How different do things look after a good night's sleep, and at the start of a sunny day. I felt energized and ready to start the subtle clues that allow the adventure traveler to navigate his way through a completely new place, in a completely new language, and with a completely new script. Not that it is that hard really, because with a few key sentences and the friendly disposition of the Japanese it is always possible to figure the best way through. For example, I started with a very early walk to the Chitose train station (which was a lot closer than the station I had used last night), weaving through streets and river walkways that were lovely through the early morning. Japan is such a tidy place, with great care taken into having an attractive urban landscape.
Once in the train station it was just a matter of patience looking through the many sign-covered and colorful placards (the Japanese love multi-colored announcements with little Pokemone figures to add zest to their lives, without realizing that this makes deciphering them particularly hard for the tourist) to find the correct fare and punch it into the machine. Once in possession of my ticket I had to figure out the correct track, and off I went! Now, just like we use West Dublin and East Dublin in our metro system, to challenge the direction-impaired traveler, here you have to be on the alert for Shin Sapporo vs. Sapporo, because if you get off the train on the first one, like I did, you will have to get back on to finally get to the main Sapporo station. Waiting for the next train reminds me that I forgot to mention that, while waiting for my connecting flight at Tokyo we had an earthquake. In California that would have created general panic, but here nobody batted an eyelash; the nature of living on an active subduction zone.
Once I got to the main Sapporo station I bought tomorrow's ticket to Kushiro, where my big hike will start. Speaking of hiking, I think the 16 hours flight did something to my leg muscles because I am in considerable discomfort right now; hopefully I can walk it out in the first day or so.
I dropped my bag at the hotel, and went for a walk through the city, to renew my acquaintance with the wonderful Japanese culture. Sapporo does not have ancient castles, temples, or famous museums, so I chose to walk through the commercial district, visiting the fish market (always interesting but tiny compared to the Tokyo fish market) and the main commercial arcade. The arcade is a very typical Asian commercial area, where a tall roof arcade extends for 5 to 10 blocks and has all sorts of small shops, restaurants, pharmacies, movie theaters, and anything else a shopper might desire. It is a great place to do the people-watching that fascinates me about other cultures.
It is Saturday, so another great place to do people-watching are the parks. In downtown one of the popular parks is Odori Park, where a lot of folks go to let the kids run, buy junk food, sit in the sun, and just enjoy life. The Lilac Festival is going on right now, so there were lots of booths and a stage, where I got to enjoy a Hip-Hop dance recital performed by about a dozen girls, ages 8 through 12. They were pretty good, even though some of the lyrics they danced to might have been a bit inappropriate.
Ronnie was excited to know that I was going to the land of sushi (he happens to be a big fan of sushi), so I figured that going to a sushi bar for lunch was the right thing to do. It was good, but not as good as the sushi boat restaurant we go to in Modesto. Still, "check".
I came back to the hotel for a quick nap, and ended taking a 2-hour snooze. I woke up refreshed, but my legs are still aching.
I spent the afternoon walking through Nakajima Park, a rather large park with an artificial lake that is a favorite among the folks of Sapporo. As I mentioned before, today is Saturday and everybody was out there. Young couples were rowing canoes in the lake, many older folks were taking advantage of the benches strategically placed to take best advantage of the view, and lots of people were strolling just enjoying the sun. Me, I was in the search of a good walking stick, cursing under my breath for the obsession that Japanese have for manicured "forests" where not a branch is out of place (I eventually found the one long stick that will serve my purposes, but I probably broke a couple of municipal ordinances getting it).
Talking about Nakajima Park, folks here have a game somehow similar to the French Pétanque: It is played with a dozen numbered wooden cylinders, maybe the size of a thermos bottle. You put them together in a tight group (like the cluster of balls in a billiard table), and you try to "spread" them by tossing against them yet another cylinder of wood. You then stand the numbered cylinders where they landed and go at it again. Not quite sure how you score, but using cylinders instead of balls make as much sense as using an ovoid ball in American football instead of a spherical ball in soccer. Mondo bizarro.
Japan is a very civilized land, where crime is almost unheard of, cleanliness is close to godliness, politeness is the byword, and toilets are frequent, free, and spotlessly clean. A blessing to those of us who are getting old! The bathrooms are still of their squat type, but beggars can't be choosers. The Japanese are also master gardeners and architects, and I saw an exquisite tea house ensconced into its perfectly zen garden that would bring tears of joy to my tiny-house obsessed daughter.
Tomorrow I will cross the island of Hokkaido to get to the eastern side, at Kushiro, where I will join my hiking group for the Japan's Far East 8 Day Wildlife & Adventure Tour!
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