thursday 1 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 We took a driving trip of Central Hokkaido from July 4 to 11, taking in Biei, Furano, Asahidake, Otaru and Sapporo. From a hectic city, taking time out in the countryside was so refreshing. It reminded me how to relax and just take the countryside at it's own pace. Tranquility can be so pleasant. The weather was a nice warm 25, hitting 32 on one day. Sun all the way. Here are some landscapes and colours that masde this trip. Farm cottage that we stayed at while in Biei Biei Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted July 13, 2009 Author Share Posted July 13, 2009 Furano Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted July 13, 2009 Author Share Posted July 13, 2009 Asahidake Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 is that? snow? Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Another smoking mountain! Very nice. It all looks very pretty and picturesque and very different from Niigata too! Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Nice shots thursday! Staying at that farmhouse sounds like fun. The last time I was in the area, I stayed at the little pension below the nature center at the Asahidake ropeway base (on the other side of the street). Nothing like the kind of quiet at night and in the mornings out that way. Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Very nice. Did you go up to the top of the mountain? Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Great pics thursday. Lots of beer and good food? Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 lots of color in those pics. very beautiful. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted July 14, 2009 Author Share Posted July 14, 2009 cheers all. We had a wonderful time. Very beautiful around Furano, lots of lush green too on the farms. Lots of food, drink everywhere. We sampled as much as we could. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted July 14, 2009 Author Share Posted July 14, 2009 Originally Posted By: BagOfCrisps Very nice. Did you go up to the top of the mountain? I thought the ride up on the ropeway would take me to the top. But alas, it was another 3 hour hike up. Didn't have the inclination at the time with pushchair and baby and all. It was 29 at the base and 16 at the top station. The sun at top made it feel more like 30. Most of the hikers wore too much I thought. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 I've done the hike and it's more like only 2 hours up. The other side of the mountains (the east side) also hold a lot more snow than the western faces in your photos. Some pretty big snow drifts last all year up there. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted July 14, 2009 Author Share Posted July 14, 2009 I think it would've taken me 3 hours at least, bad paths for the push chair. I walked up to the pond. Did the shortest circuit. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 lol yeah you wouldn't want to take the push chair up to the top, that'd take quite some time and effort! Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Nice colours on those pics. Don't think my monitor does them justice. Link to post Share on other sites
Hokkaidough 4 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 What charming piccies. What a lovely place Hokkaidough is. Link to post Share on other sites
ILoveZao 8 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 I like the photos. Hokkaido really has distinct scenery from most other region of Japan I feel. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Pretty photos. From reading the landscape there, it looks like the farms in Biei are much much bigger than in other parts of Japan, where land is divided into tiny parcels. I wonder how and why that has come about. Link to post Share on other sites
klingon 10 Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 And here's my question Do they grow rice up there? Link to post Share on other sites
foreversnow 5 Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 All these beautiful photo's of Japan in Summer I am thinking I may have to make a summer trip to check it out. As I remember Japan is also very pretty in Autumn as well. ME THINKS JAPAN IS A VERY PICTURESQUE COUNTRY all year round Link to post Share on other sites
Hakuban 0 Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Season ranking would go something like this: Winter Autumn Spring Summer Hokkaido doesn't get the summer we do, it's much more liveable. Link to post Share on other sites
Hakuban 0 Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Lovely pics btw Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 I find that there it is often really hazy in late spring/summer. Those crisp, blue sky white snow mad contrast winter days are unbeatable. Autumn is beautiful, spring is pretty but doesn't last long enough before that haze sets in. Rainy season is miserable, summers are just way too hot and uncomfortable. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted July 15, 2009 Author Share Posted July 15, 2009 it's quite amazing as Hokkaidans would know. And yes, they do grow rice up there. Drove by many kms of paddy fields. Link to post Share on other sites
TheOrange 0 Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 I wouldn't have guessed it was Japan! Nice photos, thanks/. Link to post Share on other sites
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