| Daisetsuzan National Park, Lake ToyaBy Diana and Xuyen |
SAPPORO TO DAISETSUZAN NATIONAL PARK (JAPAN) (09/10/07) - DAY 55
Yesterday morning X made repeated attempts to book a vehicle over the internet for our next few days journey to the outdoor, untouched rugged regions of Hokkaido. My research prior had told me that the unspoilt frontier & natural wonderland that many escape to Hokkaido for are impossible to see without your own set of wheels as public transportation is few & far between. Not receiving any positive responses, X walked down to the Mazda Car Rentals & managed to secure us a small automatic 4 door Mazda Demio (Mazda 2 back home, and incredibly is fitted out as a AWD with electric motors driving the rear wheels - X) at a rate of 5000Y/day ($AU48) for 5 days. All car rentals in Japan come standard with a satellite navigation system but of course the language was Japanese only which didn’t bother X as he simply turned down the guide’s volume & relied instead on the visual directions, following the pink arrow on the screen. I was amazed at X’s ability to fiddle around with the foreign device, bypassing all the Japanese instructions & entering the phone number of our destinations for the clever gadget to guide us to right to the doorstep. The amazing little “Einstein” also allows you to choose travel via toll roads & calculates the exact fee for you or alternatively the cheaper option of driving along back routes to bypass the toll fees. The many toll roads scattered along our route meant the journey would cost at least an extra $40 so we chose the longer but cheaper option. Obviously having this Sat Nav (which is a more advanced version than our own Tom Tom) saved X a lot of time & headache not having to consult a refidex whilst simultaneously driving as we all know how completely useless I am in the map reading department.
Our trusty Mazda Demio rental vehicle which served us well for 5 days
The long but scenic drive to Daisetsuzan National Park took 5 hours but we enjoyed the stunning backdrop of the mountains, lush green valleys & rolling hills. Along the way we were rewarded with a glimpse of the other side of Japan, away from the jungles of concrete & steel, where rich, green farmland, rice paddies, virgin mountains & wide open spaces adorns the countryside. We admired the unique, quaint style of the Japanese country homes with their colourful paintwork, sloping rooflines & immaculate appearance. The rain drizzled on & off all day with the bite in the outside air confining us to the car the whole journey, stopping briefly only for restroom breaks & a lunch of sandwiches which X gobbled down whilst driving with one hand. The rental was an automatic but I vehemently declined X’s offer for me to relieve him of the driving as I detest having X as a passenger with his disapproving eyes boring into me & constant criticisms regarding my driving skills. I had to endure that agonising experience once during his 6 week confinement in a plaster cast when he broke his left forearm whilst playing tennis.
(For those who may wonder about driving in Japan, it is very safe, with every one being very polite. However, it is also an exercise in patience as the fast routes via tollways are surprisingly very expensive even for short distances. And taking alternative routes are usually one lane each direction. Incredibly, most roads in Japan including the freeways are limited to 80km/hr! I first thought that this was in Hokkaido only due to the snowy conditions, but I noticed this when we returned to the other islands as well. However, a lot of people do drive a bit over the limit everywhere, and police presence is practically nil - X).
We reached the Sounkyo Visitor Centre at 4:30pm & found the temperature outside to be icy cold. We asked for assistance with accommodation for the night & when the lady rattled off prices for fancy hotels in the vicinity of over 25,000Y/pn ($AU240) we were gobsmacked at the hefty price tag. X timidly asked her for something cheaper, then cheaper still when she quoted prices in the 160,000Y mark. Even pensions without private ensuites were in that price range, although all establishments include two meals. Close to despair, X told me our only option was a hostel to which I reluctantly agreed to. Our guidebook listed the Sounkyo Hostelling International as being the only cheap sleeping option in the area so we asked the lady to call & reserve a room for us.
On the short drive to the hostel X slowed down twice to get his bearings, not realising that each time he stopped in front of a fancy hotel that the staff would come running out to greet us, assuming we were guests staying there. How embarrassing to have to shake our heads & apologise profusely each time.
