1. Sapporo - Moerenuma Park

It was a perfect weather day in August. Brilliant sunshine, warm and dry with a light breeze. Coming from humid Hong Kong, it was enough to put anyone in a good mood. Moerenuma Park - we took the subway and then waited at a bus terminal for almost 30 minutes to get the bus. After checking the maps again and again,I think I know how to get there. It seemed like a long journey just to get to a park. For a flash while waiting at the humdrum underground bus station, I did wonder whether it was worth the effort. When looking for summer activities in Sapporo, Paul mentioned cycling round a park. The type of cycling when you don't have to worry about traffic or getting lost. The type of cycling you did when you were a kid. We got to the entrance of Moerenuma Park and started walking in. Interesting cloud formations dotted the blue sky. Our spirits lifted. Voices of families and children rang in the distance but the park was large enough to feel serene. In contrast to the crowded urban Hong Kong jungle, we had space.

We hired the bicycles for 2 hours and started cycling around. We parked the bikes whenever we saw an interesting sculpture. It was windy on top of the grassy knoll. After visiting every feature, we cycled around the outer perimeter of the park. We almost lost our way and had to pedal furiously to return the bikes at the 2 hour mark.

 

Looking back at our 2019 travels, there were some incredible highlights. Some were awe-inspiring. Most was pleasurable and interesting. But when we the happiest? In terms of sheer happiness, those few hours at Moerenuma Park takes first place.