Stop! Oni time!

Well today started off as usual, but so far there's been a twist in my plans. I woke up, did all of the usual stuff to get ready, stopped off at the bakery and got some Danishes and coffee for the train ride, got my ticket, and boarded soon after. The train ride was nice. It's been really cloudy outside, allowing you only to see the bottom of the dark green mountainsides. Then you have the beautiful see of japan on the other side, crashing against the shore. After an hour of train riding, we finally arrived at Noboribetsu station. Again, when I got off the air smelled of sulfur, and it was raining. I exited the station and started walking down the main street, thinking that Noboribetsu onsen was close, but it's actually a full bus ride to get there. So I walked back to the station and got on the bus. There was one problem though.....it was the wrong bus. So I got off and checked when the bus going back was going to get here. It was coming a full 2 hours later! So I started walking, going from stop to stop back towards Noboribetsu, checking the times to see if they would change. Luckily, I found a bus stop that had a bus coming in the next half hour, so I waited in the little box on the side so I wouldn't have to wait in the rain. Now, as I was sitting, waiting for the bus to come, an old woman walked in and started waiting as well. She asked me where I was from, and after that we talked for a good 15 minutes, until the bus came. She told me that "I should continue to learn Japanese and that it is a good language". I mean, I obviously knew that already, but it was nice to hear that from a Japanese person. Now we are both on the bus, headed for Noboribetsu station. I hope I will get to Noboribetsu onsen in time to do everything.

First off! Seriously, screw any notion I gave that today was going to be "the usual"! They could make a blockbuster movie about all the shit that happened today. There was action, suspense (the missed bus would be part of this), danger, and serenity. After getting back to Noboribetsu station, I took the correct bus to get to Noboribetsu onsen. Actually, it was the same bus I was on, so I pretty much wasted 100 yen getting off and then back on. The bus ride took about 15 minutes, and dropped everyone off at the bus station in Noboribetsu Onsen. Now, remember that sulfur smell I told you about? Well, that smell got really intense once I left the bus, so much so that it was impossible to get used to. I pretty much smelled like an egg at the end of the day. Anyways, after getting off the bus I walked into the information office to find out how to get to my destination, the whole reason I came to Noboribetsu Onsen, Jigokudani. The scar of Japan, a scorched earth among a peaceful mountainside, that is what Jigokudani is. It essentially translates to "Hell Valley", which helps to explain why the town's mascot is a towering Oni demon. Jigokudani is also a source of the town's onsen water. After getting directions, I started climbing the steep road that would lead me to Jigokudani, stopping briefly at a very small park that housed a steaming geyser. Also as I was climbing the streets, there was a little stone Oni with onsen water coming out of it so that you could see what the water was like. Me being curious and all, not only did I pour the water on my hands with the little cup like you're supposed to, but I also tasted the water as well. That was probably the first of a few mistakes I made in Noboribetsu onsen. It tasted like day old mayonaisse left out in the sun, and then boiled. Not that I know what any of that tastes like, but I assume that that's how it would be. Now before I talk about Jigokudani, I want to describe how beautiful Noboribetsu Onsen is. it's a tiny town sandwiched between to amazingly beautiful, steep mountains. Then right above the town is the steaming mountain Oyunuma, the largest source of onsen water for the town. Mist and steam floods the town all day, along with the strong smell of sulfur. So, after reaching the top of the town, I could see the wasteland. It zigzagged through the mountains, running it's trail of destruction for about a mile and a half. Personally, I think they should call it the Anus of Japan because I had to put my towel over my nose at certain points when exploring it, that's how strong it smelled. The ground is so dangerous within Jigokudani that you have to walk either around it, or on a wooden platform that runs through it's center (The platform has rails of course). I started off by walking up a trail that went through the forest area, talking me to an observatory section that let one see all of Jigokudani from it. From there, I could see all of the thick, boiling onsen water trickle down the center, and the steam from it made the air dense and warm. I then followed the trail that led down to the wooden platform, which would take me to the center of the scar. At the beginning of the platform, there was a sign that said "water is over 80C. Do not touch. Of course there was a little pool below the sign, so I touched it anyways. I did one of those quick touches, and I thought my fingers were going to boil! Not only is the water extremely hot, it also has a ton of sulfur and other minerals in it. I guess I learned my lesson. I continued to walk down the wooden pathway to the center of Jigokudani, breathing in the warm sulfuric air that rose from the ground. At the center, there was a boiling geyser with steam billowing out of it. I put my hand out to feel the steam, and the heat of it hurt burned slightly. I should really learn not to touch things that are known to be very hot. From the center you could see up close the surrounding ground. Sulfur and calcium deposits were built up in layers where the water flowed, and the water itself was a milky orange color. I was practically sweating from the amount of heat that the ground was creating, but the rainy mist cooled me off a bit. One thing I forgot to mention, people used to use Jigokudani as a place to commit suicide, where they would throw themselves into the waters and boil to death. Why people would want to die in such a slow and painful way? I have no answer, but it definitely sounds auful. The sulfur alone would melt your skin