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View from our Bedroom
This shot was taken when we first arrived, so the snow on Yotei has melted considerably ( but not completely) and the trees now have beautiful bright green leaves.Konichiwa from Far North Japan!!!
Hokkaido in Springtime has proven to be somewhat colder than back in Oz! But beautiful neverthless. We've been here for almost 2 months now, and the change has been quite dramatic. When we arrived there was still meters of snow on the ground and training on the river in sub-zero temperatures was certainly 'refreshing'!! Now though, we're having some sunny days and are eagerly anticipating warmer weather. We MUST have acclimatised, as we're finding ourselves comfortably in T-Shirts on balmy 16 degree days!
We've been taking customers down the Summer Course of the river for about a month now. Generally, we take six or seven 16-year-old Japanese kids who are on school camp in Hokkaido. Generally, they are cheeky, disobedient and very VERY crap at paddling! Our Nihongo is steadily improving as all commands and conversation on the raft is in Japanese. Most of our colleagues are Japanese also, as well as a fair contingent of impressively experienced guides from Nepal. The river is only a grade 2, but still challenging to guide seeing as the water level is high and the current fast. There are parts of the river where strainers (trees on
Raft Guide Interns
Each Sunday night the 10 of us interns (first year raft guides) get together here at Takenoko for dinner. One week a Gaijin cooks, the next a Nihonjin...and so it goes. This was Sal & Gav's Spag Bol night! the banks which are partially submerged, partially exposed) and tetrapods (3 dimensional concrete crosses) make for a potentially dangerous experience...as discovered by Sal a couple of days ago! All 7 customers were recovered, somewhat shocked and teary, but thankfully ok. Sal has three stitches in her foot and thus a few days off work....hence the geekish setup of this travelblog!
Anyway, essentially we're having an amazing experience..again! Hokkaido is stunningly beautiful. The pace of life here is just the seachange we have been looking for. Our days start with Yotei-san in full view out our bedroom window, the sound of birds chirping and the river gushing by in the distance. Very peaceful. Then we get to work and Japanic sets in! Tranquility is lost for the duration of the school trip; high pace, high tension Nihonjin make for several giggles a day (if not frustrated shakes of the head!) and then we walk peacefully home again to watch the sunset, eat a healthy dinner & retire to bed early for another day on the river.
Shall attach a couple of images we've taken over the past 2 months and see if this blogger thing is something we're dorky
Gang at Otaru
Otaru is a port town about an hour's drive from here. This shot was taken on a day off on our way home from Sapporo. enough to keep going with!
Hope all's well in your parts of the world...
Sal n' Gav
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anonymous
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nie one
Wow Sal, your geekiness has really shown on this webpage, but my god well done! Great to hear you are both having a ball. Keep this page going xx - Soph