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Tripping the Frozen North

BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
in Zocalo v2.0
This past week, despite all but the regular IRC-goers not noticing, I took a trip to Hokkaido, the frozen north of Japan. More specifically, to the cities of Sapporo and Hakodate. Photos are available [url=http://www.killbots.net/gallery/hokkaido08]here[/url]. For those of you who like big chunks of metal rolling on long thin chunks of metal at high speeds, photos of the various trains I encountered can be found [url=http://www.killbots.net/gallery/trains?page=14]here[/url], starting from the top right photo and continuing to the current end of that album.

Highlights include, but are not limited to, the following:
[list][*][url=http://www.killbots.net/gallery/hokkaido08/P1020643?set_fullOnly=on]Riding the Hokutosei sleeper train[/url] from Ueno, in Tokyo, to Sapporo, a journey of 16 hours and 35 minutes. Riding this train was the original main purpose of the trip.
[*]Seeing [url=http://www.killbots.net/gallery/trains/P1020780?set_fullOnly=on]frozen trains[/url].
[*]Succesfully not slipping over on the [url=http://www.killbots.net/gallery/hokkaido08/P1020823?set_fullOnly=on]ice[/url] until my third day. My poor camera...
[*][url=http://www.killbots.net/gallery/hokkaido08/P1030077?set_fullOnly=on]Snow![/url]
[*]Riding trains through beautiful [url=http://www.killbots.net/gallery/hokkaido08/P1030152?set_fullOnly=on]snowy landscapes[/url], while remaining nice and warm inside.
[*][url=http://www.killbots.net/gallery/hokkaido08/P1030509?set_fullOnly=on]Snow![/url]
[*]Seeing what is possibly the world's [url=http://www.killbots.net/gallery/hokkaido08/P1030793?set_fullOnly=on]weirdest tourist attraction[/url].
[*][url=http://www.killbots.net/gallery/hokkaido08/P1030377?set_fullOnly=on]Growing[/url] my collection of engrish by more than one example. (Yes, I know about the site.)
[*]Did I mention riding trains through beautiful [url=http://www.killbots.net/gallery/hokkaido08/P1040295?set_fullOnly=on]snowy landscapes[/url]?
[*][url=http://www.killbots.net/gallery/hokkaido08/P1040331?set_fullOnly=on]Travelling through[/url] the longest tunnel in the world.
[/list]

There will be several very cool videos added tomorrow.

Comments

  • MessiahMessiah Failed Experiment
    Snow!

    Also, it looks really cozy. My family used to travel to the middle of Sweden for christmas, and it looked somewhat like that, only less people, and less building, and less.. well you get it. Only thing there is more of is possibly the snow. And thats one of the reasons for travelling. ;)

    I have to come visit Japan some day..
  • WORFWORF The Burninator
    The first snow picture reminds me of Ontario during winter. Seems like you had a good trip. The tunnel looks like it would be fun to travel through.

    Worf
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    [QUOTE=Messiah;168678]My family used to travel to the middle of Sweden for christmas, and it looked somewhat like that, only less people, and less building, and less.. well you get it.[/QUOTE]

    To be fair, I only had time to visit two cities and none of the rural areas. Hokkaido is actually very sparsely populated. Outside of the cities, the buildings are very far apart.
  • FreezeFreeze Disguised as a Trainee
    You want trains? You want snow? Try Finland! :D [url=http://kuvat.vaunut.org/22101.jpg]Clickie[/url] for image ...
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    I was wondering how long it would be before someone brought up Finland. But, you know, I'm not [i]in[/i] Finland, I'm in Japan. Hokkaido is significantly more accessible and just as good. Also, we have far more trains here. :p
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    I've added two videos of passing through the Seikan Tunnel, the longest tunnel in the world, complete with stations built 100m underneath the sea bed.

    [url]http://www.killbots.net/gallery/hokkaido08/P1040333[/url]
    [url]http://www.killbots.net/gallery/hokkaido08/P1040334[/url]

    I've got a pile more (including a 10-minute long video of passing through a non-stationy part of the tunnel and out into the countryside beyond) but I'm having problems converting them from the raw MJPEG format without losing all the low-contrast detail, which is about all they consist of. I also have videos of travelling through the snowy landscape at night and day, both forward and rear views. If anyone wants these, let me know and I'll put the raw versions up somewhere. They're big, though.
  • sataicallistasataicallista High Priestess of Squeee!
    Wow, it takes 16 hours to get there?
  • JohnnyOnTheSpotJohnnyOnTheSpot Banned by request
    [QUOTE=Biggles;168707]I've added two videos of passing through the Seikan Tunnel, the longest tunnel in the world, complete with stations built 100m underneath the sea bed.

    [url]http://www.killbots.net/gallery/hokkaido08/P1040333[/url]
    [url]http://www.killbots.net/gallery/hokkaido08/P1040334[/url]

    I've got a pile more (including a 10-minute long video of passing through a non-stationy part of the tunnel and out into the countryside beyond) but I'm having problems converting them from the raw MJPEG format without losing all the low-contrast detail, which is about all they consist of. I also have videos of travelling through the snowy landscape at night and day, both forward and rear views. If anyone wants these, let me know and I'll put the raw versions up somewhere. They're big, though.[/QUOTE]
    And I thought going under the english channel was bad. hehe

    Nice photos, I see you don't like people that much though. lol
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    Whatever gave you that impression?

    [QUOTE=sataicallista;168873]Wow, it takes 16 hours to get there?[/QUOTE]

    Well it is a long way, and the train is quite slow.
  • wiseguywiseguy Playa
    all this technology and it still takes forever to get anywhere :p
  • JohnnyOnTheSpotJohnnyOnTheSpot Banned by request
    i dont see many pictures of people thats all.
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    You expect me to take pictures of random, everyday people just walking down the street?
  • SanfamSanfam I like clocks.
    Yes. Now go back and do it.
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    I vote you do it.
  • E.TE.T Quote-o-matic
    Nah... I prefer travelling for seeing supercells.


    [QUOTE=Biggles;168677][*]Succesfully not slipping over on the [url=http://www.killbots.net/gallery/hokkaido08/P1020823?set_fullOnly=on]ice[/url] until my third day. My poor camera...[/QUOTE]What ice? If you mean those shoeprints then what's slippery in there? And on flat ground...
    You're out of practise at balancing!
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    Those shoe prints are from the day before. You know, [i]before[/i] it froze solid. Also, the ice I actually slipped over on was on [url=http://www.killbots.net/gallery/hokkaido08/P1030771]this slope[/url].
  • StingrayStingray Elite Ranger
    "It causes the breakdown, and push the stamp lightly."

    I know they are trying to tell us something. :D
  • E.TE.T Quote-o-matic
    [QUOTE=Biggles;169005]Those shoe prints are from the day before. You know, [i]before[/i] it froze solid.[/QUOTE]Like I said then there's nothing slippery with that much roughness in most of the surface. You can call it slippery when all roughness is gone and surface is smooth and rounded.
    I did yesterday twice 20m walk on such surface in dark. (well, there was some snow and gravel in few places)


    [quote]Also, the ice I actually slipped over on was on [url=http://www.killbots.net/gallery/hokkaido08/P1030771]this slope[/url].[/QUOTE]Slope but not bumpy so where's the challenge?
    Even slippery hard soled shoes and just otherwise "always slippery on winter" sneakers behave so predictably that there's nothing hard in it except when ice is hidden under snow. (and then shoes don't matter, only long spikes would do that)
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    Which is probably why I only slipped once on it and not every step I took? What exactly are you trying to say, aside from trying to impress us with your walking-on-ice skilz?
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