Sapporo Heading South - Can't keep the Idiot Out

[Noel Mugavin]

Not a huge fan of seafood, but on this trip was a goal to have a kaisendon fro breakfast and at least try sea urchin and salmon roe. So up early and down to Nijo market














Wasn't exactly bustling, and when push came to shove, couldn't bring myself to do it. So to a 7/11 for a chicken breast and a couple of boiled eggs.
Cold day, down to -12, and on to the tram to Mt Moiwa

 

[drron]

There's a place in Melbourne, I had high hopes but then realised it's not spicy, AT ALL.

The basic soup curry isn't spicy but it can be offered with extra spice. This was my favourite Hokkaido soup curry restaurant.


And they do advertise extra spiciness.


Under 20 is not that spicy but definitely more so than the basic dish.

 

[rbjhan]

The basic soup curry isn't spicy but it can be offered with extra spice. This was my favourite Hokkaido soup curry restaurant.
View attachment 428708

And they do advertise extra spiciness.
View attachment 428709

Under 20 is not that spicy but definitely more so than the basic dish.
View attachment 428710

Well the whole point of soup curry is you choose your own level....
I am certainly not going to that place again, sadly.

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Quick trip to the top of Mt Moiwa, have to change from the ropeway to a mini cable car about three quarters of the way up


Was a chilly -12 in Sapporo, was really feeling the chill as I did a bit of wandering
Quite a few hikers having a rest also
Looking to the south east




Looking down the mini-cable car route to the change over station

Looking north east, the green section in the middle of the photo is where Makomanai Station is located


Mt Moiwa ski slope

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Back down and on to the tram and back to Susukino. Grabbed some bits and pieces for people back home, then walked back to the hotel via the underground shopping street. Bonus of the hotel Gracery, has a direct underground entrance to Sapporo Station.
Out for dinner, early sunset really threw me, 4.30 seemed like about 8 o'clock

Back down to Susukino for a last night wander




Some nice looking noren art on the way back to the hotel

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Hotel and to sleep
Thank you and good night

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Treated myself to a hotel buffet breakfast. Herring roe was on offer, so time to have a go.
Not for me.
Bright, sunny chilly morning as I made the short walk to Sapporo Station

Hokuto train to Noboribetsu.
Plenty of information to ensure you get on the right carriage, on the right train

Here it comes


ES Con Field, new home of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters


New Chitose Airport


Took about an hour and 15 minutes to get to Noboribetsu


Pretty rustic station




Greeting as you come out of the station



About an uncomfortable 10 minute bus ride from the station up to Noboribetsuonsen.
Uphill walk through the main street to the hotel

 

[Noel Mugavin]

One of the towns demons locked up

Icons are found along the main street. Apparently they all have meaning.



Looking back from whence I came




Went to the hotel to drop the bags, gentleman behind the counter saw me coming, shook his head a pointed to the left. A well oiled machine this place, big luggage storage area with a staff member ready to take the bags and give me the identification tag.
Was about 12.30 and hadn't eaten anything for about 6 hours, so out for lunch. Not a great many places to choose from, some were still shut for the New Year holiday, however I had spotted a ramen place I was keen to try. However on my way there was again tempted by the photos in the window of a soup curry restaurant.
Didn't disappoint, probably the best soup curry I had during my trip Added a deer sausage and karaage. Didn't expect the karaage to be half a chicken.



Time to walk off the calories
Back up the hill and view of the hotel, Daiichi Takimotokan


Intersection in front of the hotel looking toward Miyoshi Shrine


Over the road from that, Sengen Park


Sengen Geyser

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Up to Miyoshi Shrine





Looking back to Sengen Park

More demons


First sight of Jigokudani (Hell Valley). And the screen in front of the outside bath of the hotel centre right

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Walk up the valley








Few different walking tracks; all but 2 were closed due to dangerous snow/ice conditions








Looking back down the valley to the hotel

Boardwalk you follow on the left. Some very icy patches along the bboardwalk

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Looking back to the hotel. Difficult to make out, however the hotel has a full length window that allows a view of the valley while in the onsen floor.








