According to Gary, this canal used to be like our Clerk Quay in the olden days. You know..as in the boats will come to this quay to load and unload stuff. And just like our Clerk Quay, it was forgotten when a port was built.
The government had wanted to seal up this canal, but the people at Otaru had requested to keep this portion for rememberance sake. The people won.
The famous Otaru Canal. It was windy. And seriously, it's cold as compared to Singapore. It feels like Genting Highlands!! Cooling, windy and sometimes chilly..
It's 19.6 degrees ok!! At 1+pm!! Singapore can't even reach 24 deg at 1pm lor. Oh, it also means it's 12+pm in Singapore.
This is the rickshaw of the olden times. No, that guy is not a rickshaw puller also. He just happened to be in this picture. @#$% The rickshaw puller actually wore the clothes similar to those that was worn in the olden times. Damn cute. But to take a picture of him, the rickshaw and me costs ¥200. Of did the guy mistook us for wanting to go on the rickshaw? LoL.
These warehouses are now pubs and restaurants, just like Clerk Quay in Singapore. We didn't have the time to explore though, cause we were given abt 20min to take pictures only. And only I was the one who bothered to ask Gary what was so fantastic about this canal...
This uncle is one of many who are selling their handicrafts along the canal. He can make a brooch out of wire and twist it into your name for ¥500. There's another handicraft at the back that sells hp accessories made out of beads and wire. Damn nice and damn pro.
Does this scene look familiar? Dad apparently saw this scene on Japan Hour a few weeks ago. But then the scene was filled with snow and little holes are cut from the snow and candles are put in. Apparently this place looks magical and romantic during winter time.
After the canal, next stop is for kopi time!! Eh seriously, go Japan please bring your 3-in-1 instant coffee. Japanese rarely drink coffee, therefore hor, their coffee are damn damn thin. Can't really remember the name of this street, but it has alot of shops and restaurants! We had to walk about 10min to reach the coffee house.
This is the coffeeshop we're going to. Number 2. There's number 1, 2 and 3 over there. We can choose either to drink a free cup of tea or coffee or juice.
Did I mention that the cup is free and for me to keep? They served us each a cup of tea/coffee/juice and a piece of cake. After which, we can wash the cup and keep it in the box they provided for us. The original cup isn't this nice lah. I had to top up ¥100 for this cup. Mom kept the original transparent one. Which is ugly. Got nicer Hello Kitty cups over there. There's even a shop connected to the cafe that sells Hello Kitty stuff. Whole shop lor! Too bad I'm not crazy over Hello Kitty.
After kopi, we were given around 1 hour + of free time. So I dragged my parents to the Otaru Musical Box Museum across the road. I'd heard so much about it ok! I wana make my own musical box!
This clock tower is run by steam. Yes yes. It's not operated by electric or battery or whatever. It is run by steam.
The inside of the musical box shop. I was rather disappointed. I thought I could make a music box myself. To choose a music, choose whatever I wana put on top, like what Erin described. But there was nobody around. The only thing I personalised was to choose a pattern I like, then followed by the music that I want it to play. That's all. In the end, I bought 4 musical boxes, 1 of which is now resting at Feng's house.
This is one of the many olden days musical box (more like musical clock) that can be found in the museum upstairs. I didn't have much time to slowly take a picture of each and every thing at the museum, so I just took some, which are uploaded onto my Facebook account. Read about the history of musical box here.
When I got out of the museum (my parents didn't want to go to the 2nd level and were waiting for me opposite), it was 3pm. That was when the clock started to "sing". With the steam that it releasese, it played a short but famimliar tune. It even has different pitch and all. To think that this clock is so old!
Next we went to this shop that has bells at the tower ringing at every hour (9 different bells). And we were greeted by all the yummy chocolates! I find these chocolates so pretty! I mean, they're cleverly crafted and I won't want to eat them de lor!!! Sigh. Japan is all about packaging.
Even their cakes are so much nicer than ours. Err, Singapore bakeries, time to learn from them? See le also happy! No need to eat it. Haha! *Drool* Should have bought 1 to celebrate my mom's birthday eh? Didn't think of it..damn.
I call this the fake White Lover's chocolate. LoL. You can find similar products like these in Hokkaido. Different filling only. This is strawberry de. The one selling at the cafe had Hello Kitty printed on the biscuit and the filling is lavender. I want the original White Lover's Chocolate!! LoL. Oh these are display sets only. They show you how it is like inside, and they even cut the chocolates to show you each layer. They are so considerate.
3:30pm le. Have to go off le. But then..it's such a nice weather! I bought 3 ice cream, 2 of which (my parents) has 3 flavours on it and whereas mine is just melon only. There's this auntie from the tour, name's Joy, she very clever. She didn't buy the ice cream. Instead she got a spoon and just spoon off mouthful from each flavour. Steady hor? She ate mine. Not say giam or what, but then please, go get your own lah. You just wana taste, then ask the counted to let you taste lor. @#$%.
Did I mention that the ice cream didn't melt throughout the 5min walk back to the bus? LoL. I was having so much fun. Reminds me of the time I ate ice cream during winter in China......OK till the next update....
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