hokkaido: day 10 - d'you think the'll be a disco in Ikeda?
DEST: IKEDA DIST: 120KM'S
leaving kushiro was both a relief and a disappointment. relief we were only passing through, disappointment that the har was only just covering the industrial wasteland that surrounded it. we started singing a bad karaoke version of everyday is like sunday. our daily wrong turning didn't help spirits and with a lack of landscape, quiet roads and sun for 40 km's we decided to jump on the train. there was a lull in the traffic as we drew up to the side of the road to study the map and as we turned to look up a shire type mini valley, a pair of tsuru, long and elegant, flew past.
we saw this as a good omen for the trip as well as dan's impending marriage. Ikeda couldn't come quickly enough and soon we were in a totally different landscape of long flat fields and villages where people cared for their gardens and houses. the hostel was great - clean and comfy - essentially a big family house. our host was a jolly, well travelled guy with a beard who seemed to crave talking to the guests at every opportunity. we found out how far you can get on local trains in 1 day from Ikeda and that the difference between Hokkaido houses and okinawan houses is that hokkaido houses have gutters. It was edge of your seat stuff.
nice guy though - the maps from his extensive travels littered the walls.
we headed out for more curry and amazingly found a baskin robbins - this is a small place. a cheeky sorbet for dessert was just what the doctor ordered.
