Deja Vu
Did you ever see the movie "Groundhog Day" with Bill Murray? Our third day in Japan. We woke up while it was still dark outside---perfect since it was technically "Black Friday"...the little known shopping holiday that is a tradition the day after Thanksgiving. Not this year. Instead we once again traveled by train to Sapporo. This time with Isom---he scored a day off from work (which he told us consisted of working on computers outside...in the cold...in the snow). I'm sure a day with me and Gabe (no matter how naughty we were) was welcome. Gabe and I were old pros by now. We knew the lay of the land. We had the bus schedule figured out. We knew what we were doing. We got turned around. How'd that happen? We marched right back into the tourist information room...
We also decided to add additional excursions to our list of "to sees". We were both feeling guilty that this vacation was not exactly "kid friendly". Our rigorous online research yielded a chocolate factory. One of my favorite movies is "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". I was definitely on board with adding this to the list.
After repeating the previous days morning exactly (minus the getting slightly disoriented), we headed for adventure number two---riding the subway to the chocolate factory. In my mind I already had a plan for which hotel we might have to stay at in Sapporo that night...I was convinced the subway would backfire on us and we would all be stuck in Sapporo. At night. In the cold and dark. And me without my iPhone! But we made it (somehow).
The factory looked like a European castle...or what I envision when I'm drinking my Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa. It was a sight to behold...positioned between a gas station and a soccer field.
The smell throughout was heavenly...I think they call it butter. Towards the end of the maze we did see oompa loompas, I mean factory workers, assembling, packaging, and inspecting cookies and cakes (note it wasn't actually chocolate). 
Outside in the courtyard we witnessed more insanity. A television news crew scrambling to get their shot (it got dark around 3:45 each day). Maybe they were reporting on the extreme lack of chocolate at the chocolate factory. There were Christmas lights, cuckoo clocks, bubbles flying, a sleigh, oinking mechanical pigs...sensory overload. But it was fun. Really. Despite the wicked headaches Isom and I both had, combined with backaches and the beginning of...sore throats. Quick, what are the symptoms of swine flu? But, as Gabe joyfully reminded us "I'm not sick at all! I feel fine!". I wish I could be happy for you. At least we got a free sample cookie that tasted like the Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies...yum!
After repeating the previous days morning exactly (minus the getting slightly disoriented), we headed for adventure number two---riding the subway to the chocolate factory. In my mind I already had a plan for which hotel we might have to stay at in Sapporo that night...I was convinced the subway would backfire on us and we would all be stuck in Sapporo. At night. In the cold and dark. And me without my iPhone! But we made it (somehow).The factory looked like a European castle...or what I envision when I'm drinking my Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa. It was a sight to behold...positioned between a gas station and a soccer field.After getting our "chocolate factory passports", we embarked on a self guided tour through halls and floors of things that HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH CHOCOLATE. It was all very amusing.
The smell throughout was heavenly...I think they call it butter. Towards the end of the maze we did see oompa loompas, I mean factory workers, assembling, packaging, and inspecting cookies and cakes (note it wasn't actually chocolate). Outside in the courtyard we witnessed more insanity. A television news crew scrambling to get their shot (it got dark around 3:45 each day). Maybe they were reporting on the extreme lack of chocolate at the chocolate factory. There were Christmas lights, cuckoo clocks, bubbles flying, a sleigh, oinking mechanical pigs...sensory overload. But it was fun. Really. Despite the wicked headaches Isom and I both had, combined with backaches and the beginning of...sore throats. Quick, what are the symptoms of swine flu? But, as Gabe joyfully reminded us "I'm not sick at all! I feel fine!". I wish I could be happy for you. At least we got a free sample cookie that tasted like the Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies...yum!
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