Orientation day

Great flight up - plane only half full, not often that happens these days. Spacious Air NZ 777 with plenty of leg room -  and honeymoon bubbles delivered after takeoff. Flying gives me a rare chance to do nothing but watch movies - and so I watched three. First was White Lies, NZ movie about a Maori medicine woman and the life and death of babies and mothers. It's a confronting and somewhat harrowing film that can't be really called enjoyable yet is a gripping, intriguing and disturbing story. And beautifully acted. Next I happen upon The Light Between Oceans, and I watch, spellbound, as another tale of babies and mothers and turmoil unfolds on my screen. I did not set out to watch harrowing stories of this ilk but it somehow connected me back to my many years of work and involvement in family planning where fighting for the rights of mother  and child was an every day challenge.   And then I switched genre completely, watched Chasing Great and got a dose of rugby - much of which I was familiar with but nice to hear Richie speak from his heart.

Transfer in Tokyo  was streamlined in true Japanese fashion and soon we were in Sapporo. Had a couple of hours to wait for coach transfer - found a small bar in the large airport and enjoyed our first Sapporo Classic beer. Good brew!
Checked in to our superb hotel Ki Niseko as snow gently fell in the village. Got a few much needed hours' sleep and were up reasonably early to go and hire our skis. Another streamlined mission complete and soon enough we were up the gondola at the top  of the mountain. Our hotel is ski-in ski-out and perfectly located by the Hirafu Gondola.
Despite a poor snowfall this season there is heaps of beautiful snow - it's all relative!!
Some parts were a bit skied off in parts but overall pretty damn brilliant. It snowed lightly all morning and tapered off as the day wore on - but abig snow dump is forecast. We explored all over the mountain to familiarise ourselves with the layout.had a couple of "took wrong route" moments but generally you can ski far and wide and pick and choose you way down with gleeful abandon. So many ways down, you can just say "meet you at the gondola" and take off whichever way you wish. Great in theory but we managed to bugger it up a couple of times, with meet-up fiascos and wasting of time. Never mind, we now know each section of the mountain pretty well and can steer clear of pitfalls that take you too low  or off in the wrong direction! No queues and on one long run I did I was the only person I could see for much of the way.

Around 4.30 the lights come on for night skiing - we had a few runs, with a short break at a rustic bar up on the mountainside which served warm sake and had a central fireplace and welcoming feeling. The Japanese equivalent of the cosy Swiss chalet and a bit more authentic than where we stopped for lunch high up earlier on. And half the price - literally.
Back in town I swapped my skis - didn't like them - too lightweight and chattery and I just couldn't give them any grunt into the turns. I felt like I was playing the spoons rather than drums. My new skis look like they have the right combo of grunt and drumroll! We shall see tomorrow. Brett loved his skis.
Quick shower and we were off to town. Restaurant bookings are generally recommended as places are small and demand is high. We didn't have one but had heard there were a few ramen bars in town that took casuals off the street. We are directed to one down a side street and Would you believe it - it is called BAR MOON!!!  No way! Just had a MOON themed wedding and on our honeymoon we find ourselves in Bar MOON. Ridiculous! It was superb and so cheap. See photo below for full proof,
Also pic of view from our room.
Thats it for day one - it is after 11pm and I have had about 10 hours sleep since waking on Monday morning NZ time! And it's not far off Thurs morn NZ time.
To sleep ... NOW!

OBSERVATION OF THE DAY: Despite being so high tech, with the best gadgets (loos with tricks that defy belief), streamlined and polite everything and nothing that hasn't been thought of, this is still very much a cash-based place. Credit cards not welcome in most restaurants and bars, esp up the mountain, only one ATM machine in the town and cash deposits and bonds required for m things.  Takes us back to the old days of wads of cash in wallet ... very weird!!

Till tomorrow ...