off! Anywho, after exploring that scar of the earth, I decided to go on an adventure through Mt. Oyunuma, following the trail that led up it's steep slopes. The climb was rough, but I pressed on. The ground severely sloped upwards and the steps were rather large, so it was work getting up the path. It was at this point that I grew feint from hunger. I seriously thought I was going to die if I didn't get some food or water. At this point I was only about halfway up the mountain, and still had about thirty minutes to go before I got to the top. I was sweating profusely, even though it was super cold and rainy, and I felt very feint. Lucky for me, there is a halfway point where you can sit and rest. So I rested for a few minutes, gathered what strength I had left, and continued on. It took me another ten or so minutes to reach the top, but it was well worth it. I looked down and had the most amazing view of a lake made up entirely of boiling onsen water. At this point I've learned my lesson and will not be putting anything at that temperature and acidity near my hands or mouth, I assure you that. The lake was surrounded by barren land, with mineral deposits circling the water. I could see the steaming water flowing slowly down towards Jigokudani, and the strong smell of sulfur emanated from it. The patches of sand around certain parts of the lake were bubbling and spewing out steam, making me even more hungry as it made me think of stew. The view made me so full of awe though that my hunger subsided against. I then proceeded to continue along the trail, which slowly took me back to town. The pathway led me back into the deep forest of the mountain, with only a small trailhead showing me the way back. It was both beautiful and fear inducing, as the forest was full of sounds and a mix of mist and steam. I was counting on the little Kami statues that dotted the forest to lead me back to where I needed to be. Of course I thanked them all as I passed by, for they led me back safely to Noboribetsu onsen. That was probably the most dangerous adventure of my trip. Boiling acidic sulfur fields of death has now been checked off on my list of things to experience. After that rather intense hike, my hunger came back to me full throttle, and I decided to head quickly to the nearest food establishment. I went to a local restaurant that my guidebook recommended, and it did not dissapointed me at all. I ordered a large bowl of mountain vegetable soba, that contained these strange vegetables and plants that o have never seen before. It was a little bitter, but quite delicious. The meal definitely suited the atmosphere. After I exited the restaurant, I noticed that the mist was flooding in pretty hard. I was in between the tops of two mountains after all, so I was kinda expecting that to happen. Since I went on such a big adventure, I thought that I deserved some big relaxation. I hunted down the best onsen in town, with the recommendations of a few locals, and went forth. This particular onsen was about three times more expensive than the other, so it came out to around twenty dollars. Oh was it money well spent! This was the most massive and relaxing onsen I have ever been to! The ceilings were extremely high, And there were at least ten different kinds of baths. Each one had different minerals in them, but they all smelled like sulfer obviously. They had some very obscure, yet amazing things as well. One of them was a set of pipes that stuck out from the wall about thirty feet up, and dribble out boiling onsen water. Now I'm sure you can guess what they were for, and that would be, massage! The water was heavy from the minerals and would pound against the spot you had the stream aim at. I think I sat under the spout for at least half an hour. I was trying to get the most out of my money, so I was at the onsen for about two and a half hours. That's a long time to soak in boiling water, but I've been weary from my travels, so I needed it. The most amazing of all of the onsen was the outside part. There were three baths outside, all of them made of dark stone and filled with boiling onsen water. The smallest one was fed water from a little watermill made out of old cedar wood. The biggest of the outside onsen stuck out past the ceiling and had the most amazing view of Jigokudani. I stayed in that one the most, just staring at the amazing scenery of the mountains while mist and steam filled the sky, and rain slowly fell to the ground. It was a very peaceful and serene moment, and I enjoyed all of it very much. After I was finished with the onsen, I got dressed and left the building. It was at this point that I truly smelled like eggs. Another nicety of the onsen…free towel!!!! I got a free sweat towel that says Noboribetsu on it and has a picture of a chibi (miniature for those who don't speak otaku) oni's face with a towel on it's head. I walked back down to the bus station and sat on the bench for a good twenty minutes, waiting for the next bus that goes to the JR station to come. I asked the guy inside the station what time the next bus was coming, and he told me the next one wasn't for another hour! Now, I think for both adventure's sake, and for the sake of storytelling, I should let you all know that this man had one arm. Anyways, after finding out that the next bus wasn't for a while, this very kind one-armed bus station man offered to give me a ride down to the station. I was extremely thankful of his help, and he got me to the station, with time to spare, before the next train back to Sapporo. By the way, the inside of Japanese cars is really cool. They have little stat displays on the rear view mirror, and the nav systems all have DVB-M tuners (wireless digital video broadcast). So, I thanked Abe-san (that's his name, not the "san" of course) as much as I could, and entered the station. I can't remember if I mentioned this before or not, but I have a newfound respect for transportation employees in japan. They are all very helpful and nice, unlike those in America that hate their jobs and just grunt, spit, and fart. They also have very nice uniforms. And so, as I write this on the way back to Sapporo, I look back on today's adventures with much fondness. Until next time, I say goodnight.