The hostel was a pleasant surprise being much neater, cleaner & more spacious than the previous 2 we have stayed at in Japan. The kindly owner put us into a large dorm tatami mat room which could sleep at least 6 but we had the room to ourselves. Downstairs in the recreation room we were surprised to find 3 elderly Japanese couples staying for the night so I guess not all Japanese people are as well off as most of us are led to believe. In fact we have noticed that many of the elderly in Japan work well past retirement age with some 70 something year olds still slaving away in housekeeping, cleaning & garden maintenance jobs. I am reminded by X’s favourite mantra of “See how lucky you are” each time we come across some of these poor weary looking souls, reminding me that I should be grateful for the lifestyle that we have & to stop aspiring for more.
We sat down to our supermarket bento box meals in the communal dining room & watched enviously as the oldies were being served their 3 course dinner which we hadn’t ordered from the hostel fearing that we would just be given rice & miso soup for the 1050Y charged. It turned out to be quite a scrumptious & hearty feast of rice, miso soup, teriyaki chicken, salad, pickled veggies, pudding, fruit & green tea, as we snuck surreptitious glances in their direction whilst pretending to enjoy our own bland meals. I quickly wolfed down my food as I wanted to get a jump start on my shower whilst the womens bathroom was empty & free of naked, wrinkly old bodies. Once again it was a typical Japanese onsen type bathroom with miniature stools & detachable shower head to cleanse oneself before hopping in the scalding onsen. I gave the onsen a miss as I just don’t see the point of soaking in a tub after you’ve just showered & thoroughly cleansed your body. The spa tub in our master bedroom back home has been used a grand total of ONE single occasion the whole time we have lived in our house so its use is more aesthetic than practical. I scrubbed & cleaned myself at lightning speed in order to avoid the onslaught of naked old ladies. It was freezing in our room that night so we slept with the heater cranked up high.
DAISETSUZAN NATIONAL PARK (JAPAN) (10/10/07) - DAY 56
Daisetsuzan National Park is Japan’s largest national park with over 230,000 hectares containing a diverse environment of plant & animal life, magnificent landscapes of mountains & marshes, gorges, waterfalls & precipitous cliffs.
Despite the hostel owner’s weather prediction about today’s weather being fine & sunny in the morning followed by afternoon showers, the morning dawned with dismal grey skies & a light sprinkling of rain. Luckily I had unpacked our beanies & mittens in anticipation of sub-zero temperatures on Mt. Kurodake which we were hoping to climb. X is determined to conquer at least one peak whilst in Japan after failing to climb Mt. Fuji.
We parked our car at the Sounkyo-Kurodake Ropeway Station, paid the expensive 1750Y each for the return fare & followed the herd into the ropeway that would take 7 mins to reach the 1300m 5th stage of Mt. Kurodake. The upward journey provided a breathtaking view of the Daisetsu Mountains as well as the profusion of full autumn foliage in the forests below with their rainbow hues of bright yellow, orange, red & green. It was truly an incredible photo opportunity with camera flashes a plenty (although due to the weather, our shots and videos did not do it justice. The area is the prettiest of Japan in my opinion, and if anybody does visit Hokkaido, it would be a shame to miss out if you can afford the time to see with a rental car - X).
Sounkyo-Kurodake Ropeway
Daisetsuzan National Park - valley view down from ropeway car
Exiting the 5th stage we donned the full length raincoats provided as the rain was falling steadily & made our way to the chairlift (another 600Y each) to ascend even further to the 7th stage of the mountain at 1520m. It was a good thing we had our beanies & mittens on as it was freezing! The falling raindrops turned into soft, flaky snowflakes, swirling softly around us creating an enchanting, white winter wonderland. We discovered only one of the walking tracks leading up to the summit of Mt. Kurodake was open due to the inclement weather & the 1.5m hike would have taken us 1.5hrs to ascend to the 1984m peak. The brochure had warned that the climbing route was very rocky & one look at the slushy snow & slippery, icy path, warned us not to attempt the treacherous climb. We saw no one else proceeding upward either so it was apparent that the snowy conditions were deterring the usually adventurous Japanese trekkers. We lingered long enough to take some photos of the snowy valley below & the souvenir & refreshment chalet in the background. The glacial conditions showed no signs of improvement so we hopped back on the chairlift & ropeway before the tips of our noses became frostbitten.
