Sapporo
What can I say about our time in Sapporo? It was fucking cold! It was quite a pretty place though and kind of felt a little like Christmas.
On our first evening, darkness had already taken its place in the sky. We left our accommodation in search for some dinner and just around the corner was ice sculptures and colourful lights. We walked among the colours and frozen art till we eventually found a place for dinner. We had the most amazing Gyoza and fried chicken!
The next day felt even colder than the evening before. We had the thickest pancakes I have ever seen for breakfast and then went to explore another ice festival. Unlike the previous night, these exhibits stood like giants. Towering over us, we looked up in silence, our frosted breath the only visible sound. They were incredible and it was even more impressive that someone had created them from nothing but snow and ice.
I then had one of the worst night sleeps in recent memory. No matter how I lay, my body ached and I continually fought the strangle hold of sleep. Rising the next morning I felt terrible. My joints ached, my nose was blocked and runny at the same time, I had a sore throat and a cough, a burning forehead as well as a headache, and I was shivering evening with all my layers on in a heated room. I was out of action. As much as I found Sapporo pretty, especially at night, It hit me for six. The cold had found a new place to call home. I was that home.
I have been staying in Hakuba for the last week and slowing getting over my cold. Each day has been considerably better than the last and I have finally got around to getting this post up. I guess in someways, I felt that writing about Sapporo may bring back the cold and its sleepless nights. Turns out I was just being silly!
Thank you again for reading and taking the time to see some of my adventures, even if they are just me talking about having the flu! I hope you are well and I look forward to our next conversation.
Till next time,
Charlie.