The Island of the Gods

Today was another grand and wonderous adventure!! I woke up this morning, feeling eager to go somewhere exciting, and I found just the place! About an hour out of Sapporo, there is a little town called Toya-ko. Those of you who don't know this place should, as this was the location of the G8 Summit, where world leaders met to discuss global crises. Toya-ko is also built within a giant caldera, where in 2000, the massive volcanic grounds erupted into molten lava, destroying part of the town with fire and ash. Despite this though, the townspeople returned a few months later and cleaned the area up. And what a job they did! Toya is quite possibly the most magical place I've been to in japan. You know in Princess Mononoke, when Ashitaka is brought to the little island in the middle of that lake to be healed? Toya-ko is exactly like that place, but on a larger scale. So I took the train from Sapporo to Toya station, and then transfered to a bus that took me over the mountain to the town. As I was riding the bus, I stared out the window, looking at the mountainside. once we got over the peak, you could see the steam rising from holes in the ground. Once I got off the bus, I was bombarded with the smell of sulfur. It wasn't super strong, but it was there, and it came from everywhere. I got used to the smell though and didn't even notice it after a couple of minutes. From the bus station, I walked to the information center/volcano museum to find out what the best onsen to go to was. Sadly, the one the guy recommended wasn't open, so I had to go to a different one. I went to one that was about a block down, and entered the building. I paid the man at the counter, took my shoes off, and proceeded downstairs. Now, the great thing about the onsen here, other than them being onsen, is that they are extremely cheap to use. It cost me only 500 yen to use the facilities, and that is for as long as I want. I went into the dressing room, got out my towel, and spent the next 2 hours relaxing. It was a most peaceful experience. This onsen had three parts to it as well. There were two indoor tubs, and one outdoor one. I pretty much used all of them, with the two inside varying in temerature. The best part was relaxing outside, where a shamisen could be heard playing off in the park. It was a true Japanese experience. After relaxing, I got dressed and headed off to the lakeside, where a boat waits to take people to the island in the middle of the lake. I proceeded to buy a ticket, but the next boat wasn't coming for another half hour, and I was really hungry. So I walked back to the main street and found a nice cabin style restaurant that specialized in making a white bean and rice ball ice cream. They say it is meant to symbolized the purity of the snow that covers Hokkaido during the winter. I decided to order teriyaki herring over rice, with sea scallop miso. It was very tastey and filling, and gave me the energy I needed for the rest of the day. After eating, I headed back to the dock and bought a ticket for the boat. It arrived shortly after, and I boarded the strange castle shaped vessel. I went to the top sectio of the boat, and all I could do was stare at the scenery. I don't think I've seen anything as beautiful as what was before me. A giant round lake surrounded three dark green mountains covered in mist. The surrounding mountains I the outlying areas were just as beautiful, and in the distance you could see the volcano and soft gray smoke billowing from it's top. The lake was a soft blue green and spread all throughout the center of this massive caldera. As we approached the islands, I watched as deer treaded through the trees, and owls perched upon the branches. After 30 minutes the boat docked and I exited onto the island. It was quiet and serene, with only the sounds of owls, deer, and little bears. The island felt like the resting place of forest gods and Kami, with the mist swirling I circles through the cold branches of the trees. I walked up to the gate that blocked off the rest of the mountain, and found a small herd of deer wait there to be fed crackers by humans. I got some great footage of one of the deer eating, with one of them hilariously trying to eat my camera. After watching the deer for a bit, I headed to the door of the gate that allowed you to go further into the mountain. I walked up for a good 10 minutes before being stopped and told that that the last boat would be leaving soon. That was dissappointing, especially since I wanted to go deeper into the mountain, but I guess that will have to wait for a different time. Just being there was enough for me. I boarded the last boat back to shore, and watched as the island got smaller and smaller behind us. Once the boat landed on the dock, I got off and wandered about the town for a bit, just taking it all in. I then thought it was about time to head back to the bus station. I almost had another adventure moment as I did in Aomori, but luckily I caught the second to last bus back to the train station. I said my goodbyes to Toya-ko and headed back over the mountain. As we were going back, there was a cute little Marimo fox in one of the fields next to the road looking at us. Seeing that fox was a good way to end the day. Tomorrow is going to be a day spent in Hell Valley in Noboribetsu! Let's hope that it is as exciting as today was.

Glass and The Pier Causes Russian Fear

What a prefect day for a day trip to Otaru! I woke up around 8 and got ready for the day. At first I wasn't sure what I was going to do, because there's still so much to see in Sapporo. But I decided it was time to explore out of the city a bit, and Otaru is the easiest place to get to. The biggest problem with traveling around Hokkaido is that most places cannot be gotten to by train. I can't rent a car here, and that's supposed to be the easiest way to get around. So I got ready and lunged into the cold outside. The weather was actually really nice today! The air was crisp and had a frosty smell to it, which gave me even more incentive to explore Hokkaido. So I walked before walking to the train station, I stopped off at the Seicomart on the corner and grabbed some pastries and an iced coffee. I then too the train to Sapporo station, where I got my ticket bound for Otaru. I don't know if it's on purpose or not, but the people at the ticket office always give me the window seat, scenic side. I'm sure they do that for all travelers...or maybe I'm just special. I'd say it took about an hour to get to Otaru, but I had an excellent view of the ocean, so it wasn't a bad trip at all. Once I stepped off that train and exited the station, I was thrust into a 19th century fisherman's world. The town was heavily influenced by Russian architecture, and I could definitly see the resemblence. Almost all of the buildings were made of stone, with iron doors and windows. At the end of the main street there is an historic canal that, like all other canals throughout the world, was dotted with painters, photographers, and sculpters. I slowly walked down the main street, gazing at all of the buildings and little shops. About halfway down the main road, I found my favorite part of the city. It was an old stretch of railroad track that was deemed an historic site, and was covered in very green grass. There was a nice dirt path along it, but I decided to continue down to the canal and save the walkway for later. I finally got to the canal, which was as beautiful as it was long. It stretched from both sides of the city, and was once used to carry boats from the warehouses to the ships. Behind the canal, there were iron-clad warehouses that have since been converted into restaurants, shops, and fish markets. The canal's water was a nice sea green, which contrasted beautifully with the iron and stone of the buildings. I walked along the canal for a good while, until I decided to check out another feature of the city, glass blowing. Otaru is famous for their well crafted glasswares, so I decided to go to the best shop I could find, The Otaru Glass Factory. They make all of their products onsite, and you can take a walkaround of the facility. Their store was huge! Three stories of glass products, and then a top floor with workshops where you can make your own glassware. Sadly, I couldn't make something because you need reservations to do it. So I just browsed around the shop for a while, looking at all of the intricate designs. My favorite was a samurai helmet made entirely out of glass. After perusing through the different floors, a familiar feeling washed over me. Hunger!! But before the fealing completely consumed me, I walked down the pathway along that old train track. For some reason, everything seemed much more quiet along that path. There were barely any other people, and the very small, more traditonally Japanese buildings on each side blocked the view of all the stone and metal. Luckily the path also led me to my mission of finding food. Now, I knew exactly what food I was going to have in Otaru, and the answer is... crab! Otaru is said to have the juiciest crab in Japan, and I intended to see if that was true! So, I headed back to the station and made a hard right toward the very hidden fish market. The fish market here is in a very small, covered alleyway at the back of the city. Once I got there, I found just the restaurant I was looking for. It's a very well known restaurant in the area called Takeda's, and he is said to serve the best crab in the city. So I walked into the shack-like restaurant and got a seat at a small table. The waitress brought me some tea and these delicious little strips of fish jerky. I didn't know what kind of fish it was, but it tasted amazing! After ordering a meal of cooked salmon and crab soup, a family came in to eat as well. To make room for them, the waitress asked me if I could move to a different table, to which I happily agreed. And for being so nice, she rewarded me with a small sack of that fish jerky to have for later. I'd say that was a big win, especially because the stuff tastes so damn good. After waiting a bit, my meal finally came. What I had in front of me what quite a bit of food, especially since the crab soup had a whole crab in it! They gave me special scissors and a crab fork as well, which I used to eat the most delicious crab. It was extremy juicy and sweet, and you could tell it came straight from this morning's catch. The salmon was just as good and tasted amazing with the pickled vegetables and rice that also came with the meal. I was very satisfied with the meal, and upon leaving I gave my thanks to the restaurant owner, who was standig outside talking to one of the other fishmongers. After leaving the fish market, I decided it was time to leave Otaru ad head back to Sapporo. I had spent a good 6 hours in Otaru, so I felt satisfied. It is a very small city, after all. I arrived back in Sapporo at around 5, so I decided it was time to make a trip back to the biergartens. I walked to Odori park, and found a park filled to the brim with businessmen and groups of friends raising their glasses to good times. I'd say there were twice as many people there today than there were yesterday. I decided to walk down the length of the park to check out the other sections and see what was being offered. I walked pas Sapporo's section, and the stopped. What stood before me was not a station for microbreweries, but was instead a setup for Anheiser Busch. I was not only dissapointed, but was pissed off that they would even set foot on Japan's turf. After all, their beer tastes like something that came from a horse's ass. The best part about it was that nobody was there, while the other stations were filled! I just laughed and turned around back to Sapporo's station to try out one of the beers I didn't have yet. It was a lot of fun because there was a great jazz band playing. After spending a while watching the people come and go, I went back to the hostel to finally rest. I didn't feel like going out to eat and spending a lot, so I just stopped at the market and picked up some udon. Well, today was interesting, but I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be even more amazing.