There's a little toilet block, information area, souvenir store at the entrance to the valley

Not everything in working order


Not quite check-in time so more of a wander






Had seen a lot of these in Sapporo and more here. Assuming a New Year good luck symbol

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Bus depot






Sign directing to the ropeway that delivers you to the bear park. Watched a you tube video of someone visiting and it didn't look flash fro bear or visitor

Browsed the 2 or 3 shops that were open to kill time before check-in. Managed to pick up a handy little coin purse. Absolute necessity in Japan.
Arrived at the hotel a little after 3, quick and efficient check in.

Sign asking to ensure the fly wire screen is shut if opening the windows. Issue of crows getting in
Red bean cake


Yukata on and straight to the onsen. Passed through reception, and very pleased I hadn't arrived a little later than I did. Tour buses had arrived and the line of people waiting to check-in was huge
Onsen bath area was huge, about 9 baths, then downstairs to 3 or 4 more, a sauna, hot/cold walking bath then to 2 outside baths
The view you're supposed to get, if not for all the steam from the baths not allowing you to see through the glass


After a soak and a bit of a rest in the room, time to head out and get some dinner. 5.30 and well and truly dark outside. Only 1 of the few restaurants still open. A pizza place. Way too many carbs for me, so 711 onigiri it was. Still a lot of carbs, not as many as a pizza though.
Needed to walk those carbs off

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Had enough of being outside by now, really cold, so back inside, another soak, bit of you tube and then to bed.

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Up early and to the onsen
Check out to get to the bus station for the 7.30 bus to the train station
Too early for most people
Lobby area leading to the south building

This way to the onsen, turn left and keep walking

Had been quite a bit of snow falling overnight

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Inside of Noboribetsu Station



And the outside






Castle building is an aquarium


Due to safety reasons, doors to the platform don;t open until 5 minutes prior to arrival of the train.
Here it comes, Hokuto, about 2 and a half hours to Hakodate


Heap of snow had fallen along the route




Arrival at Hakodate Station

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Dropped the bag at the hotel, JR Inn, attached to the train station.
Stepped outside and ready to explore, and immediately started raining. Back inside to grab an umbrella, expecting to spend about 6 or 7 hundred yen. No such luck, little compact umbrellas 2000 yen.112 grams, very flimsy, thought I would regret buying it, by couple of hours using it, very good purchase.



Station with JR Inn on the left


Walking in Hakodate was not pleasant. Sidewalks were icy and was continually in danger of ending up on my backside; no sand on the sidewalks here like in Sapporo. Also it was bitterly cold. Although it was 2 degrees, wind chill factor made it much colder.


To make it worse, I was walking to a tram stop and eventually realized I was walking parallel to the street I should have been walking on, Probably walked 20 minutes more than I needed to.



Off the tram and into Starbucks for a rest and a coffee.
The another tentative walk down to Goryokaku




Into the tower building




Looking back to port area

 

[love_the_life]

We stayed in Hakodate for a few nights and it was a picture postcard out of the hotel window with the fresh snow. I do also remember the 'dancing' squid in the market.
We stayed at a hotel about 10 mins walk from the station - ok when the snow wasn't too deep but on the way back to the station it was more hard going from memory,

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Down the tower and into the park
Still lots of small, careful steps

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Still too early to check in to the hotel, tram back to the main tourist area. Intended to walk around the area with the western style buildings. Hakodate was the first city to open up it's port to foreign trade in the 1800's and was host to several foreign consulates




Tram line splits into a Y, quite close to where I wanted to be. I of course was on the tram that split away from the direction I wanted to be, so a bit more of a trepidatious walk than I really wanted.
Did stumble across this though








The area was quite hilly and the paths icy, and I still hadn't got the area I wanted to be at. My aim now was to get to flat ground without breaking a leg and check-in to the hotel.
Fortunately my traversing across the hills finally brought me to a street with some steps to safely navigate my way to flat ground

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Brick warehouses

And the ice of the footpaths

Able to get to the hotel and check in after a slow and tedious walk
View over the train tracks


Bit of a rest, time to head out again. This time to Mt Hakodate and the ropeway to get the night view










Was hard enough walking up the hills trying no to fall over, back of my mind was how the hell was I going to walk down these hills on the way back
Side street, street I was walking up was quite a bit steeper


Mid-west US style house
On the rope way and as we passed over the car park a sense of dread - counted 9 tour buses parked, and a couple more driving in