Good bye Asahikawa

On Sunday morning there was a  flea market on the shopping street outside the hostel. We had a look on and found some really neat things. I would of liked to spend longer looking but we were on a mission to find a thermos and stock up on food as we were off to Asahidake at midday and we needed to get food for lunches as there would not be access much food and no certainty of the availability of vegetarian food. Hence the thermos so that we could make miso and take it with us each day. We could not find a thermos at the department store and we were running out for time before we had to get the bus - we decided to have another look at the market because I thought I had seen a small thermos when we were looking before. Fortunately I spotted a big thermos that still had the instruction book and the box it was bought in. This was an extreamly good find as it cost ¥400 compared to the Tully's thermos that was ¥3,500 that we has saw earlier that day. 

With packs on back and a quick stop and a market stall to get omomomiyaki and a Japanese donut-like pastry it was time to get the bus up the mountain. Eating the omonomiarki while on a bus and trying to pick put the slice of bacon was quite a challenge as it is a messy food at the best of times. I have to say we did extreamly well and managed to not get any food on ourselves, our cloths or the bus. We arrived at the youth hostel and were shown out tatami mat room. The room is a traditional Japanese style room so we get to take the beds put of the cupboard each night and them fold them away in the morning. This youth hostel is the very very  nice. There is an Onsen downstairs and the food for dinner and breakfast is lovely. I feel very pampered and I feel like the chef has done a great job in accommodating David and I not eating meat. 

We went for a walk up to the visitors centre to see what walks we could do while we are up here. The woman at the centre gave us some advice about which paths has too much snow on them and which bridges were unsafe to cross, ( as a side not she had a very hypnotic voice that was a pleasure to listen too). We went on two of the short walks that were suggested before heading back to the hostel for dinner. In the first five minuets of walking we saw a dear run into the forest, which was such a surprise to see. There we signs on the second train that asked people to not pick the flowers on leave any rubbish ( these are the sign with the little mouse like creature on them - the Pika). 

After dinner it was time to try the Onsen, which I had been looking forward to for quite a while. The water in this onsen is very very hot and it is hard to stay in the water for long. So saying it was still lovely. 

Ok i think that is enough from me for now. We are traveling from Asahidake to Suporro tomorrow so I should have time to fill you in on the last two days then. 

Lavender and more bike riding.

Saturday 29th

On Saturday morning Yukari walked us over to a tofu store. It was housed in a big building that used to hold a large number of tofu shops now there are only a few left open and we could only see one in the building that was open that day. It seamed as if the shop was run  by  a elderly  couple. They make the tofu on sight and sell it from out of big sinks of water that have been casted into the floor ( I didn't bring my camera so I dont have a phot but Yukari had a camera so i will see if I can get her pictures). We bought a large chunk of tofu wrapped up in  bamboo paper as well as some fried tofu and some potato starch noodles. The noodles were truly strange, they were in water and as they had nearly the same refractive index as the water it was very hard to see them, it was not until we put the sauce into the water that we could see them. It was strange though as the noodles were the absence of the brown water. 

After putting the tofu in the fridge covered with water we took the Norokko to Farm Tomita ( we had to get off at a temporary station called "lavender field station" that is set up just during the summer while the flowers are out). We walked around the farm and felt very much like tourist, but we were in good company as there were so many other tourist the vast majority of which were tourist from Honshu. We got to sit quietly by ourselves up at the top of a hill and look over all the different farms. There were lots of shops in the farm and it was amazing to see all the different lavender paraphernalia. From your usual suspects of soaps, postcards, oils and lotions to lavender flavoured cheesecake and  lemonade ( the latter two we tried).  Back on the Norokko we too the train further down the line to Furanno. After a  alfresco lunch in the park next to the train station we hired bikes and too a ride out of town via the river and through the farm land. We got off our bikes at one point to walk along a stony path. To one side were wheat fields and to the other were very tall planes ( just over the top of my head or a little higher). On these tall plants were vast numbers of grass hoppers and it brought me great delight to run ahead and scare the grass hoppers so that I could see so many of then moving at once. Compared to the day before this bike ride was a dream as it was so very flat. The five o-clock tran took us back from Furanno to Asahikawa. The plan was to go back to the hostel and then later go out to eat big bowls  of veggie soup from Chaos=Heaven ( see earlier post), but very sadly this was not to be. We got back to the hostel and after making friends with a Australian, Tim, satdown to have drink with Tim, Isao and some of the other travellers. We invited Tim to come and eat with us at Chaos=Heaven but where we got there it was too full, the waiter said to come back in half an hour. We went off to the den an Australian bar at the top of a very dark and unmaintained staircase and had a beer. After 45 minutes we went back to Chaos =Heaven but it had closed!!  With no desire to try and find vegetarian food late at night ( it was about 9pm at this time) David and I fell back to making food from supplies bout from Lawson's. back at the hostel I cooked us dinner with input of two Japanese university students that were trying to help me find something to season the stir fry with, they found it funny that David had used BBQ sauce to season our food the night before and wanted to help me make a better decision. 