Ein bier? Nein! ビル？ はい！！ かんぱい！！

Oh what a day, what a day! I could say I didn't do that much, but then again, I could say I did. I'm going to go with the latter. I woke up rather late this morning, around 8:30 after waking up multiple times during the nght. I still don't think my body has gotten used to the time change, especially since I've been going to bed at around 10:30, which is super early for my standards. After getting my lazy butt of of bed, I walked downstairs and made myself a cup of really crappy free coffee. I'd rather pay for a good cup than have a shitty free one. I then went straight to the computer to check my email, Twitter, facebook, and whatnot, something that felt really good to be ablevto do sin e I was away from it all for so long. Not to say I can't live without the interwebz, but how would I let all of you know what I'm up to in the land of the rising sun? Tell me that, huh! So after shmoozing around the hostel, I figured that I would go out and walk around Sapporo to familiarize myself with the place. I stepped outside and BAM! It started raining. I liked it though, so I just went back inside and grabbed my sweater, something I thought I would have no use for In japan. But it was rather cold outside, so it was worth having. I can't believe how the weather changes so much over such a short distance. I mean, Tokyo was super hot and sticky, and in Hokkaido, it's freezing. What's the deal (with airline food)?? So after getting to Shiroishi station, I picked up an iced coffee and snack from one of the thousands of vending machines that are in the city. I then got off at Odori station, thinking I could save some money by walking to Sapporo station. Turns out it costs the exact same amount and I ended up wasting twenty minutes walking there. Now this whole journey was just to pick up a card reader so I could dump all of my pictures to my blackberry so I would have more space. Once I got to the station, I headed over to the electronics store, grabbed a card reader, and went on my way. Now after all of that, which has nothing to do with Japan or adventure, the fun really started. I don't know if I mentioned it, but one of the reasons I wanted to travel to Hokkaido was to try the many famous brews that come from the area. And this time of the year is very special, because during a three week period starting the 21st of July (Today!!!!), all of the major beer companies set up biergartens in the massive Odori Park. Each company gets one of the 12 or so sections of Odori Park to set up shop and offer their exclusive brews, many of which I have never seen or heard of in America. So I headed off to Odori Park from the station, which took me another good twenty minutes of walking. Once I got there, I knew I was entering heaven. There in front of me was the Suntory biergarten. I walked through the bannered entrance, and found myself in what was essentialy a massive outdoor beer hall. There were bunches of groups, sitting at tables and feasting on barbequed fish and meats, with hundreds of waiters in outfits taking constant orders for beer. On each side of the tables there were refill stations to which you would bring your drink ticket, and in return they would hand you a frosty mug of liquid gold, or in my case liquid black. I'd say most of the beers that I ordered from the different gartens were specialty black label beers, which had a dark molasses color to them. Suntory's was especially amazing, as it had a sweet and creamy taste to it that I had never experienced before. They weren't only serving mugs though! They had mini kegs for small groups, and for larger groups they had these monstrous 6ft tall tubes filled with beer that would dispense from a small spout. Each of the companies also had a different centerpiece at their setup, along with stages where performers would entertain the drunken masses. After trying the standard Suntory brew, I moved on to the next block of the park where the infamous Asahi brewing company was stationed. Now before I went on to my next taste test, I got a couple of barbequed snacks to satisfy my hunger. Asahi as well had a special black label beer, which was like Suntory's except it had a sharper taste to it. Asahi's booth wasn't as packed as I would have hoped, but then again I was there a bit on the early side. I then moved on to the next block, which housed another well known name, the powerhouse of japan's beer business, Sapporo. Now their selection was a bit different, as they had three brews that were very special. I only tried two, as to avoid alcohol's effects, and they were both delicious. The first was another black label which was good because it had a sort of spicyness to it. The second was one that none of the other companies offered, an amber ale. That one was equally delicious, but was much lighter tasting with a slightly sweet wheaty taste. The third one, which I plan to try tomorrow, is called Sopporo Classic and is only offered in Hokkaido. I was satisfied though with what I had and decided to head back to the hostel. Oh, there were a couple other companies there that I am eager to try throughout the rest of the week, Otaru, Hakodate, and Taisetsu, but those will had to have waited as well. So I took the train back to the hostel and rested up a bit. After about an hour, I decided it was time to eat, so I asked the lady at the front desk where a good cheap place to eat was. She recommended the ramen shop on the corner, so I went there. The shop was a tiny wood covered building with a sliding door. I entered the restaurant and found myself being the only one there. I sat down, and decided to try something new, so I ordered the spicy ramen. Boy was it spicy!! I'm pretty sure I went through a pitcher of water while eating. Anyways, after having that delicious meal, I decided it was time to rest up for whatever I am going to do tomorrow. I took a nice hot Japanese style bath before going to bed, during which I had a nice chat with a Japanese man staying in the same hostel as me. Remember that in japan, baths are public, so if you plan to go to one during your stay, you better not be afraid to be naked in front of others. The taboo of it in america is not how it is in the rest of the world. Yeah, so I don't really have anything specific planned for tomorrow, but I'm sure I'll make a day trip to some city near Sapporo. Something always happens everyday, whether I expect it or not.Well, we'll see what happens!

