Travelling to Sapporro and onto Shiretoko

Day 15 – Travelling to Sapporro and onto Shiretoko

Thursday, 19 April 2012

We both slept very soundly on board the Hoketosei. Although I was conscious from time of time of noises like galloping horses, and going around corners, it was very restful. Our berth was quite expensive at an additional 32,000 yen but it was more spacious than others we saw and more private. Not the luxury we expected but certainly worth the experience.

Breakfast in the dining car was a choice of set Japanese or western breakfast at a cost of 1600 yen each. We had one of each. My Japanese breakfast consisted of rice, miso soup, a piece of cold fish, omelet and pickles, fruit jelly, and green tea. Anthony’s western breakfast consisted of ham steak, scrambled eggs, hash brown, yoghurt, salad, small loaf of bread, fruit jelly and coffee.

We arrived in Sapporro at 11.15am and changed trains to the Super Ozora bound for Kushiro. It was a very roomy train but the seats were too large and soft and the footrest designed for very long legs! First class service included free cup of hot green tea and wash cloth! The train went through agricultural areas, long tunnels and then we had views to the sea.

Changed trains again at Kushiro at 3.50pm for a local train to Shiretokoshari. This train only had one carriage and was very slow. We went through what looked like a national park area, heavily forested with snow and lakes and mountains! Single track only.

Arrived at 6.06pm and caught a bus to Utoro at a cost of 1600 yen each. it was getting dark and we were very tired. The bus driver showed us deer on the side of the road and a waterfall. We went through what looked like agricultural land and people were getting off in what looked like the middle of nowhere. Then we had views of coastline on our left.

Finally arrived at Utoro bus station at 7.05pm and were met by car for the Shiretoko Onsen Hotel, our home for the next two nights.

Our Japanese style room is very large. The hotel is not very busy. It seems to be between seasons with lots of snow still around and very cold. We were in time for the last sitting for set Japanese dinner at 7.30pm. Many many courses – sashimi, salad, egg custard and seafood dumpling, broth with chicken and mushrooms, broth with seafood (scallop and crab claw) in which you cooked a raw egg, rice, miso soup with clams, and grapes to finish. Anthony had a glass of Asahi beer whilst I stuck with hot green tea.

Whilst we were at dinner our traditional bedding was laid out. I went for a wash and soak in the spa. Whilst not as large as the spa at the Nonghsim Hotel, the outside spa was fantastic.

Pillows seem to have rocks in them but so tired that we should sleep well tonight.

	Water views from Hokutesoi [Map]		Breakfast on the Hokutesoi [Map]
	Morning view on Hokutesoi [Map]		Inside the Super Azora [Map]
	Views from Super Azora [Map]		Views of forests from Super Azora [Map]
	Inside the local train to Shiretokoshira [Map]		Views of mountains on local train [Map]
	Inside bus on way to Utoro [Map]		Our Japanese style room at Hotel Shiretoko [Map]
	Dinner at Hotel Shiretoko [Map]		The two of us at dinner at Shiretoko [Map]