Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
I'm in love.
Hakodate is officially the best place ever :P but i'll have to talk more about that later, because I've been up to other things earlier today that weren't really as interesting, but nevertheless must be recounted. Had a nice mooch round Shinagawa station before my short trip to Tokyo station, bought some mouth watering bread from the bakery, when you walk past the smell of freshly baked pastries hits you like a shinkansen (but in a good way), you just can't resist it. Train was packed mostly with commuters, but still bearable. At least it was air-conditioned. At tokyo station I had lots of time to buy a bento box meal for my reserved bullet train to Hachinohe (the first leg of my epic trip all the way to
Sapporo in the northern island of Hokkaido). Nice journey, smooth as always, and my lunch was tasty :) got chatting on the train again too, i always love doing that. It was over 3 hours, and then a quick transfer, which I'[m glad i managed. Next was a more basic train to the fishing town of
Hakodate, another 3 and a bit hours away. We paused a few times along the way (you have to be careful you're in the right carriage too, because the train can split and go different ways!), and we went through the seikan tunnel which links the 2 islands. My hotel is right near the train station, and also the morning market (tomorrow's itinerary), so very convenient. It's the sweetest hotel ever, there are even welcoming dog statues in the entrance! Despite the fact there was a free curry dinner available, I declined because I wanted to find out about a local dish called
ishikari nabe, a stew of salmon, mushroom, cabbage, etc etc in miso broth. The lovely receptionist phoned all the restaurants in the area to find it for me, and it looked a bit bleak, but then at the last minute she found somewhere. I went out to find it, and chatted to some local fisherman on the way. This town is just so charming! Eventually found the place, and I watched the sushi master at work. I got talking with everyone, they were so easy to get on with. The pot of stew was placed bubbling before me, and they brought me extra things like tea, water and tempura shrimp. The stew was phenomenal, so incredibly tasty, I even tried a bit of fish eye because the chef dared me to! They gave me a japanese postbox money box and some sweeties, and the bill came to 1000yen, less than £8!!! Plus, I don't think they even usually cook that dish, so I feel so priviledged. I took some photos and ran to catch a special bus to the top of
Hakodate-yama (mount hakodate). I thought going in the dark would be a bad thing, how wrong I was!! As we wound upward, I turned my head and my jaw dropped. The whole landscape below glimmered and glistened in a huge blanket, every passenger on board gasped. I tried to take some pictures from the top, but you
need to see it with your own eyes to believe it. There was a great gift shop too, and I went a bit mad, buying insane flavours of chocolate (sapporo beer, tomato, corn), a glow in the dark postcard, ume plum gum, all sorts. I got an ice cream that was in the shape of an ear of corn (hokkaido's special exports are corn, dairy products, sapporo beer, melon and miso ramen soup). It tasted amazing. Got the bus back and still gawped at the landscape, and wandered back to my hotel. There was also a cable car to the summit, but the bus cost me only 500 yen (less than £4), instead of 720 yen, as i bought the ticket as a deal from the hotel. Like so many places I've been to already, I'd love to stay here for longer, there's so much to see. And as I said before, I'm in love. Gonna try to get up super early for the market tomorrow, then
Sapporo!
Nighty night
Louise xxxx