Go Forth to the North!!!!!

Today started off on a bit of a sad note for me, sad because I was leaving such a great city with such great people and a great hostel. But I must move forth and continue on my journey to the north. I woke up a little before the call for breakfast due to a very strange dream I had. It involved me being a birthday party for a friend and watching a movie that seemed to be a mix of Hook and Alladin. The whole dream was essentially me watching this movie. It was a little too much Robin Williams for me. Not that I don't like him, it was just too much. Anyways, breakfast was called after about ten minutes, and everyone went downstairs to the table. The breakfast was amazingly delicious, containing herbs and vegetables from the garden in the back, and was served alongside coffee and tea. The manager asked me where I was going and where I was staying, and I told him I was going to Sapporo and that I am stayig in another hostel. After breakfast, I went back upstairs and reorganized my stuff so I could pack up better. After everything was gathered and packed up, I grabbed the sheets and folded them up. I brought all of my stuff downstairs and put the sheets in the designated bag. Before I left, I said goodbye to the manager and thanked him for everything. I then proceeded outside to the bus stop and waited for the bus to come. I rode the bus to Aomori station, got my JR tickets, and boarded the train for Hakodate. The coolest part of this train ride was going through the underground tunnel, which connects Honshu to Hokkaido. It goes completely under the ocean, until you pop out into the bottom of Hokkaido. I just arrived at Hakodate station and am waiting for my train to Sapporo. I have a good hour and a half to wait, so I'm going to go find some food. Plus, it's cool and sunny outside, so I might walk around for a bit.

Hakodate is a very nice port city. It reminded me of east coast America during the 1850s. The sidewalks are made with red gravel, and there is an amazingly large fish market. It was definitely twice as large as Aomori's and had twice as many fish. Hakodate is famous for their fish, and I definitely could see that. Also of note: you know how in nintendo's video games, or certain others, the melons have that T shaped stem? Well, that's what they look like in japan, and they are as delicious as they are expensive. One of those melons costs about ¥1,200, which is equal to about $15 USD. That's one expensive melon, if you ask me! Anyways, after exploring the fish market, I went back to Hakodate station and got something to eat quickly. I ended up going to a restaurant on the second floor of the building, and got a nice order of cold soba with tenpura. Definitely a great meal to have on a sunny day! What was especially nice about this restaurant was that it had a great view of the fish market and the people who were shopping there. After eating I went to a kiosk and picked up a new type of beer. It's called Kita no Shokunin Choujuku, made by Asahi, and is only available in Hokkaido. I finish drinking it a bit ago and it tasted great. While I'm in Hokkaido, I will be creating a beer log so that all of you can go out and try the great beers of japan. So, after I finished eating it wnet back downstairs and entered the gate to get to my train. I boarded the train, and a couple of minutes later we were off. I was sitting on the train, looking out the window, until I had to go to the bathroom. I got up and walked to the front of the train and opened the bathroom door halfway, only to find a little boy taking a poo. I closed it quickly and turned around to find the mother standing there. I said sorry and she said it was ok and that her son doesn't know how to lock the door. We started talking and it turns out that she is trying to learn how to speak English, so our conversation was a mix of Japanese and English. She asked me where I was from and where I was going, and we talked about different things for about 20 minutes. She told me that she is a dairy farmer from way up north (I can't remember what town she said) and that she has three kids. I told her how I have two other brothers, and that I was the middle. She was very kind and friendly, and she even gave me a small snack. We talked for a little bit more, and then we both went back to our seats. The rest of the train ride was much like the others, with me being mesmerized by the scenery outside. Hokkaido has a very different feel to it, in the way it looks and the weather it has. First of all, the trees are a much lighter green than on the main island, and secondly, it's not humid at all. The weather is sunny and cold, a very nice combination. So after a seven hour train ride from Aomori, I reached my destination of Sopporo. The train station is so different in Sapporo. Not because I can't use my JR pass, but because of the way it is set up. Everything is orderly, from the stores to the location of the subway lines. Because of this, it was very easy for me to find my train. The most annoying thing was having to pay for a train ticket. It's not that it's expensive, but because I will be here for almost a week, I know it going to build up. Anyways, after getting my train ticket and transfering from Hokkaido station to Odori park station, I took the next train to the Shiroishi stop, which is where my hostel is located. I got off the train and walked up the stairs to the exit. It was then that I noticed a big difference between Sapporo and Tokyo....Everything. Sapporo is different from Tokyo in almost every way, aside from the Japanese. Sapporo has a gridded street system and is shaped into a perfect square, making it super easy to navigate. Some American was called to japan in the 1800s to help them set up the layout for the city, and that is why it is gridded. Sapporo is also extremely low and open, mostly made up of one and two story buildings that are spread apart from each othe, not at all like tokyo's cramped construction and connected buildings. Sapporo pretty much feels like Los Angeles, except instead of a large amount of Asians, it's all Asians. So I walked down the street, following the directions that the info desk at JR Sapporo station gave me, and finally reached the hostel. It's a nice little building 2 houses down from a main street corner. Once I walked inside, I got the feeling that it was going to be a comfortable stay. I took my shoes off at the door, put in slippers, and walked in. I was greeted with a big hello from the woman behind the desk, and she took down all of my information in preparation for my stay. After all of the logistics, I took a seat right at the computer and frantically checked my email, Twitter, facebook, etc after being away from a computer for five days. The rest of the night has been pretty slow; I decided not to go do anything more because of the time, and just went to the corner store and picked up some prepackaged Soba and another type of beer. By the way, along this trip I will be keeping a log of all of the different beers I will be having so you all know what's good and what isn't. This time I got a specialty Hokkaido beer, but I forgotvthe name. I'll have to find out again. After that deliciously cheap meal, I decided to use the shower facilities to relax. The hostel has a Japanese style bath, which for those of you don't know, is like a jacuzzi. You wash off first, and then you go into the bath to soak. It's extremely against the rules anywhere to enter a bath without washing off. The same oges for onsen as well. Now I'm just typing along, preparing to go to bed after a long train ride. There's something about just sitting and traveling that really drains the body. Today was full of travel, but tomorrow will be full of adventure! And beer, 'cause I'm going to the Sapporo beer museum. Till next time...er...tomorrow.

