Hokkaido itinerary

I'm starting this post at 12:50 a.m. on what is technically a Saturday morning. My flight to Tokyo leaves early on Sunday afternoon. Before that, though, I need to fill you in on my itinerary. So here 'tis:

Sunday, February 2

•    depart Incheon Airport at 1:20 p.m.
• arrive Narita Airport at 3:30 p.m.
• take the Skyliner to Ueno Station, then ride down the Ginza Line to Kanda
• leave the station and head a few meters south to Capsule Value Kanda
• eat some dinner and read that Tokyo chapter in Ghost Train to the Eastern Star

Monday, February 3

•    at 7:00 a.m., head to Tokyo Station and activate my Japan Rail Pass
• hop the JR Tohoku Shinkansen for Shin-Aomori (3.5 hours)
• transfer to the JR Hakucho limited express to Hakodate (2 hours)
• transfer to the JR Hokuto limited express to Sapporo (3.5 hours) 
• don't forget to read all the relevant chapters of Ghost Train as you do this
•   walk a block west and six blocks north from Sapporo Station 
• find the Sapporo Clark Hotel (check in 3 PM, check out 10 AM)

Tuesday, February 4

•    wake up, get breakfast
• head to Sapporo Station and catch the express to Asahikawa
• take bus 41, 42 or 47 from the station to Asahikawa Zoo (40 minutes, 400 yen) 
• come back and get some Asahikawa ramen near the station
• catch the train back to Sapporo

Wednesday, February 5

•    wake up, get breakfast
• take in the Sapporo Snow Festival in Odori Park
• go up the Sapporo TV Tower and take some pics
• walk south a block to Sapporo Tram (Nishi 8 Chome Station)
• ride nine stops to Ropeway Iriguchi Station and then west to the Sanroku cable car station
• take the cable car up to Mt. Moiwa
• come back down and go back to Ropeway Iriguchi Station; ride 13 stops to Susukino
• get some eats and drinks; take in the Snow Festival some more
• walk back to Odori Park and get some shots of the Sapporo TV Tower at night
• hit the sack

Thursday, February 6

•    check out of the Sapporo Clark Hotel at five o'clock or so
• head to Sapporo Station and catch the 6:00 AM limited express
• do the whole trip again in reverse, except ask for Hakata at Shin-Aomori
• arrive in Hakata at 12:00 AM...

Friday, February 7

•    find something to do with yourself for a few hours...perhaps an izakaya
• catch Bus 11, 19 or 50 to Hakata Ferry Terminal
• check in at the Camellia Line desk at 11:00 AM
• ferry departs at 12:30 PM; arrives in Busan at 6:00 PM

And there you have it. I'll arrive in Busan, tired and hungry perhaps, but ready for Adam's going-away party. Then it'll be the KTX back up to Seoul on Sunday, February 9. Then it'll be barely two weeks until the staff meeting at Sejong University, and then the new semester begins in March.

Wow.

What a jolly life I've got.