All the guests of the hostel we in the communal area and it was lovely to spend time talking. Yukari and Isao went out and prepared a. Pice of cake as it was one of the guests birthdays the next day. We all sung happy birthday and there was lots of clapping. Such a nice gesture felt very typical of Yukari and Isao's hospitality, going out of there way to make peoples stay pleasant. We stayed up until 12 or so when most people had gone to bed.

Sunshine and small hills.

A little bit more about Friday. 

The country side around Biei is just beautiful, i had the most pleasant day. After riding back to the town centre and returning the bikes we went off to try and find a restaurant in which to find a nice cold beer.  We walked up and down the main street and it wasn't looking like we were going to find any where as most of the cafes were closed. After a while we found a small yellow painted building that looked somewhat like a cottage house, that was selling beer. Two chilled glasses of Sapporo Star were a perfect end to our time in Biei. 

The train from Biei to Asakikawa was a the Norokko, a scenic  train that was a little slower then the local train, had windows that you could open and seats that faced the window so that sightseers don't strain there backs turning to look out the window ( ok that is not the reason but the seats did face the windows). Traveling by train is so mu ch fun, it is nic e to b able to look out of the window and look at the towns we pass, and the tiny little JR ( Japanese Rail) huts that they have at each station. Some of theses buildings  are just little boxes with seats in them with a big green sign that says JR on them, but they are all slightly different looking and I enjoyed spotting them as we went through each station. 

Back in Asahikawa we went to the supermarket to but groceries for dinner. So far we have decided to cook our own food when posable to save the hassle of finding vegetarian food and ensuring that we are eating protein. Back at the hostel we cooked up a stir fry which was very tasty if I do say so myself, we have been very fortunate that all our self cooking has worked out well so far.  Although I found out last night that one of the sauces we out on the stir fry is meant for putting on BBQ meat and when I tried to use the same sauce on Saturday night, the two Japanese university students that were in the hostel keep giving telling me that it was not for stir fry and were politely persistent that I not use it in my stir fry. Over dinner Isao offered us saki and we sat around drinking saki, eating the rock mellon I had bought and  talking with him a the other guests until 11pm. It is so nice to try out my limited Japanese with our hosts and the Japanies guests, it is so great to have David here as I he has a better knowledge of Japanese then I do and so I can ask when I don't know or forget a word, or am worried about the pronunciation. 

Friday 28th.

Friday the 28th. 

Friday felt like our first true day as sightseers. After a sleep in that I have been looking forward for the last week or so and the purchase of a sunhat we went off to Biei, a small town surrounded by farming land. 

We rented bikes and road around the country side for the rest of the day. 

It was an extremely pleasant day, riding, eating  mystery baked goods ( I did well with a cheese role and a pumpkin role but David did not fair so well). I got to sit beneath birch trees and paint ( which always makes me happy) and having a travel companion is lots of fun - I can understand why The Doctor always finds a companion to travel with. Anyway I have tot go to eat dinner.

Lots of love,

Acushla. 

Thursday afternoon.

Thursday afternoon the  27th. 