Super Adventure Time!!!! Aomori Style!!!!!

Wow, what a day! Who knew so much could happen in such a short amount of time! Aomori is definitely the little town with a strong punch. I don't even know where to start. Well, that's actually not true, because I'm going to start with waking up. So, last night was probably the best sleep I've gotten this whole trip. I'm guessing that's because I'm getting use to the time change finally. So I woke up around 7, after hearing the call for breakfast. So after taking about five minutes to get out of bed, I went downstairs only to find out that the breakfast was only for people who reserved for it. I saw nothing about this on the website, but somehow I get it tomorrow. I didn't really care though, so I just went back to bed. I woke up again at around 9:30 and got ready for the day. After finding out what the time for the bus into town was, I went to the stop and waited, along with the French guy who left for the north this morning. We both boarded the bus when it arrived, heading down to the JR Aomori station. Once we got there, we both wished each other the best of luck during our trips, and then we parted ways. From the JR station, I decided to walk to the pier and check out the bay. It was quite windy outside, but the sun was starting to poke out a bit. I continued to walk along the bridge that followed the oceanside, until I was behind the ASPAM building (a shopping center shaped like a pyramid. I went there a bit later, but I'll get to that soon). It was at this point that my notion that today was going to be slow flew out the window. What I was currently looking at was a local boat competition, with 5 teams racing against each other. All of the competing teams had their own color, and clad with color coded headbands. As the race began, the announcers were describing the different teams and who was in the lead. When the boats pushed off the dock, the leader of each boat started a chant to make sure the team rowed in unison. The funniest team to watch was the blue team, which couldn't get their act together. They started pushing into the dock's pillars, and one of the teammates broke his oar against the pillars. The orange team ended up winning the first race, but they weren't so lucky the next time. I stayed to watch the second race, which was more of the same, but still enjoyable to watch nonetheless. After watching the boat races, I continued to walk along the pier towards some shoddy looking warehouses. This was when the day turned truly amazing. In Aomori they have what is called the Nebuta Matsuri, a giant festival that is one of japan's most epic events. This is the time when people from all over japan come here and just completely let loose, like drunken debauchery type stuff. But it is also a huge cultural event. The city makes giant floats made of paper, which crawl down the street, along with groups of people playing flutes and giant taiko drums and dancers performing ceremonial acts. Now, the festival doesn't start until august 2nd, so sadly I will miss the festivities. But I got the next best thing! Near these warehouses, the people of the city were practicing the dances and musical acts. I fist got to watch them practice the dances, which were very intricate. The dancers were dressed in special clothing, and wore green makeup around their eyes. I only stayed to watch them practice for about 10 minutes, because after that I heard the clamorous sound of symbals and drums. The sound was echoing off the metal of the warehouses, so I wasn't exactly sure where the sound was coming from. I decided to just walk along the edge of the pier, until I came upon the area where people were practicing the songs. It was a large group of about fifty people, both adults and children, playing taiko, flutes, and symbals. I sat and watched with awe as these people practiced a song that must have been over 500 years old. It was quite amazing to see, and all of the performers were so happy while playing their instruments. I sat and watched the practice for at least an hour, just imagining how hard they practice, and the amount of heart they put into these precious celebrations. I assumed that the practice was going to go on for a while, so I departed and headed over to the ASPAM bulding. This is one funky shopping center because it's shaped like a pyramid with the sides cut off. There's about 14 floors to the building, with the first two filled with shops and the rest being a mix of restaurants and offices. While exploring the first floor, I found out that Aomori is famous for it's apples. Many of the shops were selling different types of alcohol made from the apples, apple candies, apple desserts, and apple toys and other trinkets. After browsing through the shops for a bit, I heard the sound of a shamisen and people crowed around a certain spot. So I walked over to the area, only to find a young woman's playing a shamisen on a small stage in the middle of the first floor. I stood and watched as she masterfully plucked the strings and created a most beautiful song. I sat and watched her play three songs before going off to find some food. For a while now I've been wanting to get a shamisen, but that performance just pushed my want to a need. First thing to do when back in America: buy shamisen. Anyways, I went to the elevator of the building and checked which restaurants were in the upper floors. I decided on a place called Nishimura, which I recognized from my travel book. The funny thing is, my travel book says that the ASPAM building is a waste of time, but they also talk about how good the restaurant Nishimura is. They also say it's in a different area, so the book is completely wrong. It's a good thing that I haven't been following it's directions, or I'd be screwed. So I went up to the tenth floor where the restaurant was located and took a seat on the tatami mat clad floor. The waitress asked me what I wanted, and I decided to go with this sashimi meal. I wasn't sure what the different fish were but they were good. Aomori is well known for it's delicious fish, and I found out why. I then got a nice big bottle of Asahi beer to take it all down. Another great thing about this restaurant is that it has an amazing view of the bay, i mean you could see everything all the way to the mountains to the right. After that delicious meal, I browsed the shops a little bit more and then went back tocthe train station. I then decided to go to the Auga market, which is Aomori's very large fish arcade. The cool thing is that the arcade is on the basement floor of a small shopping complex. I walked around the arcade, looking at all of the different types of fish, and then went back to the JR station. Because I was not going to be here for the festival, I decided to go to Nebuta no Sato, or nebuta village, where they keep all of the papercraft floats used during the festival. So I took the bus and was dropped off at the road that takes you there. I walked along the road, following a small stream that flowed alongside the path, and eventually got to the front gate. The great thig about this area is that it is invthe middle of the forest, so you are surrounded by the most beautiful mountains you could ever find. They are covered on every inch with dark green trees, and the mountain mist runs through the branches. I bought a ticket to enter the premises, and walked up a small hill to the warehouse where they keep the floats. Once I got to the top, I was surprised with a giant taiko drum. The thing was about fifty times bigger than a normal taiko drum, and about a thousand times louder. I went up to it, grabbed two of the drumsticks they had there, and started playing. All I could do was smile as I stood there and played this giant taiko. It was amazing, and it was the first time I've ever used a real taiko drum. Before I was just satisfied with Taiko Drum Master for the PS2. I then entered the warehouse and stood before the monstrosities in front of me. Giant paper floats with designs of warriors, sumo wrestlers, dragons, and elemental designs lined up along the wall, each one lit up bright. I walked through the building and stared immensely at each of the floats. They were amazing both in design and craftsmanship. Too bad I won't be at the festival to see the new floats run down the street. After exiting the building, I walked over to the the park area of the complex. There was a quaint little pond with a big statue, and I just sat down and took in everything. It was a serene moment and I felt very much at peace. After a good half hour I walked back to the front gate and checked out the souvenir shop. They were selling a lot of apple based things, just like at the ASPAM building. After leaving the complex, I walk along the road again to where the bus stop was. There was a slight drizzle outside, and the mist over the area was getting thicker. At that moment I felt as if I was in a Japanese woodblock print. I waited for the bus, which came after about twenty minutes, and took it back to Aomori station. Now this is where my night turned into a great adventure!

