During the summer holidays I went to explore Hokkaido for 5 days. The northest of main islands, Hokkaido is known from quiet and pure nature. Good place to relax after this hectic summer. Woke up Tuesday morning 4 am. to catch the first train to the Haneda airport which is the airport here for domestic flights. Of course almost missed the train 'cause half sleeping went to sit wrong platform...luckily my home station is so small that had time to run other side after the train arrived.
I arrived to Sapporo around 9 am. When walking at the main railway station I still hadn't clear picture what to do. Week before I saw nice picture about grass which is turning red on autum and can be found only from one place in Hokkaido. Also opened my lonely planet Japan on the airplane to find out some nice places to visit. So I walked to the tourist info to ask how and where to find this peculiar grass. Also I told the lady on the counter that I would like to do some canoing while being here. Quickly the travel plan started to take somekind of form. Bought a train ticket which allowed free traveling between Sapporo-Kushiro-Abashiri-Sapporo.
First I headed to Kushiro, to find out a place to canoing. After that the aim was Abashiri and the red grass. From Abashiri to Sapporo meet Kadota-san and visit his home. On the way the plan changed a little bit . Went to Shiretoko national park to see famous (at least in Hokkaido) water fall onsen. Unfortunately it was closed because of some construction work or something...the road was closed. Instead enjoyed bathing one morning in fabulous outdoor onsen for free.
Ok, here you have loooooooots of pics from that trip. Let them tell the story. Also marked the main places to the map to give somekind of picture where did I travel.
Pinks dots are the main places which I visited.
Slept most of the way to Kushiro (no wonder after 3h night sleep) and stepped only out for 30min. before cathing the next train to Touro. Closer to the canoing place I found after phoning through all the numbers could get from Kushiro tourist info. No one spoke english around here.
Small train middle of the national park...really middle of nowhere...started to feel like home, only warmer weather. ;)
The train station in day light.
Fellow travellers staying in Touro youth hostel. Nice custom to take picture of all travellers. There vere big albums full of these pictures.
After breakfast took train one station back and walked 7 km to the canoing place. Funny how you can find asfalt paths every where in this country.
Full of life this national park.
Arrows showing the side of the road.
Finally! Love canoing. Used to do it a lot when younger in our summer place.
Should I explore this lake? Yes.
After canoing ate ramen made in the camping side where I rented the canoe. Very hospitable hosts. Checked the time tables for the trains to the next place. It was time head Shiretoko National Park.
Stayed night in Youth hostel middle of national park. 15 km to the nearest town. Place for hikers and mountaniers. At nigth when I arrived they picked me up from the the town, for free. Nice. Picture from the morning when I took 4 km walk to the outdoor onsen.
The rotemburo was worth of every step on that steep mountain road.
This is perfect place to relax.
Small waterfall next to the natural hot baths.
Another rotemburo.
More seats in this bus than normally. Innovative people here.
After bathing bus to Shiretoko-Shari and back to train travelling. Scenery like from home. Different compared to other Japan seen this far. Saw also cows and convenient stores had more milk products than in Tokyo.
Country side.
Arrived to Abashiri around noon. Took my stuff to the cheapest place I could find and went to see red grass. 1500 yen for one night in own tatami room with TV! It's quite hard compete with this price in anywhere.
Abashiri had funny looking phone boxes.
Phone box.
And one more.
Abashiri prison, Japanese version of Alcatraz.
Many many salmons were splashing here. I didn't count but there were hundreds of salmons near to this place...
The red grass.
Rented to bicycle to go to onsen. Funny police?! cars...4 of them on line and all had their alarm lights on middle of the day...(o_O)
Next morning took first train to Sapporo. Middle of the trip woke up and I was facing the old couple who used sit on front of me. Looked around and noticed that everybody was changing the direction of sets for 180 degrees. Wonder will this country never stop suprising me?
First sights of Sapporo. When I arrived on Tuesday I didn'n step outside from the station. :)
Met Kadota-san and we went to eat some fresh and delicious sushi. Ate first time crab. It was good like all food here, unbelievable place.
"TV-toosan" aka TV-tower of Sapporo.
Nice. Sapporo is beautiful place.
Ski jumping tower! Just like in my home town Kuopio. Only we don't have mountain where to put it...only small hill (called puijo). Both cities, Sapporo and Kuopio, are included in ski jumping world cup tour. (^_^)b
After full day of sightseeing in Sapporo it was too late go to the famous onsen city, Noboribetsu. Instead decided to give a try for capsel hotel. It was positive surprise! Enjoyed my stay in quite new capsel hotel. They had great onsen on 8th floor and a huge relaxing room with TV's. Lots of manga too...although still can't read properly...much better than year ago though.
My cell in this huge "bee nest".
Quite comfy.
Oh...yes, there was also restaurant. Someone didn't survive to his cell before the sandman came to say "good night". The hotel had this kind of huge rooms full of sleeping cells from 4th to 8th floor. Efficient use of space if you ask from me.
Next day took train to Noboribetsu. Spent there day and returned to airport to take the last flight of Saturday night to back Tokyo. Saw the "Hell valley" and bathed in onsen hotel including 20 different baths...like a heaven for me.
The Hell Valley.
Where is this path taking..?
Steaming valley with STRONG odor of hydrogen sulfide (smells like rotten egg), familiar smell for HUT chemists (thanks to freshmen year's lab excersises)
A bit hot for bathing...