X in full protective cold & wet weather gear
¾ of the way up from Mt Kurodake summit with chalet in background
Snowy, treacherous path
Lots of fog & snow on Mt Kurodake
Chairlift ride back down the mountain
Back on lower ground at the ropeway station, X tried to use the mens lavatory but a little boy gestured for him not to enter & rattled off a string of animated Japanese which had the women queuing up next door at the ladies, in fits of giggles. Apparently due to the long line of women waiting to use the lavatory, some of them had entered the mens instead which was what the little boy had been trying to convey to X.
“Brrrr it’s still freezing down here on lower ground at the Ropeway Station.”
It was a real godsend having the rental vehicle to take us around to all the various sites as there are no public buses in operation around the national park with the only other option being a taxi hire for the day. X drove us to all the main scenic sights which included Ryusei & Ginga Falls, both dynamic waterfalls that drop down from 90m & 120m high steep cliffs, Obako (Big Box)- a gorge with cliffs on both sides of a river creating a confined feeling hence the name, Aka-dake - a scenic route providing panoramic views of the valley below & a suspension bridge leading into the forests.
Ryusei Falls
Ginga Falls
Trees displaying full autumn colours
Spectacular Ginga Falls in background
At foot of OBako Gorge
Maple leaves changing colours
Satisfied with the day’s sightseeing, we headed back to Sounkyo to wander around the little village & have some lunch. Just as we’d found the perfect picnic spot to sit back, relax & soak up the crisp mountain air, the skies opened up again making us stash away our unopened bento boxes & scampering quickly to the car.
Strolling through Sounkyo Village
About to enjoy our picnic lunch before getting rained on
It was another long drive back to Sapporo where we again checked into Marks Inn, our base in Sapporo. Unfortunately unlike in Australia & the USA where hotels have free underground car parking for their guests, Japanese hotels do not provide this privilege. Instead they offer only a limited subsidy with a nearby parking facility which works out quite expensive still if you’re staying for several days.
SHIKOTSU-TOYA NATIONAL PARK (JAPAN) (11/10/07) - DAY 57
This morning we made an early start for Lake Toya, a 3 hr drive from Sapporo. The National Park stretches over 983sqm & is made up of 2 large lakes. We planned only on visiting Toya-ko Lake, the smaller but more popular of the 2. Arriving closer to the National Park it was evident why the tourists flock to this nature’s playground of towering mountains, active rumbling volcanoes, pristine lakes & hiking trails galore. At the lakeside of Toya-ko we were mesmerised by the caldera lake’s big expanse of water & the picturesque Oshima Island perched right at its centre. In the summer time the lake is a beehive of activity with lots of leisurely pursuits such as canoeing, cycling & fishing on offer.
No tiny, cramped apartments out here in the country. Spacious, sleek & modern homes.
Picture perfect Toya-ko Lake
A moment of reflection & quiet contemplation by the lakeside
Driving onwards to Nishiyama Crater Trail, X lost his bearings as the directions in the guidebook were completely useless & the Sat Nav could not direct us there due to there being no phone number for us to input (this SatNav system was excellent at giving directions, as well as having all businesses (maybe even private houses as well but I did not try this) in Japan programmed in with addresses and phone numbers. The fastest way to search a destination was to put in a business phone number and voila, you are guided there - X). We stopped to ask directions from a couple of Italian backpackers who in turn wanted a lift back into town as they didn’t have their own wheels & the public buses running only every 2 hrs. We were headed in the opposite direction so couldn’t accommodate them although we would have liked to help them out, being fellow backpackers who have been in the same position ourselves on many an occasion.
