Day 12 Utoro to Kawayu

Wednesday 20 June 

Day 12 Utoro to Kawayu  78km (total 1001km)

Today was a fun and very pleasant day.  I decided that I could easily make it down to Akan NP today. So, I left Utoro around 8am and was cycling through Shari before 10am. Definitely in the mood to keep going!

I followed Route 1115 for most of the journey between Shari and Kawayu, and found it to be a really scenic and pleasant road.  Joining onto 391, I spun my way up Nogami Pass and down to the Kawayu turn-off.  Nogami Pass is not high nor a particularly steep gradient; it is just quite long.

I took a quick spin around Kawaya to find the tourist information office (closed), but ended bumping into a Korean girl who was travelling around Japan on holiday (bus/train/lift from kind strangers).  We could only chat for a while, ‘cause she had a bus to catch, but she recommended a hotel and noodle-restaurant to me and had a general talk about our itineraries.  She said that she had been to Reben Island (off Wakkanai) in winter and it was freezing!

So, I was able to leave my bike and bags at the hotel (it was 1:15pm, check-in at 3pm) and went into town to eat!  The town itself is really sleepy and a bit run-down looking.  There were many souvenir shops, but most looked to be closed, and they were all selling carved wood products.  The restaurant was really nice – a little family restaurant.  The menu was all in Japanese, so I couldn’t understand some of the foods, but went for a curry soba with vegetables and chicken.  It was amazing!

説明を追

Afterwards I went to the Akan natural museum, which had a bunch of interesting displays about the park and lakes (Kusharo and Mashu), and then soaked my feet for a while at the hot-springs foot bath – it was really hot, maybe 45degrees, which was awesome, ‘cause it is cold in Kawayu (11.5degrees at 2pm)

The hotel I am staying in is okay… it is old, although reasonably nicely refurbished.  It is probably a bit expensive for what it is (¥8150), but it includes some sort of "Hot Spring tax" that the hotel has to pay to be sited in a National Park and the price does include dinner and breakfast, so I’ll hold my judgment until after eating!

Update: okay probably worth every penny.  Dinner was a buffet, with freshly-cooked main (I chose grilled whole fish, but could have had steamed salmon or beef steak).  I imagine that breakfast will be awesome too. Yay!