After getting off the bus at the station, I stopped for dinner at this tiny noodle shop. It was essentially the same thing thing as that place I went to in Asakusabashi, but there was something a little different. Because this place was so tiny, you had to stand while eating. It was hard for me because they counters were put at a height suitable for the average Japanese person, which I am not. So I had to kinda lean at an uncomfortable position to eat. After eating I waited for the bus that would take me back to the hostel to come. The time came for the bus to roll in, but nothin came. I waited another fifteen minutes, and still nothing. I went to the information office and asked when the next bus was coming, and the woman said there are no more buses. She then told me I would have to take a bus to the college near Moya Hills, which is where the hostel is located. So i waited for the bus to come and boarded it right away. It was around 8:30 when I got to the college and was raining outside. I told the bus driver that I was going to Moya Hills and asked him which street I had to take. He then told me to hold on a second, and he closed the door. I have a newfound respect for Japanese bus drivers after what this man did. He went off route and took me to the street I had to walk up. Right after dropping me off, he got up, wnet to the back of the bus, and came back with an umbrella for me. He gave me his own umbrella so that I wouldn't have to walk for twenty minutes in the rain. I thanked him as much as possibly could, and started my trek up the hill. I finally reached the hostel and went inside to a warm welcome from the manager's wife. I then preceded to go upstairs and get my things so I could take a nice hot shower. So, all in all I would rate today as a 10/10 for adventure. Just another day in the cultural exploration experimentation of japan. 

Episode 5: Aomori & and the Greatest Hostel Ever!

Goodbye Tokyo, we will meet again by the week's end. I woke up this morning, gathered my things and folded up the bedding, and departed my hostel for Tokyo station. It was and is still very muggy outside, so I hope that the weather will be nice once I reach Aomori. Japan's weather is very diverse, for it being a small island and all. It's hot at the bottom and cold at the top. Hopefully I'll get to see a bit of snow, but I doubt that will happen because of the time of the year it is. Once I reached Tokyo station, I headed over to the JR ticket booth and got my ticket for the JR Hayate, which goes all the way up to Hachinohe. After waitig in line to get my ticket, I stopped off at one of the many bakeries and picked up a couple of snacks for the long ride. One of the most delicious being a read bean doughnut. Doughnuts in japan are so expensive! A single doughnut costs about 170 yen, which equates to almost 2 dollars, whereas in America doughnuts are like 50 cents. The I got one of my favorite Japanese drinks, Pokari Sweat. This is one of those drinks that they sell at any Japanese market in LA, so I'm sure some of you have had it. But for those who haven't, imagine drinking someone's organ fluids mixed with sugar and elctrolytes. It definitely has that slimey, watery texture to it. Supposedly they say it makes the body absorb it faster. After stocking up on food, I went to the Shinkansen and boarded my car. So now I'm sitting in my seat, enjoying the air conditioned ride up north.

