Miffa’s travel to Japan. Hokkaido vol. 2

In Hokkaido – English version

Two days in Tokyo to let my old parents rebuild themselves (long travels are not good for elderly people) and we were on our way to Haneda airport (much closer to the city than Narita).

We decided to visit the Northern Island of Hokkaido attracted by its nature and wildlife. It’s is Japan’s second island regarding territory and it concentrates most of Japan’s national parks.

Hokkaido (北海道) is the land of Ainu people who were the original inhabitants of this Island. The main city of Hokkaido it’s Sapporo that many of my father’s friends surely only know the name because of Sapporo beer. Anyways there in 1972 a Spanish skier won the only gold medal that Spanish skiers have gotten in all winter Olympics.

During winter Hokkaido is normally covered with snow and temperatures are below zero and can reach up to – 20 Celsius in the northern part. Sapporo ski resorts are world famous and during peak season Australian guys go there to ski as we go to Andorra.

The best way to arrive to Hokkaido is definitely by air. You can take a train that only takes like 40 hours and go by bus but apart from spending the most valuable resource – your time- once there you will have a very limited ability to move.

So, do as many Japanese that usually go there during summer, buy a ticket to new Chitose airport – the busiest airport of the world- and rent a car in the biggest rent a car station that you surely will sea in your life. I would say that almost half of the cars that are there are rent a car ones.

If you can not speak a word of Japanese and of course cannot read it, just do not worry about. Even Japanese people are not the best on earth dealing with maps and everycar has the most sophisticated GPS on board that you surely have seen. How much did you pay for the crappy Mercedes command or BMW GPS?? Please if you have some friends from Japan please do not show them switched on.

In a double din format they pack a Hard Disk Drive with all the maps, radio, TV, DVD + CD, mp3, almost any item that you use every day. Btw, Phone support was missed and in Japan you can not drive while you’re on the phone.

The only bad thing about those devices is that everything is in Japanese, an even if you would able to change the menu to English, still you have to input the addresses in Japanese. Big problem? Not big deal, you can input telephone numbers and something called Mapcodes. If you want to visit a mountain surely it has no telephone number but surely a ropeway or store will be close to it or you can use Mapcode.

And, still you can use the “try to identify” Japanese calligraphy!!! Very frustrating for a mad Father Bunny who was three hours looking for a spot near Furano.

And what about renting a nice Subaru Impreza to feel like a WRC driver? It can be done, just add several thousand yens more to your renting budget.

A drivers paradise, yes this is Hokkaido with nice mountain roads, cheap gas, cheap rental prices and nice cars like our Toyota bB that you won’t see ever in Europe. I must say too that our car was 4wd and so they were all the rental cars. Too many rainy days and snow –in winter- make that option a good idea.

And when you give a nice 4wd car to a car freak like my father you surely will do more kilometres than needed and will move much faster than locals. Thank good we did not rent the Subaru because the curvy roads, a revving engine and Father Bunny would have been a sure ticket to a Japanese jail or even worse.

Hmm, next time we will discuss about our itinerary

——EOF english version —- Rude Spanish underneath ————-

Note: after some complaining about my Spanish writing – I have learned it in streets, so that is the matter, mate- I ‘ve just decided to make it checked by a friend of mine.

In Hokkaido – Spanish version with slang

Así, que como hacen muchos japonés durante el verano, compra un billete para el Nuevo Aeropuerto de Chitose – el aeropuerto con mayor tráfico del mundo- y alquila un coche en el centro de alquiler de coches mas grande que, quizás, veas en tu vida. Me atrevería a decir que la mitad de coches que circulan por aquí son alquilados.

Si no hablas Japonés y por supuesto tampoco lo lees, no te preocupes. Incluso los japoneses no son la caña cuando se trata de orientarse con un mapa en este idioma y todos los coches tienen los sistemas de navegación por satélite más sofisticados que hayas visto. ¿Cuánto dices que pagaste por tu n
avegador Command de Mercedes o el de BMW? No se lo enseñes a tus amigos japos si no quieres que se rían de ti.

En un formato doble DIN encontrarás un disco duro con todos los mapas, la radio, la tele, el dvd y cd y todos lo que necesitas, aunque faltaba el soporte del teléfono, que esta prohibido utilizar mientras conduces en Japón.

Lo malo de estas joyas es que todos los menús están en japonés y aunque pudieses cambiar el menú a otro idioma, deberías introducir la dirección en japonés . ¿Una putada?, que va.. puedes introducir números de teléfono del destino o algo que han llamado Mapcodes. Si quieres visitar una montaña, seguro que no tiene teléfono, por eso los Mapcodes. Si todo falla puedes intentar descifrar la caligrafía japonesa pero es muy frustrante para Padres Conejo que buscan – sin éxito- un lugar

And, still you can use the “try to identify” Japanese calligraphy!!! Very frustrating for a mad Father Bunny who was three hours looking for a spot near Furano.

Y… alquilar un magnifico Subaru Impreza para sentirse como un rey del mundial de rallies. Si lo puedes hacer y sólo añadiendo unos miles más de yens a tu presupuesto

Un paraíso para los amantes de la conducción con preciosas carreteras de montaña, gasolina barata, coches de alquiler baratos y coches muy monos como nuestro Toyota bB que no veras nunca en Europa. Debo decir que nuestro coche era tracción total y como el nuestro todos los de alquiler. Demasiados días lluviosos y nieve – en invierno- lo hacen aconsejable.

 

Y cuando das un coche mono 4×4 al viejo –que le encantan los coches- seguramente harás más kilómetros de los necesarios y te moverás de A a B a una velocidad más alta que los nativos. Gracias a Dios que no alquilamos el Subaru o las carreteras llenas de curvas y un motor potente junto a un padre un poco ido hubiesen sido pasaporte a una cárcel japonesa o aún peor.

Hmm, mejor os hablo del itinerario más tarde

PD: Los que siempre os quejáis de que sólo esta en Ingles no veáis que coñazo es esto de dos idiomas. ¡¡¡Como no me leáis os mato!!!