LA - Tokyo - Sapparo

Hmmm, we just arrived at LAX and got a 9h layover ahead of us. While walking towards the exit, I asked Babsi how she would want to spend all this spare time? Well, how about we spend it with our incredible friend Julia, who will hopefully pick us up and drive us down to Manhatten Beach, so we can enjoy +20°C, go for a walk on the beach, have some dinner and catch up! As soon as we get passed the baggage claim, we spot Jules already waiting for us. So we hop in the car and off we go...

After dinner, we asked the staff at the restaurant how to kill another 5 hours and how far away the Hollywood sign was? Each and every one of them assured us it was way too far, especially with LA traffic! Peter, Keni & Daniel: you know what we usually do when someone tell us not to do something? Of course we do it and Jules, Babsi and I took off!
Almost being killed by Julia driving waaaaay too close to the wheel we managed to get close enough to the sign to get a good shot of "Hollywood". Thanks to TomTom, our GIS (what Julia thought the GPS  was called), that had to be held out of the window in order for it to pick up the signal.  Babsi and I burst out laughing! Fist pumping and screaming to the Backstreet Boys we ended up having the best time ever! Thanks a lot Julia for driving all the way from Santa Barbara to meet us!

10 hours later we are landing in Tokyo. It's earling morning and the sun is just rising. First thing that hit us is that everyone is super friendly, helpful, servicemind is written all over the place and people are almost operating like machines. It's really clean everywhere and it reminds us of Asia's response to Schwitzerland. Immigration welcomes us - the two blondes in colorful outfits - with open arms (literally!!) and we could not help but love this country from now on. When our plane to Sapporo pushed back, we even had three guys standing outside waving good bye!

Sapporo - Boom!
After another 1,5h flight, our luggage was already waiting for us when we got to the baggage claim. I have never had my luggage that fast at any airport in the world. Babsi took off dealing with our shuttle transfer to Niseko and I was left in charge of breakfast! We ate yummy Sushi and some chocolate coated nuts and now we are waiting for our transfer
So, we both pulled out our Macs and I'm blogging and Babsi is writing emails - 2 real skibums travelling... :o)

One more thing: Staffan has finally arrived in photographic heaven! No one cares how many snapshots you take in country!

And while waiting, we had a group of approx. 100 schoolkids gathering in front of us! Every single one looked identical, they even wore the exact same shoes and stared at us like we just came from another planet!

Keni - The camera is on fire!!! =)

Kids crossing the street in Manhatten beach.

Julia

An American pier in the sunset.

Baywatch!

Happy sangria girls.

We nailed IT!

Tokyo morning!

Bye Bye guys!

To the left; Babsi! On the right; Staffan! Soo smiling!

Schoolkids and our trash on the ground.