So here I am, still riding the train after three hours. At least I've been kept full thanks to all of those pastries I bought. I was kinda wrong about the weather so far, but it wasn't too far off. It's still sticky outside, but the tempereture did drop a good 12/15 degrees. We'll have to see what it's like when I actually get to Aomori. My travel book says that they get about 35 feet of snow annualy. But I don't know if that is spread out over the year, or if it just all clumps down during winter. Hopefully it will be nice, at least it's raining right now. Anyways, the countryside here is beautiful. It's like the complete opposite of Tokyo in every way. There's only a single train that connects these towns, and the roads are wide and simple. There are rice patties on every side of me, along with multitudes of trees. This is a most enjoyable train ride, and I only hope it gets better.

And better it has gotten! I arrived in Aomori, right on schedule. After getting off the train end exiting the station, I went to the information center and got directions to Moya Kogen, a small stop where my hostel is located. I waited for the bus at the designated stop, but got on the wrong one. Lucky for me, the bus driver dropped me off at my stop because it was on the way, but he was still pissed off at me. I didn't care though. Once I got off the bus, I realized what a wondrous place I was in. The hostel is off a gravel driveway and the building is made out of a special type of cedar. They have a garden in the back, Japanese style tubs, a tatami mat clad reading room, and a little kitchen. The hostel is also the residence of an old man and his wife. The owner used to be a big cyclist back in the day, and rode around New Zealand and Ireland. He has a bunch of books from the places he's been, as well as a large collection of vintage Guinness beer cans on the wall. He even serves Guinness, but that is not the type of beer to have in japan, even if it does taste delicious. So I signed in and gave him my information, and then dropped my stuff next to a bed I chose. Back to talking about this beautiful place, there are only three other buildings within a mile if the hostel. Those three are right across the street, oneof them being a little old woman's home/restaurant that I ate at. I still can't believe how amazing the outer area of Aomori is. Think a mix between the house in My Neighbor Totoro and the land from Princess Mononoke. Yes, I know, quite astonishing. If you look up the street you get a perfect view of the magical looking misty mountainside, which looks like something out of a Japanese woodblock print. After settling in and staring at the scenery outside, I decided to go out for dinner. The hostel owner told me to go to the place next door, so I headed over. Now this was a great and not so great experience. The great experince was going into this place and seeing the inside, as well as eating the food. The house looks like a cabin straight from the rocky mountains, and so does the inside. Right when you walk in, you can see this woman's affinity for owls. She had these cute little glass owls, as well as owl plates mounted on the wall. The whole place was very cozy, especially with the sound of heavy rain coming from outside. Once she put some classical music on, I was sold! I stared out the window for at least 30 minutes before I noticed my food hadn't come yet. Turns out that the woman and I had a misunderstanding. I thought I ordered, and she thought I didn't. Her friends that the was sitting at a table with gave me a look, like they were finding it strange that I didn't order. I finally asked her if my food was ready, anxvthen everything was figured out. It was ok though and I didn't mind, but she felt bad. I told her it was completely fine and she calmed down. Right before all of that, though, the bad happened. Some French guy walked in and sat down. He pointed to what he wanted on an English menu the woman had, and she started on his order. Now the thing was was that the English menu had older prices, about a 50 yen difference, and she made this as clear as she possibly could (she didn't speak any English, mind you). Now, after he was finished with his meal, he went up to pay. She told him how much it was going to cost, and he didn't understand. I translated for her and then said "she asked if it was ok", and he responded "what if it's not?" I kinda shrugged it off, as I was enjoying myself too much, but he didn't pay the extra 50 yen, which is about 70 cent USD. Now that's just rude! She probably only gets about 10-15 customers a day on average. and then after returning to the hostel, I found out he's staying here. Now that i've talked to this guy, I can safely say that he is quite a nice person. He is also travelling to Hokkaido, but he is planning to go way up north, toward the tip of the island. Since I've been back, I've just been enjoying the countryside, staring out the window and sitting on the porch. I am also enjoying the woody smell and warmth of the common room. I hope anyone who gets the chance to come to japan will experience this as I have. This is definitely a top event of my adventure so far.

So what ithought was going to be the end of the night, actually turned out to be the beginning. What I like about this hostel so much is that it is like living with a family, albeit a family of five Japanese, a Frenchman, and a Jew. Damn, I just remembered that I should go visit the only synagogue in japan, but I can't remember where it's located. Anyways, all of sat down for some delicious tea that came from the manager's garden. It was a strange tea that changed color when you added lemon to it. We all talked, some of us I English, some in Japanese, me in both. I talked with the French guy for a while about random things, such as movies, traveling, and such. Then the manager's wife served us cookies and other little teats. It was just a grand ol' time. After that nice little experience, i decided to take a shower in the Japanese style bath. What you essentially do is sit down on a little stool, and then use a hosed shower to wash yourself off. When that is done, you turn a switch which brings the water out of faucet. You then fill up a bucket with water, and use that to wash the shampoo out of your hair. It was refreshing to wash off after being in Tokyo earlier, especially since I sweated so much from lugging around a packed suitcase all the way through Tokyo station. Now, about 5 minutes ago, a Japanese bee flew into the room after being attracted to the light. Man was that thing huge! I would say it was at least 1 1/2 inches long. It scared the shit out of me, but the guy next to me killed it. So, as yet another day of adventure occured, I leave you with knowledge.....because knowledge is power.