Kanihonjin Yuaiso Abashiri

... is really rustic, formed by basically boulders which makes it difficult to get a good seat. I've got lots of interesting scratches to prove this. But the water was warm, hot even, and the snow on my shoulders was super relaxing, and had conversation with more Australians (apparently, they love to come over on work visas and instruct at ski resorts).

Dinner was sad affair of 100 yen ramen and miso soup--at the same table where everyone else had ordered dinner and ...

... some of the displays! I continued from here up to the top of a mountain to get a good view of the ice floes on the sea. Yes it`s bloomin` cold here! The museum of Northern Peoples documents the indigenous Ainus of Japan and their links with inuits, native Americans etc. It was an amazing museum and well worth the 14km hike! Pics to follow....

... dropping the car in Asahikawa, we checked into our first business hotel. Tiny, but serviceable, I was delighted to discover I could stand up in the step-up-into tiny bathroom. The best thing about the hotel was its Japanese/Western breakfast buffet, which made up for its frequent mediocrity with its great variety. Well stuffed, we then caught the bus to Daisetszan National Park. Arriving in the middle of a ...

... lifeless zone, presumably due to the noxiousness of the fumes. Going on to Lake Akan, we drove its perimeter which supports a number of onsen (hot spring baths) that are part of small resort hotels. At the south end of the lake we reached a small peninsula with a trail that gave fine views of the lake. At the end of our walk we discovered a rotemburo, or outdoor hotspring bath. Dumping our duds, we steeped ourselves in the steaming water, a welcome salve at the end of our hike.

... your way to anywhere that has a phone number or code that appears on a map by following the directional prompts on the screen. When we hear the ever-patient liltingly sweet female voice of the GPS, we know we have to pay attention. Aside from the adjustment to left side of the road driving, motoring in Hokkaido is a breeze. They seem to have gone out of their way to make it easy for English ...

... apagado. No quiero pagar 60 euros en el hotel que se ve abierto. Me paso media hora buscando entre tinieblas una pension (nada facil, con los letreros todos en japones) Y lo consigo. Una viejecita, como mi abuela, me abre la puerta de su ryokan, casa de viajeros, y me aloja en uno de los cuartos a tal efecto, en su casa. Es lo mas barato que se encuentra aqui. 26 euros. Comodo, duermo con edredones tirado en un futon sobre el suelo. Como en las yurtas en ...

... need to be naked. The only difference is that, you don't really need to mix up with guys actually. They are seperated into ladies and gents division but of course you got to be naked when you are in it. So, it's either you let people see what you have, or you pay the trip to stay in your hotel room.

... but that never happened. However, it was the right decision because the weather took a turn for the worse after that for about the next week and I probably wouldn't have been able to climb it at any point during that time either. So I found myself back at the same campground overlooking Wakkanai that I had left a few days before and, once again, that evening I was treated to another soaking rain storm. In the morning I left for Sapporo and, what I hoped was, drier weather.

... train changes - but it's well worth it once you're there. Hokkaido laughs in the face of global warming - even in early December there was plenty of snow, which compensated for some pretty rusty technique and made for a soft landing. Ant assumed her usual place on the board, while I stayed traditional and opted for the planks, all of which was supplied (together with ...

... train station. It was designated as a World Cultural Heritage Site and a National Treasure of Japan. Considering that there are only four national treasure castles in Japan (Himeji, Inuyama, Hikone, and Matsumoto), Himeji Castle is a must-see. In fact, there were more tourists from overseas in Himeji than I had expected. I felt the castle was well-preserved, and partly well-restored and well-prepared for both domestic and international tourists.

@Nikko (see "Tokyo Hot Spot")