With the kids dosed on medicine, we headed north towards Asahikawa. It was an excellent ride: flat, relatively short, and stocked with interesting things to see. We stopped at a flower farm and bought lots of yummy dried fruit, which we all enjoyed. We hit a river and found a bike path that paralleled it, which made for great views and a fast pace. Eventually we hit the city centre, passing the train station we had been to two days before and going to a coffee shop for a bite to eat and a drink. After looking in vain for a SIM card, we headed off to the campsite just across the river from the station. The site was basically a grassy spot in a big public park next to barbeques and picnic tables and an uncharacteristically dirty toilet block. There were lots of locals around enjoying food and copious beer, and it wasn't long before we were engaged in conversation with non English speakers! Some of our new acquaintances were kind enough to show us the way to a nearby onsen, and we happily rode over for a pleasant afternoon dip. This onsen had a few coloured baths filled with minerals - which we all avoided on account of not being sure what was actually in them.
There was an attached cafeteria which we ate at, but by this time the kids were restless so we headed back and had an early night, trying to tune out the revellers in the park around us.
Please will you let Gita and Luke know that I am following this blog. I am her sister♥
ReplyDeleteHey guys,
ReplyDeleteLove the photos, Mark. All that investment in lenses has paid off! And it is making me feel natzukashii - sentimental, I guess, for Nippon and the wonderful differences. The man with the melon was a treasure.
Glad to hear that Bells is OK, that you managed to be fashionable in the rain, and that everyone is having fun in the Onsens. Have you had a Japanese breakfast yet?
Are the hills a bit tougher than expected or OK?
And have you actually come across any bears, because the signs are, quite frankly, terrifying!
Here, all is well. Michael has some kind of cold but insists on cycling just as much all the same then sniffling at night, and I am watching the Tour and being inspired by the mountains to do some real training for Spain - so 3 Mt Ainslies at lunchtime today for me. Also doing some adventuring... I'm off rogaining on Sunday somewhere around Tidbinbilla ...Bron, you have to come next time - it's very good fun, like orienteering on steroids. After navigating your way through what looks like very varied terrain, you'll be a star!
Happy travels to everyone ... we miss you!