Hakodate!

Actual date Oct 27th

Hey Folks!

Thanks Mom and Dad for the E-card!  It was nice!  So the capsule wasn't that bad!  It was interesting, and I think the place was built 30 years ago or something, but the capsule itself was fairly comfortable.  The traditional futon you sleep on was pretty thin, so it was a little uncomfortable sleeping on your side, and the fiberglass banged really loud if you bumped the sides or like, kneed the floor, but it had a radio and TV, and was definitely more homey than the manga-kissa.  It was physically more comfortable than the manga-kissa was, where there was no bedding and I couldn't really straighten my legs, but I think the manga-kissa had better ameneties.  Free drinks, computer in your cubicle, free manga and dvds (in Japanese only I believe though), so its a trade off.  Also, the capsule was pretty cheap even for capsules.

This morning I went to the morning market which was pretty good.  Lots of Hokkaido crab and squid.  In one of the central buildings, there was actually a short oblong tank where you could hook your own squid and have a lady slice it up right then and there, which was a little horrifying for me, but entertaining and fascinating none the less.  I also went to "Domburi Yokocho" or Dumburi Ally, and had a sea urchin egg (uni)- salmon egg (ikura)- and crab (kani) rice bowl, with a little tsukemono, miso soup, and a small cup of marinated squid on the side.  Seafood, often uni and ikura, or also just ikura, ricebowls are a specialty of Hokkaido.  I really liked the smooth almost silky texture of the uni, and the way the ikura pops and is juicy and tastes like ocean and fish, but I'm still not sure I actually like the taste of uni, and I only like the tase of ikura sometimes.  I'm glad I tried it and overall it was pretty tasty though.

When I walked over there this morning it was windy and rainy, but when I was leaving it looked like it was clearing up.  So I then after taking my duffle from the capsule hotel to the business hotel where I'm staying tonight, I decided I would try to hike/walk up Mt Hakodate for the great view.  And then maybe take a bus up at night to see the also famous nightscape, or later on a different day too.  I had already walked a bunch, almost to the base of the mountain, but then it started like, sleet storming!  It had been windy and clear-ish, but then a huge dark cloud blew in and it started getting more windy and rainy, then raining more, then raining practically sideways, then like rain/hail/snow/sleeting!  With huge gusts of cold cold wind too. I think there was some thunder as well.  I could see my breath. So then I walked like half an hour back and was cold and practically soaked. My coat worked pretty well though.  So I decided I wasn't going anywhere this afternoon or evening.  I was thinking maybe I would go back out tonight if the weather changed again, but I ended up just staying in and relaxed and rested some.  So I didn't really do much for my birthday, which is alright.  Just took it easy.  Maybe I will do something when I get back, or in the next big city I get to.  Either way I'm okay, having a good time.

And oh jeez, yesterday I lost my cellphone!  I got it back though.  I had gotten into town on the bus from Sapporo and then went to the station tourist-information-center for a map, then walked the like, 10 or 15 minutes to the capsule hotel to drop off my duffle, and I had to come back after 5 to check in, so I wanted to check the time and I couldn't find my cell!  I remembered having it at the departure bus terminal, so I figured it must have fell out of my pocket while sitting on the bus! (it did) So after half-running back to the bus station, I took a minute to convey the situation, and I guess my phone had already been found, turned in, and was already waiting at the central office!  Aaand, it could be at the bus terminal in like, 2 hours for me to pick up!  So I found a coffe shop and waited the 2 hours and picked my phone up!  After giving my name and discribing the inside picture.

After that, I checked in to my capsule, then I wandered around a little and found a big H shaped food shop alley.  (it has a name but I can't remember it)  There was horumon, ramen, sushi and seafood, chinese, and other foods too.  Also, some of the places were closed.  I ended up getting Corn and Butter Ramen, which because of Hokkaidos great produce and dairy, is also a specialty here.  It was a little spicy and really good too!  So after that I went back to my capsule, watched some TV and read and got to sleep.

So thats pretty much what I've been up to.  It's a little harder to research what to do next, since I don't have internet in my room, but I plan on seeing a bunch of the sights around here.  Maybe visit the Quasi-National park 20km away, or the onsen town about an hour away, or if the weather doesn't let up, I might just move on too.  The leaves have been changing, but I've seen some autumn color reports, and I guess since the summer was so hot, the leaves aren't as vibrant as usual this year.  I don't know if I can tell or not, but it still has been very pretty.  Sometimes just mostly greens and yellows, and some colder places are already finished I guess, but still it's getting to be autumn, and November already too!

After Hakodate I'm planning on taking a ferry to Aomori, then after that I'm not sure.  I sort of have a Big List of everywhere I'd like to go, which includes maybe Akita and Niigata, Kanazawa, Yokohama, maybe an actual stop at Mt Fuji.  Also Osaka, Mt. Koya, Kobe,  Yamanouchi (with hotspring snow monkeys), some time on Shikoku and the Inland Sea, Fukuoka and Kyushu, and maybe even Okinawa.  And famous Onsen along the way if I can manage, and then back to Tokyo for my flight home!  Soooo, I'm definitely not going to be able to go to all these places on my budget, but hopefully I'll be able to pick some good things to see.

So it's getting late (Again).  I love you guys!  Wish you could do all the fun stuff too! I'm gonna go to sleep soon.  Hope everyone is well.  Goodnight!