Was it an 18 or 20 tunnel day?

 Was it 18 tunnels, or 20 tunnels? It doesn't matter it was a lot of tunnels.

Days come, days go, and it is hard to remember and distinguish one day from the next.  The week has disappeared into the mind's mist. Since arriving in Hokkaido most mornings have been grey and misty with only the odd days when the sun breaks through.  The highlight of the week was Lake Toya, another caldera lake in the Shikotsu-Toya National Park, and it is said to be the northernmost lake in Japan that never ices.      

There was great deal of variability in our accommodation this week.  We spent a night in a hostel, sharing a 4 bed bunk room with barely enough room to put our panniers and 'stuff'.  There was a night in the forest in a 2 bedroom villa, and a night overlooking Lake Toya in a lovely guest house with a very gracious host.  There was a modern funky hotel that had 'pods' (which we didn't select) and a night in a small coastal hotel with tatami rooms.

On the ride to our forest villa we spent time in a beautiful park outside Nanae.  It was a drizzly day but the photos don't capture that. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next stop was at the hostel.  The mist was low when we left that morning, it was a short day, around 50k, and by the time we hit the coast the sun was out.  

 

 

Then there was the guest house overlooking Lake Toya, far from restaurants and convenience stores.  We arrived after 94km, an 800 m ascent, and and could not contemplate riding down the hill to buy food for dinner.  Luckily, our host came to the rescue, (as happens in Japan, so much hospitality) taking us to a look-out above the lake, to see some bunny rabbits (???) and then to the convenience store where we bought lots of food.  We were famished, I think our host was shocked to see the amount of food we consumed.   

The moods of Lake Toya, morning mist and full sun.

We had a rest day at Lake Toya and our host (photographed here) organized the day for us.  She arranged transport to a camping/walking area on the lake, then to a public onsen, to shop for food again and then we had a visit an ice-cream parlor, on a dairy farm, with ice-cream from Hokkaido milk.

It was a totally relaxing day: we got to see the lake, have an onsen, have farm fresh ice-cream, and best of all we didn't have to get on the bikes to do any of it.

The path around the lake was soft and gentle beneath our feet.

 The ride from Lake Toya to Niseko (the funky pod hotel) was around a Volcano and Keith took some great shots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This particular photo makes me think of Central America.  Volcanoes and lush vegetation.

The ride to Kamoeni was along the coast in very blustery wind but we arrived to find an Italian restaurant and our hotel just across the road from each other.  Both establishments were run by a cool guy who was a jazz guitarist, who rode a Harley and has recorded on Blue Note.  We didn't get his name!!

 

 

Waiting for a well earned lunch, and waiting to check in to our accommodation.

 

 

 

Kamoenai is on the opposite coast to Otaru.  The ride to Otaru began with an 11km ride from the ocean to the top of the mountain.  The grade was OK, around 5-8%, but it was a long slog, and as we got to the top of the climb one of the tunnels maxed out with a 12% grade.  Needless to say I walked quite a bit of that tunnel.

A couple of tunnel shots, the long hard ones are impossible to capture.  I just take the road and hold my nerve until the tunnel is done!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the ride to Otaru our official tunnel counters, ie Eleanor and Pierre, estimate we rode between 18 and 20 tunnels.  With many of them quite long, between 1.5 to 3.7kms in length, we estimate that the ride included at least 15-18 Kms riding thru tunnels.  Most of them were not as nice as the one above, but luckily the long tunnels have cycle paths.  The noise however is incredible and disorientating.  The closer we got to the coast the longer the tunnels became and the louder the noise as the traffic increased.  The constant roar of traffic is stressful despite knowing that we are safely separated from the traffic.

One thing that really stands out in Japan is the food you can buy at supermarkets and convenience stores.  The convenience stores (read 7 Eleven) and the supermarkets have fantastic pre-prepared meals and salads and this has been extremely helpful when our accommodation is far from restaurants.  We stock up on the way and have a really good meal.  It is constantly surprising how good a 7/11 meal can be and we are getting quite savvy with our selections.  Last night, after another 80k ride we went to the supermarket below and bought, a fresh salad/coleslaw, sushi, roasted eggplant, friend chicken, veggie tempura and for desert, the best Hokkaido yoghurt, all for around 4,000 y, or $40 (Aus).

Our meal in Kamoenai was the best meal of the trip so far.  Dinner and breakfast were included in the price of our accommodation and it was a full Japanese meal including, sukiyaki, fresh sushimi, oysters, grilled fish, crab, miso, and.... I can't remember what else.

We are in Otaru on a rest day before an easy ride into Sapporo for a 4 day break, staying in the Grand Park Hotel, on the 18th floor, and the view and room are great.  

 

 

Lots of love,

S & K xx