Views of Hokkaido: Touring Scenic Landscapes
July 2008
Our first stops were between Akkeshi and Cape Kiritappu on the south-eastern coast of Hokkado - the fishing villages along the shore cultivate oysters, which of course we tried out for lunch...
On the way through the vast marsh land...
...to our 3-day destination, Lake Akan, originally a crater lake. Quite stunningly the woods are so dense in the region that you can hardly see the lake even if you walk along it just 2 metres from the shore.
The next morning I happened to wake up in the early morning hours and was stunned by the view from our room - the lake just quietly spread out in all its beauty.
Walking along the lake we suddenly sensed an awful smell, and found the source: some sulfuric boiling hot springs (not recommended for bathing...)
At the neighbouring Lake Kussharo you can take a bath in more healthy waters: There are several public hot springs right along the shore, some of them beautifully maintained. What a relaxing feeling bathing in these hot pools while looking out on the (chilly!) lake...
But Lake Mashu clearly offered the most impressive views! Also a crater lake, this one lies deep down in a canyon and does not have any in or outflows. It is so deep down it is impossible to access it, either. When we arrived there in the morning it was covered in clouds, so we couldn't even see the lake - but then we came back in the afternoon and the view was really breathtaking! The pictures don't even come close to seeing it live. The lake just lay there, deep and spooky, reflecting the dark clouds in its extremely calm and clear water. Wow!
Looking to the other side, you overlook a vast plain with a smoke-emitting volcano in the background (can you see it?).
This is where the smoke is coming from. These are neither clouds, nor was the picture taken on a different planet...
After 3 days in the area we continued our trip to Lake Saroma further north. That area was really getting a bit too lonely for my taste, with only a fishing port without any real village nearby. The food, of course, was excellent again, as the port is famous for providing fresh scallops. Lake Saroma it is separated from the ocean only by a thin strip of land and is actually connected with the sea. Looking to one side, you can see the black-sanded seashore...
...looking to the other side there is the lake.
The bikes offered for rent to explore the area where somewhat too small for us "Westerners", though...
On the last day we drove to the large Taisetsu National Park in central Hokkaido. The really big volcanos were hidden in the clouds, but even the smaller mountains were quite special for us. So regularly shaped they remind me of the kind of mountains children draw.
Finally we came by this really cute little mountain village called Sounkyo, another onsen (Japanese spa) resort, which we found really empty, but which must be quite a popular place on weekends and during the upcoming holiday season in August.
