ended part three with the magnificent Steam locomotive, alighted at Yoichi Station 余市駅
向日葵（ひまわり）Himawari or Sunflowers. along the way.
basically we stopped at Yoichi to while away time. suppose to catch another train back to Otaru.
looked at information board and found a whisky brewery so decided to go find it.
here it is!
nikka whisky! actually it is quite famous but i didn't know it. till now.
free tour. conducted in japanese, what the heck. we just followed.
mmm... forgot which process this is. but see the traditional paper up there? it's like a blessing.
barrels! and more barrels!
on the right, you have whisky just produced so it is clear, like water. in the middle barrel, the whisky had been matured for 5 years, turning into tea-color. and on your left, you see the 15 years old whisky...mmmm...yumm..... a golden barrel.
wooppeee!
after a great time touring the brewery and buying the whisky (of course!), headed back to Otaru 小樽 and landed at Minami Otaru Station 南小樽駅.
visited the music box factory with a steam clock just right outside!
lunch!
ikura don. いくら丼
hung around the small town. it has many arts and crafts shops.
we popped by this small cafe where you pay for tea & cake. then you get to choose the cup (a really small one) you want your tea in and you get to keep the cup after that~
strolled past a glass factory which Otaru is rather famous for, glassware. very beautiful.
the hero. 16 deg, in t-shirt.
otaru canal by the late afternoon. the shops used to be warehouses. something like our boat quay yeah.
rose
otaru beer
otaru canal by the evening.
headed back to sapporo after a day's adventure. hungry.
had curry rice! my favourite, croquette curry rice! basically fried potato cutlet curry!!
had to leave Sapporo early morning to catch a train.
there are many such shops in train stations, selling box sets or known as bento 弁当
the alternative is to head for such 'standing' noodle stalls at the station to fill up your tummy.
for me? how could i miss buying onigiri and enjoying them on the train?
after the train ride and a short bus ride, we arrived at Sounkyo 層雲峡. put down our bags at the place we are spending a nite (not time to check in yet). decided to go sightseeing before the skies darken. realised Mt. Kurodake has just snowed!
hopped onto a cable car which brought us halfway up the mountain.
and it started to snow!!!!
don't wanna get wet from the snow? no problem, just don a silly lil plastic poncho.
we were so not prepared for the change in weather and the very very cold climate. i was only wearing a tshirt plus a shirt plus a sweater. almost froze. wished there was warmth.
lunch was a bowl of steaming hot soba.
yes, 3deg c. brrrrrr~~~
later on, travelled down the ropeway and headed towards a visitors' center.
bearish!!
and according to many sources of information, the must see is the twin waterfalls. so we checked with the information center and the lady said about half hour's walk.
yeah. right.
we walked for more than one hour.
銀河の滝Ginga no taki which means The Silver River Waterfall
流星の滝Ryusei no taki which means The Shooting Star Waterfall, the smaller one.
one of the many ...
place for the night. a minshuku.
the room
dinnertime people!
many seasonal foods.
corn, pumpkin, whatever fish, salmon,
and not forgetting the wonderful jagaimo じゃが芋, potato!
we had to leave very early so as to catch the earliest train, therefore missing out on the breakfast that we already paid for. that's okay. no worries. just buy onigiri!
the belly of the beast
and we travelled further on.
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