The Northern Edge: 稚内と礼文島
So I am back in Asahikawa after my trek up north to Wakkanai and Rebun Island and taking a quick break from the translation test I'm working on for yet another video game translation agency (cliched RPG dialogue for the win!). I figure I'll take this opportunity to do a somewhat brief recount of the trip.
I woke up a little later than usual on Thursday morning to catch the 9:50 train from Asahikawa heading up to Wakkanai. It was a cold, wet day but I spent most if it on the train anyway. Upon arrival in Wakkanai I hopped on one of the tour buses that carry people around to all of the local sights. Unfortunately, what little enjoyment I would have otherwise gotten from Wakkanai's rather sad tourism scene was lost due to the thick fog which reduced visibility to zero, and the freezing temperatures! It went from being 20C in Asahikawa down to 3C in Wakkanai! It was awful. I also learned why there is such a negative impression of foreigners in that city when I encountered a group of Russian sailors who apparently had taken over the observation tower just outside of town and were shouting and playing drinking games. I guess they saw a sign saying "public viewing area" but stopped reading after "pub," because that's where they ought to have been. It was very rude and I can't say I blame the locals for their distaste. Still, the day ended on an upbeat note when I met up with an ALT I know in the area and had sushi and did karaoke before turning in for the night.
Bright and early the next morning I was aboard the 2 hour ferry to Rebun Island. After the disastrous weather conditions the day before, I was worried I wouldn't be able to see anything at all on Rebun, but both that day and the following day had splendid weather, sunny and warm, and I knew everything was going to be alright when I saw the imposing snow-covered peak of Mt. Rishiri 利尻岳 looming over the ocean, clear as day. Rishiri Island is Rebun's sister island, and one of the things Rebun is most famous for is its spectacular views of Mt. Rishiri across the ocean. I can tell you right now they live up to the hype. Even from on the boat the view was unbelievable, and it was even more amazing once I got on Rebun and it was accented with fields of flowers and mountains. I think a good 50% of the pictures I took had Mt. Rishiri in them, and I think every single one of them is good.
But I'm getting off topic. Upon arrival on Rebun and the port town of Kafuka 香深 I once again enlisted the service of a local tour bus, which ferried me around to the northernmost point of the island, Cape Sukoton スコトン岬, as well as the lovely Cape Sukai 澄海岬 and the twin rocks of Momo Iwa and Neko Iwa 桃岩 and 猫岩. After returning to the port, I set off on my own to hike up the mountain beside Momo Iwa and strolled through flower fields which spread out below me, eventually turning into great cliffs which fell to the sea. And of course, Mt. Rishiri stood above everything else. It was an amazing view though also quite frightening, since the wind was quite strong. I got dizzy a few times at the thought of a gust of wind possibly knocking me off the narrow path down to a certain death on the cliffs below (which would happen to an even greater degree the next day). Luckily that didn't happen, and I completed my circuit without injury. Before checking into my hotel, though I had to walk several miles down the road to the *only convenience store on the entire island*, because I already knew I was going to be doing the 8 hour hike the next day, and I needed to be sure to have food on hand for lunch. Finally I made it to my hotel, changed, and had a lovely seafood dinner which included the island's specialty, uni or sea urchin. Lonely Planet makes a big fuss about how "very few Westerners can stomach the dish" and "only the most adventurous should even attempt to eat it." Wha? Really? I had no problem eating it. I admit it looks rather odd, but it doesn't have a bad taste or anything. It shocks me to think I somehow have a more adventurous pallet than other Westerners, but I guess it must be the case. I eat raw fish eggs and fermented soy beans and squid without batting an eyelash while other Westerners around me try to avoid gagging. I honestly don't get it though. What's so gross about that stuff? If you eat them you find they're all quite tasty!
Anyway, I went to bed at 8:30pm that night and woke up at 6:30am the next morning in preparation for my long long day. After breakfast I hopped aboard the local bus to take me all the way to the Cape Sukoton again, the northern tip, which serves as the starting point for the 8 hour course. From there, the course heads south along the western coast to Awabikotan Village 鮑古丹, Cape Gorota ゴロタ岬, Cape Sukai 澄海岬, Cape Meshikuni 召国岬, and Uennai Village 宇遠内 before turning inland and eventually spitting hikers out at the bus stop in the town of Kafukai 香深井. Alternatively, you can follow the Rebun Forest Road 礼文林道 for another couple hours and end up back at the port of Kafuka, which is what I chose to do. All told the course is about 30 kilometers long. I left Cape Sukoton around 9:00am in the morning and arrived back at my hotel in Kafuka at 5:45pm, so it took me about 8 hours and 45 minutes (which isn't bad considering this was my total time for both the 8 hour course and the Forest Road course).
