Kushiro Royal Inn

... it around the bottom and started coming North, it improved again. After my circumnavigation I treated myself to a dip in the Rishiri-fuji onsen. It was a much-needed stop after about 4 days without a shower and I enjoyed lounging in the rotemburo and soaking my sore muscles. After that I dropped off the scooter and had about twenty minutes before the ferry took off for Wakkanai. I didn't really want to leave and rationalized it, saying I would come back at the end of my ...

... hoping that my tent wouldn't collapse like the one that had been set up next to me. That was the glorious start of my vacation. The weather finally did break by Saturday night and I was up early (~4:30 am) on Sunday morning to pack up my tent and get to the terminal to catch the first ferry over to Rebun. You would think that the ferry terminal to a major tourist destination like these two islands would have ample parking and movement space. Well, in this case, you would be ...

... camera bag too). Once we passed through that we could see the ridge above us. I picked up the trail again but after a few minutes it completely disappeared when we hit the treeline. The wind was obviously very active here as the snow had hardened into heavy crust and the surface was adorned with all sorts of intricate, mesmerizing patters. I tried to photograph them but I just couldn't get them to seem as dynamic as they looked to my naked eye. Once the ...

... where each day the student's would learn different descriptive words related to each sense. To hammer home the point and make it stick they were also given a lot of samples to hear, touch, smell, see, and taste. I happened to come on the best day, that being 'taste'...So I helped set up a couple tables and fold and glue some paper nametags together. It certainly felt like elementary school. Her kids came in at 8:30 and settled in. She's a fun but firm teacher and never ...

... most functions or aspects of Japanese life, is highly organized (some would say 'regimented') to the point that most sponteniety is wrung out of the process. Along with the standard obligations of getting the hall prepared for the reception and making the other necessary contacts and arrangements, he was also somewhat obligated to create his own 'newspaper' for the all of the attending guests. He had to interview his fiance's father and come up with all sorts of other ...

... what I saw hardly qualified as "beautiful". It was a 35-foot drop of water into a sullen and unasuming pool below. More than average when it comes to waterfalls and a bit on the uninspired side, I found the path the stream took down the narrow canyon to be a lot more interesting than it's source. I had forgotten to get gas the night before and that was a mistake; especially since I was ready to make the hour and a half trek north to Shikotsu-ko. As anyone who has traveled in ...

... in the direction of Nakashibetsu and all other points west. Our first stop along the way was the Kaiyodai observatory. I had gone here earlier in the summer but wasn't able to see too much because of the haze...This day was a lot different though. It was amazingly clear but incredibly cold, with the wind whipping our exposed faces and hands. This kept all the people away though...The parking lot had been cleared but the steps leading up to the observatory itself were ...

... a very popular cartoon character here), and taiko drummers. Even the administrators got into the act and dressed up in anponman costumes to do their own dance number. I hung around afterwards, hoping to see some of the kids but most of them either slipped out the back (the oldest rock star move there is) or were too busy with their friends and family to notice me. As the crowd thinned out I figured I had had my moment and headed home to try and catch up on some sleep.

... to-wall wood construction, well-equipped science, music, and art rooms, and a really nice stained glass window that stares at you when you come in from the students entrance...Yes, that's right, the teachers and students usually have different entrances to the school. It actually works out better that way because of how you always have to change your shoes when you enter the building. There would be quite a backup at times if everyone was trying to change in the same place at the ...

... started. Shibecha high school had a huge tube-like tent that they had set up and were selling and cooking all sorts of home-made products. Since it is an agricultural high school there was plenty of butter to be had, along with cookies, potatoes, and plenty of meat-related products. They were even selling some flowers and I bought one; despite the fact that it terrifies me to have another living thing depend on me. I figured my house could use something else that was ...