The Silent "I"

Guest Post: A Letter from Hokkaido

 

 

Frank took a business trip to Hokkaido, Japan last week, and agreed to let me share his ramen-powered Sapporo adventure. 

Hi, Sweetie:

Here I am in Hokkaido, safe and sound. The flights from the US were uneventful, the usual trans-pacific 12 hour drag, and after a decent layover, I made the connection to the domestic ANA flight within Japan to Sapporo’s International Airport (actually Shin Chitose International Airport, about 20 miles south of Sapporo) with no trouble.

Actually, I take that back; there was a bit of trouble – I forgot to take my leftover Yen from the currency drawer at home, so I got to Sapporo at 9 pm with only US$ in hand, and by then the foreign exchange office was closed. I thought I might be stuck, but I asked at the information counter, and they directed me to a hidden row of ATMs, which took some time to find.  Fortunately, they worked, and I could withdraw Japanese cash and be on my way. But not without noticing that the Sapporo International airport is HUGE – giant shopping malls (all closed at this time of night), and 4 floors of long curved corridors that go on forever. By the time I found the ATM, I’d walked nearly a half mile. Not quite what I wanted after traveling for nearly 20 hours.

The JR train station was in the airport basement, and once I got my ticket a train was ready to depart in a few minutes. The train was comfortable (all seats, not a sand-up commuter train), and, and in half an hour I was in town at the Shin Sapporo station.

 The conference hotel was only a block from the station – I had a great printout from Google maps, showing the area in great detail – but to get out of the station I had to go through a maze of twisting shopping passages (all closed at this time of night) and a bridge to a back alley for bicycle parking before I finally found the tower of the Sheraton Sapporo Hotel in front of me.  What a welcome sight that was. Even if it did look like a mini European cathedral from this end – clearly a hotel with an eye to the wedding market.

Santiago, Chile: Finding a Happy Place

February 11, 2004

We left Easter Island on February 10 and started back to California via Santiago Chile.  We arrived late in the afternoon, and Alex decided to have the worst temper tantrum of his life in the luggage claim area of the Santiago airport.  He tried to throw himself on the luggage conveyor belt, but we managed to stop him in before he was tagged and sent on his way to Lima, Peru.  Sometimes, traveling with a toddler is not all it's cracked up to be.

Santiago reminded me a lot of Los Angeles, a gigantic urban basin packed with buildings surrounded by mountains.  We checked into the Santiago Marriott, which was conveniently located across the street from a toy store.  It was Sunday, so Alex could do nothing more than gaze longingly out twentieth-floor window. 

Planning a Trip to Easter Island

If you're interested in visiting Easter Island aka Isla de Pascua aka Rapa Nui aka "The Navel of the World," be forewarned that it is far, far away from any main airport hub and it will take a while to get there.  Lan Chile flights out of Santiago, Chile leave twice weekly, stopping off in Easter Island en route to Tahiti.  Your choices for direct flights are either out of Santiago or Papeete, Tahiti.  Be sure to book your flights well in advance. 

Further, there are limited hotel rooms on the island, and no major American or European chains.  The hotels are locally owned due to laws preserving the rights of native Rapa Nui people in landownership.  When we were there, there was a big debate among the Rapa Nui elders as to whether or not to allow Club Med to build a resort there.  As far as I know, they didn't allow it.  Part of the island's charm is the vast expanses of unspoiled land and the ability to see moai around nearly every bend in the road. Most hotels would be classified as "motels" by American standards, or large bed-and-breakfast style guest houses.

Carnival of Cities Blog Carnival: November 4, 2009 Edition

We have great group of travel bloggers providing their expert tips and advice on traveling in this week's Carnival of Cities! Join our intrepid travelers as they scour the globe for interesting, fun, and just plain cool places to go and things to see.  I'll be your tour guide this week.

USA

Starting out on the East Coast, for all you baseball fans, Christian Carollo presents Back to Back: Philadelphia Phillies posted at Christian Carollo Photography. Christian documents last year's World Series winners and hopes for a repeat performance.  Will they or won't they? Yankee fans might beg to diffah (as we used to say when I lived in the Bronx), but the Phillies fans in Christian's photos look like they are ready to bring it home again.

Moving down to Maryland, Jennifer takes us down on the farm with Homestead Farm – Poolesville, MD – You Capture Autumn posted at Two Kids and a Map. You can feel the fall nip in the air with her photos of a lovely pumpkin patch and cute kids.

Traveling on south to Florida, Amy at The Q Family takes us on a tour of one of her family's favorite destinations with Disney's Animal Kingdom: The Condense Version posted at The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog. Amy also has some great tips for families traveling to Disney parks at the end of her post that you won't want to miss.

Moving on to the midwest, and my former home in Chicago, Illinois, Dominique King takes us Inside the Chicago Cultural Center at Midwest Guest. I never got to see this when I lived in Chicago in the 1980's, and it's definitely a must-see next time I visit.

Jack Norell reminded me of one of my favorite Chicago haunts in his post, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago over at Eyeflare Travel Articles and Tips. He has a gorgeous shot of kids meeting a polar bear that you just have to see to believe.  I'd love to take my son there.

Submit to the Carnival of Cities Blog Carnival

On Wednesday, November 4, I'm honored to be hosting the Carnival of Cities Blog Carnival.  If you have a recent blog post about a place you love, tips on traveling there, or just want to extol the virtues of your hometown, just submit your entry using the Carnival Submission Form at the Carnival of Cities and I will post it here.  It's an easy way to generate some link-love for your blog and check out some other great travel and hometown writers in one place.

The current Carnival is being hosted by the fabulous Vacation Gals, so check it out!