First beach visit

Last Sunday Hiro brought us to Morito Beach, near Kamakura. It was our first visit to the beach (in Japan) this year. A bit too early. It was still cold, and the cafes are still being built. The beach season will start on July 1st this year. Hiro, who hates crowd, prefers to go there either too early or when it almost finishes.

We had picnic lunch there. No, I didn't prepare anything. We just brought some food from the convenience store. Iki and Hiro played with the sand and the cold sticky water, and explored around excitedly, while I sat alone waiting. Ah.....this always happen lately. That Iki loves playing with Hiro, and that I have to kill the time alone (_ _!)

We also visited a shrine nearby where Hiro and Iki prayed a bit.

We didn't stay long. I felt the wind was too cold and was afraid to catch a cold (which actually really happened!) But it was a good relaxing one. I think it was a good change from our regular camping trip.

Night ski and Ice Lake Fishing

We had lunch at McDonald's last Saturday when Hiro suddenly said, "let's go ski and ice fishing after this!"

Well, actually planned a day trip on Sunday, but still I was very surprised and not prepared!

Anyway in less than an hour we were in our way up north to Urabandai area in Fukushima perfecture. After having a quick lunch then we did our first night ski together. Boy, it was a beautiful night!! We went up and saw the beautiful lights from the villages down the mountain.

I (of course) fell off when I tried to turn on my snowboard and accidentally realized that there were millions of stars up there. I love spending few minutes laying on the snow, watching them twinkling.

Then we stayed in a Minshuku, a budget version of Japanese Ryokan by the end of narrow and slippery Urabandai road. It was very cheap. A good accommodation choice for our unplanned trip. Eventhough spoilt Iki asked once he saw the building: "What? we're staying here? is this really hotel?!" LOL

We spent the next day fishing wakasagi (Japanese smelt) on the frozen lake. What an experience!!!

At first Iki was very excited but then after 5 minutes he got bored and started to complain :p

We waited for 3.5 hours but got nothing!!!! not even one tiny wakasagi! (>.<). It was very cold and Iki looked very miserable so we gave up

We went back without any wakasagi but we brought back home an unforgettable experience

One day ski/snowboarding trip

We went to Mt. Jeans in Nasu, Tochigi area, Japan yesterday. Oh well, Iki actually still had pretty bad cough but he (and Hiro) really wanted to ski that the season almost comes to the end.

Iki is getting better skiing. He really loves it and started to say irritating things while waiting for me (like:"you're so slow, mom!"), or even tried to teach me how to snowboard! Ha! Let's wait until you try snowboarding, young man!!

I wished I could learn as fast as a kid could. I am still working hard on my snowboarding skill. Have to practice a lot to turn. I fell down for so many times that my whole body is aching now -don't ask about my rib. Yes, it's still painful (>.<)- I'm running out of time (and money haha!) this year, but I hope I could make it by the end of winter!

To the top!!

We did it!

I still had hangover from drinking with my girlfriends the night before, but we went to the top of the mountain together, the three of us. It was incredible!

Japan is surely getting warmer now. It's only february but the snow is wet already. It's even melted on my snowboard. This makes Hiro wants to go ski every weekend.....

Winter Camping

Yes, we did it last weekend. I still think that we were crazy!

We were hungry when we arrived at the Regina forest campsite in Fukushima Perfecture, but before we could start making fire, we still had to clean away snow! What an exercise!

For the first time in my life, I felt like cooking in a freezer. All the leftover food turned into ice the next day, even my liquid dish washing detergent LOL

It was cold cold cold, that I thought I wouldn't survive

Eventhough Hiro and Iki had so much fun making this happy snowman :)

Hot black coffee was a luxurious treat

Thanks God we didn't have to stay in a tent!! Hiro rented this igloo shaped comfortable cabin for us spending the night

But it was fun. Once in a lifetime experience....O N C E in a life time....!!! (could it be only once, Hiro?! :p)

Snow Monkey

We went to Shiga Kogen last two weeks for skiing and Iki wanted to see the snow monkey advertised around the Ryokan we stayed.