Objectively the hardest part about the 8 hour course is easily its length, as it crosses over large hills rather than mountains and in general isn't too steep. However, I have a considerable amount of stamina and am walking and hiking places constantly, so the 9 hour hiking time really wasn't a big issue for me (though you can bet my feet hurt afterward!). The hardest part for me was the very first hour or so, where the path literally rides along the edge of sheer cliffs plummeting to the ocean. My usually very minor case of acrophobia suddenly turned into a serious problem as I struggled to keep my balance and avoid passing out. Had the path been just a little wider, or had there been some sort of guardrail, I would have had no problem. Instead, I felt like every gust of wind could be the end of me. Still, I refused to give up. I had come all the way up to the edge of the world for the sole purpose of doing this 8 hour course, and I sure as hell wasn't going to turn around after only 45 minutes. So I was able to calm myself down, get my breathing back to normal, and slowly but surely get back up to speed and continue along the course.
After that things got a lot easier, as the path got wider and wasn't quite as close to the edge. There were frequent fences and stuff to add some sense of security as well. At this point I was actually enjoying myself, not only because of the great views but also because the path led through tiny fishing villages, inaccessible by any other means than walking or by boat. It was so fascinating watching these people, about as isolated as is possible in this day and age, going about their daily lives.
Come 1:00pm or so, I had gotten hungry enough to stop for lunch, but lacking anywhere to sit, I was forced to just plop myself down in the middle of the trail and munch on my food there, once having to move out of the way of a couple hikers who were passing by. Aside from them, however, I basically did not see any other people at all on the path. It was me, the mountains, and the ocean. That's it. And it was wonderful. I haven't felt so liberated in a really long time. Of course, after "liberating" most of the water from all the water bottles I had been carrying, I suddenly was a bit concerned, but fortunately I soon came across the village of Uennai, where a nice woman runs a small restaurant called "A Quick Break" for hikers. I took a quick rest there and replenished my water supply before completing the last 2 hours or so of the journey. In the end I had gone through 5 water bottles by the time I ended up back in Kafuka, and even now I still have a pretty bad sunburn. But hey, it was worth it.
And now I have another week of work ahead of me, including a speech I am dreading writing and work on Friday night. However, the end is nigh, my friends. Only 31 days of work left. Come July 29th, I will be a free man. Doing what? I have no idea. But I will be free.
That's all for today!
I woke up a little later than usual on Thursday morning to catch the 9:50 train from Asahikawa heading up to Wakkanai. It was a cold, wet day but I spent most if it on the train anyway. Upon arrival in Wakkanai I hopped on one of the tour buses that carry people around to all of the local sights. Unfortunately, what little enjoyment I would have otherwise gotten from Wakkanai's rather sad tourism scene was lost due to the thick fog which reduced visibility to zero, and the freezing temperatures! It went from being 20C in Asahikawa down to 3C in Wakkanai! It was awful. I also learned why there is such a negative impression of foreigners in that city when I encountered a group of Russian sailors who apparently had taken over the observation tower just outside of town and were shouting and playing drinking games. I guess they saw a sign saying "public viewing area" but stopped reading after "pub," because that's where they ought to have been. It was very rude and I can't say I blame the locals for their distaste. Still, the day ended on an upbeat note when I met up with an ALT I know in the area and had sushi and did karaoke before turning in for the night.
Bright and early the next morning I was aboard the 2 hour ferry to Rebun Island. After the disastrous weather conditions the day before, I was worried I wouldn't be able to see anything at all on Rebun, but both that day and the following day had splendid weather, sunny and warm, and I knew everything was going to be alright when I saw the imposing snow-covered peak of Mt. Rishiri 利尻岳 looming over the ocean, clear as day. Rishiri Island is Rebun's sister island, and one of the things Rebun is most famous for is its spectacular views of Mt. Rishiri across the ocean. I can tell you right now they live up to the hype. Even from on the boat the view was unbelievable, and it was even more amazing once I got on Rebun and it was accented with fields of flowers and mountains. I think a good 50% of the pictures I took had Mt. Rishiri in them, and I think every single one of them is good.
