I had booked a couple of nights in Asahikawa (central Hokkaido). I wanted to explore the town, and also intended to make a day trip out to Furano/Biei, a picture perfect region located just to the south of Asahikawa. Furano's gentle rolling hills with sculpted fields of colorful flowers stretch for as far as the eye can see. By now it was late August so many of the crops had been harvested already, so there was less color than I had hoped for. Note to self – come back again in June or July. But the region was, and is, a must see, and all in all it was a great day of riding and exploring.
I managed another rendezvous with my cycling friend, who was just passing through Biei on his way around the northern side of Daisetsuzan National Park and on to Sounkyo Gorge. We had some lunch in the park and caught up on the last couple of days of 'riding'.
I was soon to follow his same route, but decided to stay an extra night in Asahikawa, as there was heavy rain forecast for the next 24hrs. It turned out to be a nice way of slowing down the trip. Thankfully there is one Starbucks in Asahikawa, so I camped up there for a few hours, watched the heavens open, and took in the daily lives of the average Mrs Suzuki in Asahikawa.
The next day, my ride took me around Daisetsuzan and down through the Sounkyo Gorge. But whereas my friend had taken the more northerly route towards Kitami, I took the more southerly route, because I really wanted to head over Mikuni pass and down toward Lake Akanko, well-known for its old Ainu heritage. The views from the lookout at Mikuni were really out of this world – dense forest for miles and miles, and that was where I was headed. I was now deep in Hokkaido's interior. Most tourists don't make it this far; only those with time and a sense of adventure venture to the east.
The main street of Akan was lined with Ainu souvenir shops, each one full to the brim with handmade artifacts, but each little shop was almost identical to the next. I chatted a little with some local craftsmen, and enjoyed a very un-Ainu ice-cream, before deciding to stay at a different lake further up the road; Lake Kussharo. I was running behind schedule now and had to keep moving. I had already been away from Tokyo for 10 days, and this trip could not go on forever. I needed to get to Shiretoko Peninsula, UNESCO-heritage listed and the ultimate goal of my trip.
The following morning I was up early again, now running fairly in-sync with the sun. From Lake Kussharo, I headed up to its smaller sibling, Lake Mashu. This magnificent crater lake offered some fantastic views from the lookout, and the road along the ridge was another standout. It was not far from here to the coast, the Sea of Ohkusk. Frozen solid for much of the winter, it seemed harmless enough today. I put my head down and headed for Utoro town, the entryway to Shiretoko National Park. I wanted to get to the Goko lakes area, and I needed to get there fast as the sun was lowering in the sky once again. At the lakes district, there is an elevated walkway that takes you out over the terrain. The path is protected by a small unobtrusive electric barrier, designed apparently to keep the bears from climbing up and joining the sightseers. A prudent measure of course, however I must say I was a little disappointed to not see a single bear the whole time I was up Hokkaido. My cycling friend swears he did, and apparently snapped a shot to prove it.
The last stage of today's ride was across the peninsula. I had read somewhere that the east and the west side of Shiretoko have extremely different climates. At the time, I gave it no thought, but as I reached the pass at 700m, it all came flooding back. Suddenly I was in deep fog. As I rode down to Rausu town, it felt as if they hadn't seen the sun in decades, and this was mid summer. It was damp and cold, and now getting dark. I stopped in at the park ranger's office to ask about a campsite. Thankfully there was one just up the road, and across from an onsen. Bonus!
After setting up for the night, I grabbed my things and headed to the onsen. The onsen had become my nightly ritual, where in addition to having a nice bath, I could also use the facilities - grab a bite to eat and power up phone, computer, batteries, etc. Well, here I had expected the same. With a flashlight on my head, I crossed over the rickety old suspension bridge that crossed a fast flowing stream. Voices came from the forest, so I headed in that direction. I found a little hut for getting changed, and then a large natural onsen deep in the forest next to the stream. Now this was hardcore. Around ten locals were gathered around naked in the scorching hot rockpool, shooting the 'Rausu' breeze in the dark. I have been here a while in Japan, so can understand most conversations, but the dialect that these guys were using had me completely and utterly lost. I opted to keep quiet, fade into the darkness and just take it all in. But when they left, I figured I probably should too. Do the local bears also enjoy this natural forest onsen?! I wasn't going to stick around to find out.
(Below: Freaky looking bug on my towel, waiting for me after I got out of the onsen)
(to be continued)...