Day 2 - Abashiri

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Today started with a massive breakfast in the hotel before being dropped off at Abashiri prison museum.



Pretty much the only thing I wanted to go to when I planned this trip and Abashiri being one of the stops.

There's something mysterious about the old prison (now a museum).

One but thousands of prisoner escaped.

The prisoners also BUILT Abashiri.



I spent about two hours there and then I wanted to go to the Drift Ice ( Ryuhyo) museum. The map said it's only down the road. The staffs at the prison said it's only 20 minutes walk up the road.



I think I might have mistaken something somewhere because it was about an hour's walk when I got there.

Maybe she meant 20 minutes drive.

I wasn't sure, she's got a bit of an accent and my Japanese isn't quite as up to scratch as I think it was.

Anyways, I got there eventually - track my way up the hill, with a pair of falling apart snow boots.

I tried to stuck it back last night but it didn't quite stick as well as I want it to.

They are still perfectly fine, and I have stuck them back again so hopefully they'll last until I get back to Sapporo where the shops are really really good.



The drift ice museum was really interesting, it also has a great view down the mountain. It is situated in Mount Tento and you can see the whole of Abashiri from there.

I couldn't.

It was like massively snowing and it was cold and yet.

I wasn't skiing and I have freaking skiing goggles.

Only they were in my suitcase in the hotel.

Not on my head.



The snow was so bad I had to call for a taxi to take me to the station and go into town for something little, but I ended up going to the drift ice glass factory instead.

I learnt how to make my own glass.

It was so pretty and they are going to ship it back to me because it take more than just 30 minutes to finish it off.



When I finished, I headed back to the hotel and had a wander round the grounds.

It's absolutely breathtaking.



Then I kinda ate my weight of dessert.

I had dinner too of course but dessert was so much more important.



Heading to Asahigawa tomorrow.



Another five hours on the train.

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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Don't leave home without your ski goggles
After all the walking you can afford to have dessert. Sounds like you learned a lot today.