find it quite ok. I was in one in Tokyo, and a few times in some in Hong Kong. I have no complains. Otherwise I am extremely picky about food and prefer to cook at home, or go higher end places. Watami for me is a cheap and good eat.
Maybe I shift from "great" to "value for money". -
I am a great Nikujaga (肉じゃが) fan. Will I find it in Hakuba?
Watami is great too.
What I find fascinating is, that no matter where you go, the quality is always excellent.
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Anybody? I heard about B.Sports, but they are way out in the 042 phone area. Anybody knows shop in the city area?
I am looking for ski boards (aka snow blades, that's スキーボード I think) with a release binding. The normal fixed binding doesn't fit my 30.5 boots.
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Originally Posted By: dizzyone thing you can do kraut, is buy a "non-reserved ticket." there are 3 of the train cars that are non-reserved, which mean no reserved seat.
you go to the platform and stand in the non-reserved cars. for tokyo-nagano, these are train cars 1, 2, and 3. if you line up ahead of time, you'll get a seat.
good luck!
I think the problem will be that I enter in Ueno, that will be after the bloodbath I guess. I will try to get reserved seats. If that helps I take the 06:30 train. -
Originally Posted By: thursday.wear your SJ stickers on one's forehead please. Makes it easier to spot.
I will wear your SJ sticker on my forehead...
PS: It should help. Thanks for that! -
Friday is missus promised shopping day in Tokyo, plus my buy tickets day. Saturday morning we shink to Hakuba.
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that's good news. Don't tell me about crammed trains, nothing beats China.
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I plan to take the Shinkansen this Saturday in the early morning to Nagano. I guess there will be other people on that train too, I guess lots of them.
Is there any chance that the train can be sold out? Or will they sell tickets anyway?I don't mind standing, but would be bad to wait half day to get out of Tokyo.
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I am still still in cold Hong Kong, but tomorrow I fly to Tokyo and Saturday morning I try to jump on the shink to Nagano, then Hakuba!
Anybody in the WhiteHorse Bar this Saturday Feb. 9th?
http://www.snowjapan.com/e/hotel/viewhotel.php?hotid=131
I will drop in after dinner for a drink, or 2.
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And that's frontpage national news with a satellite connected TV crew now camping in front of the hotel?
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Originally Posted By: MamabearSimple fact is I don't know enough about snowpack safety to make good judgments. That is one of the big reasons why I am not going out of bounds at this stage of the game.
Me too. I am sure there are some experts which can identify dangerous areas and can handle those. I am not one of them.
To me, the simple thought of sliding down a nice hill, arriving at the bottom, with no lift in sight, and have to walk for hours in skiboots in deep deep snow, not exactly certain what directions to go, is enough to keep me in well groomed ares!
Can I have more tape please!
Maestro Cards and ATM in Hakuba
in General off-topic discussions
Posted
Many thanks.
You can buy 1 day - or longer tickets from the ticket counter using card. I did that for 2-days passes. However, why would you? In most cases your hotel sells them cheaper.
So after you arrive, firstly check if your hotel sells lift tickets. Happo lift ticket prices: Hotel vs. Counter>
1 day: 4100 vs. 4600
2 day: 7500 vs. 8500
Note1: add 1000 to each price for deposit
Note2: there are no hotel deals on children tickets.
Since my hotel did not take card I had to pay all cash then.