This is the second time that the whole immediate family is touring together (the first was when we visited our ancestral village in China), for all other trips, one or two members could not make it. This also marks the first time that two of my cousins (and part of their families) and my wife's auntie and family, are also part of the "herd" - to borrow a term from our colourful tour guide.
We were supposed to be touring with another agency but were told at the last moment that they could not get the airline tickets - another first! After some frantic searching another travel company was found - it’s no joke trying to book a tour, at the very last minute, which satisfies the required timing, itinerary and budget. But this travel agent is a new kid on the block, it's only two years old, none of us have even heard of it before. Another first - how will it turn out? Will it be a disaster?
The tour group was 38 strong, a rather large group for any tour leader or guide to manage. How will members of this "herd" get along with such diversity in character and idiosyncrasy? Will there be many late comers when we gather in the morning or return to the coach after some frantic photo takings at scenic spots or after an "invasion" of souvenir shops? Another first!
Ours was a chartered flight that transit at Taipei. Had to kill a few hours in the transit area, not too bad though, had some time to do some window shopping and even check my emails. By the time we touched down at Chitose Airport it was almost 3 in the afternoon (Hokkaido time). It was a breeze passing through immigrations and customs. We were then met by our rather enthusiastic and passionate tour guide who is a Singaporean residing in Tokyo.
As daylight was fading fast our resourceful guide re-arranged the whole itinerary to ensure that we can cover as much as possible - what a fantastic lady! So Chitose Salmon Aquarium became the first stop although it was supposed to be covered towards the end of the tour. A light drizzle greeted us as we took some photos with the Chitose River as background. In addition to salmons the aquarium also boasts a collection of Japanese huchen, rainbow trout, brown trout, rare kokanee and white sturgeon. Went down to the Chitose River Underwater Observatory but could not really see anything as the water was murky. By the time we emerged from the building the whole sky was already dark even though it was only 4 pm. This is a disadvantage when touring in winter as the days are rather short.
Spent our first night in Hokkaido at Toya Kanko Hotel (Lake Toya Hotel). The whole group met in the dining hall to savour a traditional Japanese kaiseki (multi-course) meal wearing our yukata. While some of the others headed for the hot spring baths I sank into the futon that was laid out on tatami straw mat and snoozed away.
Woke up in the morning (the 13 December 2009) to a panoramic view of Lake Toya and Mt. Yotei from the bedroom window. As we stepped out of the hotel after breakfast we were pleasantly greeted by flurries (light snowfall). We boarded the coach after some photo taking around the lake. As the coach pulled out from the parking lot we were sent off by a few of the hotel staff waving flags of Singapore, Malaysia and some other southeast asian countries - people in rural areas tend to be warmer (or were they happy that we have spent quite some amount of yen on sake and wine during dinner the night before? - just kidding!).
The feeling was beautiful as we stepped out of the coach at the Noboribetsu Bear Park because gentle flurries were caressing our faces. The entire park, built on the top of a 550m high mountain, is home to nearly 140 Amur brown bears. We were at the second farm where only female bears are kept. Here we fed the bears with apples, some of which were those that we did not consumed during our dinner the night before that our guide has cleverly collected for this purpose; some were purchased together with cookie snacks from the store. The bears were very resourceful in getting their meals. Some stood up and waved, some clubbed their hands in greetings, and a couple of them were even lying on their backs to attract attention. In the midst of all this displays of cuteness I could not help but noticed that the law of nature still rules - those bears at the front were the aggressive and dominant ones. The weaker and smaller members were relegated to the far end of the enclosure, furthest away from where most of the food would land. So I suggested to those around me to throw the goodies as far back as possible. 
The next stop was the nearby Toya Jigokudani (Hell Valley) where we were treated to a breath-taking view of hot steam vents, sulphurous streams and other volcanic activity. The snowfall was now heavier and when blended with the rising steam in the valley it somehow created an even more spectacular view and atmosphere. Then came dessert time - some members of the tour group started emerging from the park service centre with ice cream in hand. Somehow ice cream tastes better when it's consumed at below zero degree.
Soon it was time for the much talked about Hokkaido seafood meal where you get to savour Hokkaido's king crab, hairy crab, abalone, scallops, etc. First, the group proceeded to the market to select and purchase their seafood. Then it's up to the restaurant for the steamboat meal. I have been told by many who were here before of how delicious and sweet the food is. To be frank I am not much of a sashimi fan and so I found the meal just ok (I'm a true blue Singaporean so give me my chilli and pepper crabs anytime).
But my kids, who love sashimi, enjoyed the meal The "herd" then proceeded back downstairs for some shopping, buying among other things, lavender pillows (filled with lavender that helps calms nerves and induces sleep) and the Hokkaido Horse Oil Cream (this is made from oil from the skins of horses; supposedly good for dry skin). 
The next stop was the Ainu Village at Shiraoi. This is a re-created Ainu village on the shores of Lake Poroto, with homes and buildings constructed in the original native style of these indigenous inhabitants of Hokkaido. We visited the Ainu museum first to view the displays there that relate to us the Ainu history, culture and traditions. This was followed by a performance of traditional Ainu folk dances inside a cise (a thatched house).
We ended the day with a visit to the Otaru Canal and the Otaru Music Box Museum. Along the way the group queued up for some ice cream, the most sort after flavour being that of the lavender. As we licked down the delicious dessert a temperature of 0.7 degree C was being displayed under the clock besides the Otaru Canal.
It has been a day and a half, and so far so good. The tour has gone on smoothly with no major hiccups.
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