A few remarks about our first afternoon in Asahikawa. Walking from the station to the hostel we got a little confused about where we were on the map and it took us a while to find the hostel (the streets were numbered 1to 8 West-East and 1-9 South - North, we had got our x and y coordinates incorrect and our starting point was not were we thought we were on the map). After that small misadventure we found our hostel which was described on a hostel website as 'devastatingly hip'. The couple that run the hostel Yukari and Isao are lovely and have been very nice to us - more on that later. After dropping off our bags it was time to find a late lunch. The task of trying to find vegetarian food in Japan is always a challenge but we were extremely lucky and found a restaurant called Chaos=Heaven. This restaurant plays  jazz and reggae music and has  picture of Bob Marly on the tree centrepiece which is made up of a number of tree branches that have been tied together. This cafe sells one soup with slight variations, one of these variations  is to have no meat!  The name of the vegetarian option was 'Vegetables for health' you could choose the amount of rice you wanted and David ordered more servings of egg so that we could try and have m ore protein. This soup was fantastic!! It was full of different vegetables cooked in different ways, for instance the pumpkin, eggplant, carrot and potato were roasted in the oven, the asparagus, tomato and cabbage were blanched and the okra and capsicum were uncooked. Um um!! (we are going back tonight to have some more as it is our last night in Asahikawa.) 

After lunch we walked over to the park, now I have heard of people going to parks and feeding birds but usually they are swans, ducks or pigeons, but not in Japan. We saw a lady throwing bread into the air to feed the eagles (washi).  She would through the bread up and the eagle would swoop down to snatch it out of the air. 

After going back to the hostel for an afternoon snooze we went out in search of dinner we certainly had less luck this time round in finding vegetarian food. We ended up going to Lawsons (a omnipresent  convenient store that  live up to its tittle and is very convenient). We bought tofu, miso, noodles and beer for dinner and eggs, bread, bananas, yogurt  for breakfast the next day. With rumbly tummies we went back to the hostel  and cooked up a little feast. In the tiny kitchen ( I will upload some photos of the hostel at some point so you can have a look).  With full tummies and a plan to go out to explore Beie the next day we went to bed

Day one and two.

26-27th June.

We are now on a train from New Chitose airport to Asahikawa.  So far it feels like we have spent most of our time in airports  but that not far from the truth.

- David says now that we are on a train he feels like we have finally escaped from the sinister clutches of the airport ( or something to that effect).  

The flight from Melbourne to Cains, Cains to Narita was pleasant enough and having company truly made the flight more enjoyable. I am still winning at Set (a patten recognition game that David and  I can play on my ipad) but I think by the end of this trip David could be giving me a run for my money. 

Arriving at Narita airport at 8pm last night, we managed to wind our way through immigration and customs find an ATM that would accept one of our debit cards ( a more confusing experience then I remember) and find a pay phone to call our hostel to come and pick us up. 

Yamamoto San was in charge of the hostel and he can to pick us and some other  guests up from the airport. He was very thoughtful and drove us all to a seven eleven to pick up things for dinner. With noodle salads and inari for dinner, and some yogurt and pancakes for breakfast the next day we went to the hostel for to eat and get to bed. 

The next day day (today the 27th) brought with it a pleasant surprise, a sunrise at 4:30 which meant that it was light outside when we got up at 5:30 so while it was still an early morning it was much easier to bear. Yamamoto San drove us back to the airport when David got to see how vending machine coffee was like ( so far it seams that it is drinkable and some what reminiscent of instant coffee). 

The blue sky has come out!! Until now it has been overcast and raining since we arrived in Japan, but now the blue sky has come out and looks beautiful against the green fields ( pictures provided). We are nearly at Asahikawa where  hope to find some lunch and  have our first recognisance of Japan. 

Japan: Round Two.

Well off I go to Japan again. 

This time I have a travel companion for the first two week and I am very exited to be traveling with someone. I it is not something that I have done for a while (last time was three weeks with Robert in Spain and France). David and I will be spending two weeks in Hokkaido and a few days in Tokyo and then I will be off to the Chubu region for a week. It is a short trip as I have to get back to prepare for second semester of uni but no less I expect to have a wonderful time. 

It has been a bit of a hassle getting everything organised as I have been needing to study for exams at the same time, but today I have finished packing and there is only a sketch pad and hair pins to buy tomorrow before my exam.  Only two exams and three sleeps are between me and a plane to Japan. 

Very very exited.

I'll let you know how it goes when we arrive in Japan.


Acushla