Advertisement
Published: August 28th 2008
Edit Blog Post
Fame
Mavi with students A few weeks ago I had a few days off so I made the trek back to Eastern Hokkaido. Eastern Hokkaido has a lot to offer if you can see beyond the countryside. Mountains great for hiking and seeing wildlife and plants, drift ice, parks, great scenery and lookouts, onsens, amazing sunsets....
I arrived to Abashiri around 1 and was met by Mavi and Chris. Andy hadn't arrived yet, so we went back to Mavi's for some tea. Then when Andy arrived we went for lunch. Lunch turned out to be a mission! A lot of places were closing so we drove around and had the brilliant idea to take a helicopter ride after lunch! We ended up eating at a new soup curry place and some of Mavi's students were there and thought she was famous and took a million pictures with her.
After lunch we went for the helicopter ride! It was pricey...but it was so much fun! The four of us crammed into the back and we took off over the drift ice. It was over before you could say supercalifragilispiexpialidocious backwards, but still so much fun!
Andy and I played on drift ice than
James and Nick came so Chris buggered off with and Mavi Nick James Andy and I bummed around and eventually ended up getting Indian for dinner. Then Andy and I were off to his apt. in Naka shibetsu.
We ended up cleaning his apt. Not cleaning so much but exploring the cabinets, bureaus and other realms that held surprises much to our delight! It all started with us trying to clear off the table.
In the a.m. we drove to the shrimp pennisula only to discover he had forgotten his camera and he had forgotten to put my memory card back in mine! So we explored the coast and took as many photos as my camera would allow me then it was back to town for lunch and camera and memory card retrieving. I will admit I was kinda upset once I realized how amazingly beautiful the pennisula was.
After lunch Andy donned the cow costume and we drove to a lookout in his town in took funny frolicing cow pictures and watched the sun set. The moon was really bright that night. We had dinner in the mall and bumped into a few of his students. He
after the heli ride
the 4 of us: proof of survival! said they always ignore him, and were only talking to him because I was there! ha, ha!
We went to a hotel onsen. It was ok. I got locked outside, er rather, the door got stuck, and I looked quite foolish trying to open it in my birthday suit!
Next we were off to karaoke...between me and Andy there is always a song to be sung.
On the next day we got up and drove to Nemuro. Unfortuantly we forgot the cow costume...but Nemuro was gorgeous. Ridiculously windy, blowing the car all over. I was especially fond of the bright yellow signs along the road that said *minna no michi* (Everyone's road). The landscape reminded me of Ireland and I can only imagine just how gorgeous it is in Nemuro in summertime when everything is GREEN!
We stopped at the touristy point. Also the eastern most point to Hokkaido (maybe Japan?) and tried to get lunch, but they wouldn't serve us...said they were out of food even though they served someone while we were in there. I think it is because they thought I was Russian. The disputed Kuril (russian name) Islands can be seen from
that point and are a sore point for many Japanese who think the islands belong to them. So we left VERY hungry and attempted to find a place to eat. We ended up not eating until we got to a conbini and by that time we were starving!
Drove back to town and got dinner. I ordered bibimba but it came raw and uncooked. Yuck. So I asked for it to be put in the microwave or something. I couldn't believe they eat bibimba cold. Anyway, they finally put it in the ishiyaki bowl (stone) and cooked it. I felt bad, but there was no way I was going to eat it the way it was.
We rented a movie and spent most of the night downloading all the photos I'd taken. Which was a lot!
Next morning we got up early-ish and went back to the shrimp pennisula. On the way there we noticed drift ice had settled along the shore. It was so beautiful. We, of course, had to stop and take mass quantities of photos before continuing on to the penninsula.
We didn't have much time, so we spent maybe an hour there
models
modeling with the heli model
Me Chris Mavi and then started the drive to Abashiri. We got there a little late, but James and Nick were quite patient with us and we had a nice long leisurely lunch together at Victoria's. Then we parted in the parking lot. Always sad cuz you never know when you'll meet again...
At that time Mavi gave us a ring and so we dropped by her place for a cup'a tea before I had to head off to the station.
All in all, a really nice weekend. I'm so lucky to A) have friends B) have friends who live in such beautiful areas!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.117s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 11; qc: 52; dbt: 0.0804s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 2;
; mem: 1.2mb