Japan, Hokkaido , day Abashiri

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Day 9 Abashiri

My it is hot here in Abashiri Town and with the fan on low to keep the noise down we slept badly and at 5.30 I got up to try the Notebook on WiFi before anyone else was on but still it would not work. This means doing this blog on my phone and no photos yet. Most of us chose an educational morning with a visit to the Museum of the People's of the North. This traced many of the Inuits that survived in the North such as Alaska, Russia, Norway etc. It was a very interesting visit tracing their customs, way of life, their food sources, the clothing they made and the tools and equipment produced from available materials such as bone and wood. One interesting fact was their use of animal intestine for a waterproof shell suit for use when kayaking. Their fishing tools were also quite clever and varied depending on conditions and type of catch. Our second visit was to The Ice Museum, where we went into a room with actual icebergs kept at a temperature of -15deg C. I touched one and my fingers did not fall off - well not yet anyway. It included a very good film about all the ice from the oceans around Russia which passes these shores heading South each winter. By lunch time we were museumed up so off we went to a local eating establishment where, to make things simple, using sign language we all ordered spaghetti. Noodles were apparently off today. This was followed later by a coffee and cake at the 7/11 (250 Yen) which was less than £1.70, bargain. A quicklook around the harbour and then back to the B&B to catch up on some sleep in this humid climate. the evening meal was a bit chaotic with 18 people all ordering different things and the bill being put together. Our local guide Ken is very robust and managed to sort it out without problem. A brisk walk up the big hill and a floor bed in 30 degrees again ready for a showery day tomorrow, we believe. The destination is South at Keshikaga Town by Kussharoko Lake Someone has to do it.

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