The largest active volcano here, Usu-zan, last erupted on 31/03/00 which left in its wake the formation of a new 200m high volcano as well as the current Nishiyama Crater Trail which has been left relatively untouched with the full effects of the devastation & volcanic eruption for all to see. There is the main volcano, Usu-zan, with a number of smaller domes around it. The 800m trail led up a valley of steaming, vaporous gases still hissing & bubbling from the rocks & earth. Along the way flattened cars, crumbling houses, buildings & buckled, cracked roads had all been left like an outdoor museum as evidence of the March 2000 eruption which was preceded by a warning earthquake followed by volcanic mudflows & more earthquakes. Surprisingly numerous business catering to the swarming tourists are still scattered around the foot of the volcano despite the fact that there have been 8 major eruptions since 1663, with 4 of them in the 20th century. I guess the lure of the almighty Yen from busload after busload of fat wallets arriving is too tempting to pass up.
Nishiyama Crater Trail & evidence of cracked, buckled roads
“So I’ll huff & I’ll puff..."
Caldera after eruption, smoke still steams & hisses from its depths
That’s one crooked looking house – ruins left behind as reminder of March 2000 eruption
“Oops think I missed a turn back there.” This car was an unfortunate victim of the 2000 eruption.
We found the perfect scenic location by Lake Toya to stop & have some lunch. Minutes later, a busload of Chinese tourists arrived and ruined the tranquil atmosphere & obscured our postcard view. What was more annoying was the fact that they descended on our exact spot & crowded around to pose & snap pictures of the swans & idyllic mountain backdrop when there was a huge amount of space left around the park’s grassy areas for this.
Lunch at the lakeside with swans for company
We continued to the last destination for the day, Mt Usu Ropeway where we were unhappily surprised to find that the tourist attraction’s large parking lot charged a moderately large fee to park there. As if the Ropeway’s hefty 1450Y pp return fare ($13.50 each) wasn’t enough of a rip off! From the parking lot there was an amazing view of the town’s highlight & baby volcano, Showa Shin-zan which provided the perfect photo opportunity with its distinctive red & brown, barren rocky sides against the white clouds of smoke rising from its depths. The 6 min “walk in the air” linked us 1370m to the Touyako Viewing Platform where we could enjoy the magnificent panorama below of crystal blue lakes & Showa Shin-zan. We took in the scene of the laver dome & craters as superb views of other mountains looming in the distance. We didn’t attempt the 2 hr round trip which would have taken us to the crater floor & eruption inlet down below as it was blowing a gale up there & I feared that I would be blown right off Mt Usu, although X remarked that it would take at least a hurricane or tornado to lift me off the ground (ha ha, he thinks he’s such a riot).
Wouldn’t this field of sunflowers make a great Van Gogh painting? A sunflower farm we happened to come across on the way to Mt Usu.
Baby volcano Showa Shin-zan
Mt Usu Ropeway
Sharing Touyako viewing platform with Japanese tourists on top of Mt Usu
Laver domes & craters on Mt Usu
Just as we were driving down the mountain, we came across the 2 Italian backpackers from this morning & X stopped to offer them a lift to where they were staying. We made room for them by squeezing both our backpacks into the tiny boot & dropped them off at the youth hostel in town.
The journey into Hakodate, our stop for the night was a 2 hour long drive. I caught up on some blogging until the laptop’s battery ran flat, then tried to get a bit of shut eye but as usual sleep eluded me. We arrived at 7:00pm & wasted an hour driving around looking for accommodation. X had read the Toyoko Inn’s book incorrectly & had thought their 9100Y rate was too high but when I re-checked, the winter rates were effective from 1 October so it dropped down to 7100Y which was much more reasonable so we booked in for 2 nights. Again as per usual in Japan there was no free parking available for guests so they directed us to a nearby parking lot.
We will send our next entry soon as we again try to catch up.
Cheerio for now folks.,
Diana and Xuyen
PS. For those who may be interested, a youtube clip of our trip blogged as above. It is about 8 mins long:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9SItuvgvAA
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January, 2008
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