But I'm getting off topic. Upon arrival on Rebun and the port town of Kafuka 香深 I once again enlisted the service of a local tour bus, which ferried me around to the northernmost point of the island, Cape Sukoton スコトン岬, as well as the lovely Cape Sukai 澄海岬 and the twin rocks of Momo Iwa and Neko Iwa 桃岩 and 猫岩. After returning to the port, I set off on my own to hike up the mountain beside Momo Iwa and strolled through flower fields which spread out below me, eventually turning into great cliffs which fell to the sea. And of course, Mt. Rishiri stood above everything else. It was an amazing view though also quite frightening, since the wind was quite strong. I got dizzy a few times at the thought of a gust of wind possibly knocking me off the narrow path down to a certain death on the cliffs below (which would happen to an even greater degree the next day). Luckily that didn't happen, and I completed my circuit without injury. Before checking into my hotel, though I had to walk several miles down the road to the *only convenience store on the entire island*, because I already knew I was going to be doing the 8 hour hike the next day, and I needed to be sure to have food on hand for lunch. Finally I made it to my hotel, changed, and had a lovely seafood dinner which included the island's specialty, uni or sea urchin. Lonely Planet makes a big fuss about how "very few Westerners can stomach the dish" and "only the most adventurous should even attempt to eat it." Wha? Really? I had no problem eating it. I admit it looks rather odd, but it doesn't have a bad taste or anything. It shocks me to think I somehow have a more adventurous pallet than other Westerners, but I guess it must be the case. I eat raw fish eggs and fermented soy beans and squid without batting an eyelash while other Westerners around me try to avoid gagging. I honestly don't get it though. What's so gross about that stuff? If you eat them you find they're all quite tasty!
Anyway, I went to bed at 8:30pm that night and woke up at 6:30am the next morning in preparation for my long long day. After breakfast I hopped aboard the local bus to take me all the way to the Cape Sukoton again, the northern tip, which serves as the starting point for the 8 hour course. From there, the course heads south along the western coast to Awabikotan Village 鮑古丹, Cape Gorota ゴロタ岬, Cape Sukai 澄海岬, Cape Meshikuni 召国岬, and Uennai Village 宇遠内 before turning inland and eventually spitting hikers out at the bus stop in the town of Kafukai 香深井. Alternatively, you can follow the Rebun Forest Road 礼文林道 for another couple hours and end up back at the port of Kafuka, which is what I chose to do. All told the course is about 30 kilometers long. I left Cape Sukoton around 9:00am in the morning and arrived back at my hotel in Kafuka at 5:45pm, so it took me about 8 hours and 45 minutes (which isn't bad considering this was my total time for both the 8 hour course and the Forest Road course).
Objectively the hardest part about the 8 hour course is easily its length, as it crosses over large hills rather than mountains and in general isn't too steep. However, I have a considerable amount of stamina and am walking and hiking places constantly, so the 9 hour hiking time really wasn't a big issue for me (though you can bet my feet hurt afterward!). The hardest part for me was the very first hour or so, where the path literally rides along the edge of sheer cliffs plummeting to the ocean. My usually very minor case of acrophobia suddenly turned into a serious problem as I struggled to keep my balance and avoid passing out. Had the path been just a little wider, or had there been some sort of guardrail, I would have had no problem. Instead, I felt like every gust of wind could be the end of me. Still, I refused to give up. I had come all the way up to the edge of the world for the sole purpose of doing this 8 hour course, and I sure as hell wasn't going to turn around after only 45 minutes. So I was able to calm myself down, get my breathing back to normal, and slowly but surely get back up to speed and continue along the course.
After that things got a lot easier, as the path got wider and wasn't quite as close to the edge. There were frequent fences and stuff to add some sense of security as well. At this point I was actually enjoying myself, not only because of the great views but also because the path led through tiny fishing villages, inaccessible by any other means than walking or by boat. It was so fascinating watching these people, about as isolated as is possible in this day and age, going about their daily lives.
Come 1:00pm or so, I had gotten hungry enough to stop for lunch, but lacking anywhere to sit, I was forced to just plop myself down in the middle of the trail and munch on my food there, once having to move out of the way of a couple hikers who were passing by. Aside from them, however, I basically did not see any other people at all on the path. It was me, the mountains, and the ocean. That's it. And it was wonderful. I haven't felt so liberated in a really long time. Of course, after "liberating" most of the water from all the water bottles I had been carrying, I suddenly was a bit concerned, but fortunately I soon came across the village of Uennai, where a nice woman runs a small restaurant called "A Quick Break" for hikers. I took a quick rest there and replenished my water supply before completing the last 2 hours or so of the journey. In the end I had gone through 5 water bottles by the time I ended up back in Kafuka, and even now I still have a pretty bad sunburn. But hey, it was worth it.
And now I have another week of work ahead of me, including a speech I am dreading writing and work on Friday night. However, the end is nigh, my friends. Only 31 days of work left. Come July 29th, I will be a free man. Doing what? I have no idea. But I will be free.
That's all for today!