Last year we didn't bring him there but this year we thought he would be strong enough to walk so we agreed to give those monkey a visit :p

I didn't expect that we would do a winter hiking to reach the monkey area!! Good that Iki enjoyed the whole trip -which made it even longer :p

We had to walked through a snowy jungle

And a narrow slippery road

And also lots of slippery steps

Until we met this cutie

With his friends trying to warm themselves up in the hot spring

The whole hiking trip worthed it. We could see the only monkeys who wash their food before eating :p. It was a good walk. We saw a lot and surprisingly Iki had so much fun!

Snowboarding

Hiro bought me snowboard and the boots, so that I won't get bored all the time waiting for him and Iki skiing. I tried snowboard before we got married and as far as I could remember, it was not as difficult as ski so I agreed to give it a try again this time.

Again his dream to go to the top of the snowy mountain together and see the breathtaking view melted me. Well, eventhough he knows that it would take years for Iki and (especially) me to go up to the top of the mountain :p

I surprisingly enjoyed snowboarding, though it is actually is not THAT easy. It's a very good exercise too so I hope I wouldn't be too fat putting on layers of fat to keep myself warm during winter!

So I do snowboarding now, while Hiro and Iki skiing. Iki also loves ski now, and Hiro is very happy with that!

Winter is just a month to go. I'm glad that this time the three of us can enjoy it more....

Christmas Ski

We went to Zao, an onsen area in northern Japan last weekend. Ski season just started last week, so Hiro thought it would be a great way to spend Christmas skiing instead of camping!

At first Iki was excited and followed papa-chan instruction

Well then again, the drama began. Papa-chan got angry and Iki-chan started to cry

Papa-chan walked away.... and everyone felt bad.

So at last we just put him into the ski school. He loved it, wanted to learn ski more, but not from papa-chan. He wants to learn only from the ski school now (>.<).

Anyway both papa-chan and Iki-chan had a good time skiing. And me....just waiting while watching the snowfall and eating a lot of high calorie snacks (@_@).

At least I had fun playing with Iki

while papa-chan had to clean the car from the snow LOL

It was a beautiful day afterall. A beautiful white Christmas (^_^)

Merry Christmas, hope yours' are as beautiful as ours

Autumn camping

We went camping again for two nights last weekend. Supposed to be three nights, but Hiro got sick so we decided to go back one day earlier...

We went to Nasu area again this time, in Maple Nasu campground, which has electricity plug and onsen (hotspring). We were ready with electric mat this time, and an onsen bath before sleeping was a luxury for such a cold weather!!

It's a nice place. The autumn view was beautiful, eventhough the maple leaves were almost all fallen off. Lots of activities to make us (and Iki) busy too!

We built the tent nearby the playground. Iki was very happy!!

Iki wanted to fish too so off he went to the pond with papa-chan. Well, he got bored waiting after few minutes and gave the fishing rod to papa-chan at last :p

They caught two fishes and we grilled them for lunch. Yummy!

And we of course had a good time walking around :)

It was our first camping with our first owned car in Japan too! Yeah...at last we bought a car for our adventure instead of borrowing parents in laws' car all the time. Which means Hiro planned to stay in Japan for a while to give Iki's childhood an unforgettable outdoor experience.

Feel sad because this might be our last camping experience. Might be!

But winter is so close now. We are getting ready for skiing now!

Imo Hori (sweet potatoes picking)

I also joined Iki's schooltrip for harvesting sweet potatoes last two weeks. Not only kids enjoying this kind of activity, but me too!! As long as I could remember, I have never paid quite amount of money to harvest veggies or fruit MYSELF back in Indonesia! I did pay the gardener to do the whole thing ;-)

At first he used gloves because he didn't want to touch the soil.

But then what the heck! haha

Dig dig dig! Everyone tried to get as much sweet potatoes as possible

Then we had picnic lunch together

This was Iki's obento. Halloween theme one again.

Everyone was dead tired. But had to walk about 20 minutes to the train station. Bringing the sweet potatoes back!!!! Thanks God I brought this (^_-)