Hong Kong/Hokkaido - Day 3/Day1 (Sapporo)

On our third day in Hong Kong, the weather was gloomy and the temperature was around 18℃, which felt pretty chilly. We checked out of the Burlington Hotel at 8.10am and the process was quick and efficient. We walked to Fenwick Street; Gloucester Road to catch the Cityflyer A11 (HKD 41.90 per person) to Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). Unfortunately, we missed the bus just as we arrived at the stop, so we had to wait for the next one.

We finally reached HKIA at 9.20am and tried to check in using the Cathay Pacific self-check-in kiosk, but it was unable to scan our passports. As a result, we went to the counter to complete the check-in process. The staff were friendly, and the whole process was smooth and efficient. By 9.35am, everything was settled. The airport was not overcrowded, and going through the immigration was fast too. The process involved scanning our luggage first, followed by a quick passport scan through a machine. There was no stamping on my passport this time. Even though the automated process is much faster, I couldn't help but miss the experience of getting my passport stamped. It's like a little reminder of all the places that I have visited.

HKIA

My partner was having a stomach upset while I was feeling extremely tired after two nights of poor sleep. So neither of us had much of an appetite. However, right after we passed through immigration, I spotted Duddell's and decided to try their fish ball and fish cake noodles. Unfortunately, the kueh teow was quite tasteless, but the soup was decent enough to provide a bit of comfort. My partner ordered their beef brisket noodles, but he only ended up taking a bite, as his stomach wasn't quite up for it.

Duddell's

Fish ball and fish cake noodles - HKD 58 (paid using Octopus card)

Mineral water - HKD 15

Beef brisket noodles - HKD 118

We walked to Gate 5, and just before boarding, my partner grabbed an avocado chicken sandwich from a nearby cafe. Boarding began at 11.50am, and surprisingly, we don't need to show our boarding pass or passport. The machine just scanned our faces, and the process was quick and simple. By 12.05pm the flight had finished boarding. We don't even have to line up before entering the plane.

The seating was just, okay and when the pocket behind the seat had too many items, you could feel the bulge from the front. The flight was very quiet, and we could clearly hear conversations from behind us before departure. Our flight departed at 12.35pm and the journey took approximately 3 hours and 52 minutes to New Chitose Airport (CTS). 

After takeoff, they started serving peanuts and drinks. I had a cup of chardonnay, which was smooth. The peanuts were salty and fresh. For the meal, we had the option of curry or pork. We chose pork, which came with mashed potatoes, carrots and cold noodles. The bread was hard, but the cold noodles pair well with the sauce. The pork had a lot of tendons, but the mashed potatoes were creamy and smooth. We were served Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream, which I thought was just okay.

The air steward was very kind and caring when he found out that my partner was having a stomach upset. He made sure to check in on us and offer any assistance we might need, which was really thoughtful and appreciated.

Boarding gate

Boarding gate

Avocado chicken sandwich - HKD 32

Cathay Pacific flight

Good bye Hong Kong

Chardonnay and peanuts

Pork with mashes potatoes, carrots and cold noodles

Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream

We landed at 5.50pm (Hokkaido time) and the temperature was -2℃. It was already dark outside and it wasn't snowing. At immigration, we had to fill out the disembarkation card for foreigners. The process included taking our photo and providing our index fingerprints for both hands. After collecting our luggage at area C, we need to fill out a customs declaration form before leaving. One form per family is required to declare any goods you are bringing into the country that exceed the allowed limit. We were the second-last to leave the hall, and the officers rushed us, likely because it was time for them to finish their shift as well.

Hello Hokkaido

Disembarkation card for foreigner

Disembarkation card for foreigner

Once we came out from the arrival hall at 6.45pm, we followed the signs for group tour buses and route buses, then took the lift down to the 1st floor. There was a timetable showing buses arriving at bus stop no. 84, but the routes were all written in Japanese. So we waited at bus stop no. 84. The first bus was full, so we had to wait for the next one. It was very cold outside, and my hands were freezing from the chilly air.

Buses arrived almost every 5 minutes, and at 7.16pm another bus pulled up. To make sure we were boarding the right one, we asked the driver. Although he didn't speak English, we pointed to the Hotel Monterey Edelhof Sapporo station, and he confirmed with a nod that it was the correct bus. Luckily, there were just two seats available for us at the back of the bus. The bus accepted card payments, including credit and debit cards. Generally, we pay as we get off (¥1,300 per person). During the ride, it started snowing outside. We reached the station by 8.30pm and we were the second-last passengers to get off the bus.

New Chitose Airport baggage reclaim hall

Arrival hall

Airport bus information

Airport bus information

Bus stop no. 84

The New Otani Inn Sapporo is just a 2-minute walk (180m) from Hotel Monterey Edelhof Sapporo station. After settling down at our hotel, we walked to the Lawson convenience store, which is about a 2-minute walk (120m) away. Since we hadn't fully regained our appetite yet, we decided to grab some light food. We picked up miso ramen, fresh cup fruit (apple and melon), Hokkaido milk cream cake roll, peach squash, tuna egg sandwich and a banana.

The apple was nice, but the melon was just okay. The Hokkaido milk cream cake roll had a mochi-like texture with milk cream inside. It wasn't too sweet and had a light, chewy texture. I find it pretty good. The peach squash was fizzy, not too sweet and quite refreshing. The tuna egg sandwich was delicious, and the bread was soft. The banana was just the right texture and sweetness.

We slept early that night. The weather was cold with light snow falling outside. This was our second time experiencing snowfall, and it felt just as magical as the first. Watching the light snow gently fall outside was a memorable moment.

(Total bill - ¥1,787)

Lawson

Snacks from Lawson: peach squash - ¥172, miso ramen - ¥238, fresh cup fruit apple - ¥324, melon - ¥294 (30% discount), tuna egg sandwich - ¥289, Hokkaido milk cream cake roll - ¥343 and banana - ¥127

Address:

Lawson

2 Chome-3-1 Kita 1 Jonishi,

Chuo Ward, Sapporo,

Hokkaido 060-0001,

Japan