ausi ski bum

Originally Posted By: Go Native When will you be there asb? Furano 22-26 Feb Sounyko 26Feb - 1 March Abashiri1 - 4 March Sahoro 4 - 8 March Tomamu 8 - 13 March Then home or I may spend a week touring on a rail pass yet, not decided

I find the whole tipping thing in the US offensive, pay your people a decent wage and don't expect your customers to have to pay thir wages for you. I dislike people pushing in at the lift line, we will all get a seat and the snow won't melt in the 2 minutes you gain. Snow Boarders, OK just joking there I also hate the terms Jap and Japs, while I am an Aussie and my wife a Pom, It just does not seem right. I find people that dont respect the cultures of others offensive, those that travel and compare with back home, if you can't enjoy the culture your visiting, stay home.

Kewl, I have three nights booked at Sounkyo so I assume thats where I will be skiing, looks excellent.

I also got a 2 for 1 Star Class deal for my wife and I next February. Jetstar are due a special on Japan, hey havent had one for a while other than the one day sale on Monday.

Wow how ever did you find a seven year old thread to comment on, oh Beijing, Great Wall, Birds Nest, Summer Palace and Forbiden City are all must see's

I had my vaccine today, the shot is no worse than the average flu shot, its free here and anyone can get one, as I am traveling to Japan next year to ski I figured it wise, who knows what germs are flaoting around an aircraft and in those heated hotels. I personally am not concerned however I come into contact with many frail and disabled in my work so I feel the risk to them outways the risk to me, sometimes you need to consider the benneft to the community.

Plenty of snow on the cam in Furano I love this cam and how it updates once every second, its fun to watch http://furano.miemasu.net:85/ImageViewer?Direction=Direct&

I use both Travelex and Westpac bank, Travelex online allows you to nominate a store to pick up the cash from including the airport and Westpac takes about a week to get the cash in, remembering I live in Country NSW. Travelex do not have fee's but their rate is slightly lower, Westpac charges $8 but has a better rate so if your buying more than AU$800 you are generally better off. In Japan travelers cheques are a total waste of time, its a cash cash cash economy so I cary and use mostly cash.

Kewl, I just remember the signs with the cat on everywhere, any idea of cost on average

I am considering a side trip following my skiing in Hokkaido and I don't want to drag ski bags around, can you use Yamoto to send ski bags with two sets of ski's from Hokkaido to Osaka Kansai ?

I just bought 163,000 yen today, hedging my bets in case the dolar falls again before Feb.

I think I will buy $2000au in yen on Monday as well and ask a few of the hotels if I can pay now rather than on arrival just in case.

I am back in 2010 for three weeks, with the improved exchange rate, I may extend that to four yet. The one thing frustrating me the most is not being able to book domestic air tickets until two months out because our return trip is in one of the discount tickets exclusion periods. Its cheaper for me to fly to Hokkaido via Beijing or Seoul than it is direct at the moment.

I think it was a little early for Obama but obviously it was for the hope of a more peaceful world that he has brought and the wonderful speaces in the middle east and at the UN recently, his sending envoys to the worlsds hot spots to look for solutions and the determination to talk to enemies and not threaten them. He of course stopped the missile deployment that lead to Russia and the UK also steping back their prolification of weapons. I see this as a move to encourage the process of peace more than recognise it, in a short time he has achieved more than we realise when you start cons

I looked at the apartments and while they were nice they were over priced and the deal was terrible. the management, booking and other charges were around $25,000pa and you could only use your apartment 2 weeks a year in ski season. Effectively you bought an apartment that the management company took all the profit from and they told you when you could use it. In other words, Time Share and they made all the money. I did the numbers and it was a total con. Moiwa apartments shold have been very cheap, available to live in or rent at the owners pleasure and managed in house at a m

In the original version of that skit on the show many years back the guy playing MJ with his face white, was an Indian and the only black guy in the group, it was quite funny. Nah its not racist in the least and totally harmles, Americans have lost their sence of humour. Wasn't there a movie recently where two black guys played two white girls and why is it funny when Eddie Murphy plays all the characters in a Barber shop including the white guys.

I have spent about three days over there at different times, I always have a hire car so I can get around and not have to rely on shuttles, the Moiwa area has some of the best powder to be found and very few people tracking it out on the best days. There is some great steep runs on the summit if its open, I was playing up there in very deep untracked powder a few years back. They sell a four hour ticket for about A$32

We have seen dust storms just like that in our area, seeing it coming is always freaky, its like the movie the Mummy.

Originally Posted By: Alx Now... yet another contradictory comment ... JAL tell me that I can buy the international SYD-Sapporo then forfeit the Haneda-Sapporo leg, to buy the domestic 9000yen fare one way... then the agent I try to buy from that from say that it will invalidate my international ticket?!! ??? Confused ??? Listen to JAL, as soon as you arrive at Narita you go through customs and pick up your luggage anyway so your effectively domestic from thet point. 90000 sounds a good deal to get a stop over.

The majority of flights to Chitose are from Heneda not Narita, most people will find they get a stop over, having flown JAL a few times to Chitose I have always had a stop over, but this is at their expense in one of their hotels. In the busier times JAL will arrange a bus to Heneda from the Narita hotel but at your expense, its not to expensive. Generally on the way home you don't need the stop over. With all respect acpowman, your not being exactly truthful, the March exclusion period for example starts 12 March (not early march). Ski wholesalers are OK but I have always

I was in Sydney this morning, it was pretty strange to see what is fairly common in the country area I live in. Heading home this afternoon, the airport was still in Kaos with flights to the gold coast and Brisbane being cancelled as the dust reached there.

21 days, for me, no point trveling to turn around and go home just after you get there.

So does she still post on You Tube these days ?

As i said Qantas and JAL from AU can get 10000yen tickets through JAL, up to five per person

Actually as you are flying JAL you can use the One World ticket in Japan, this is 10000 yen and the cheapest available. Phone JAL in Sydney and discuss this, you can book it now and save heaps.