Today is the last day we’ll be in an Asian country and it’s cold. Brrrr! We’re in Kushiro, Japan, which is at the far northeastern tip of Hokkaido. This place is known for its wildlife and fishing. Once again I didn’t book a tour because they all involved walking in wetlands. My friend and I went ashore and walked to what appeared to be downtown. Along the way we passed an art museum which was closed. When we arrived at a big intersection and looked around we didn’t see anything open, not even the tourist information stand inside one of the buildings. Some crew that we passed who were returning to the ship told us they had been to a supermarket and a convenience store. We didn’t need anything from either of those places so we walked down to the waterfront and then along the water back to the ship. The wind was really cold! Perhaps I missed something marvelous, but so far I haven’t talked to anyone who saw anything that I regret missing.
For me the highlight of the day was the sailaway. We left around 4 PM and on the dock Kushiro went all out to wish us a bon voyage. A Taebo drum group set up and began playing. There were at least 50 citizens wearing colorful yellow and orange jackets waving farewell. One young man ran back and forth waving an enormous flag. They played and waved until we were well away from the dock. I stood on my veranda taking photos and waving to them. By the time I went in my cabin my hands felt like ice cubes. I should have put a jacket and gloves on but I was in too big a hurry to see the drummers.
So ends my visit to Japan. The people have been warm and welcoming. The country is spotlessly clean. I’ve discovered that I like a lot of the food. It’s a place that I would consider visiting for several days if I ever decided to try doing a land trip. The biggest obstacle I can see having to overcome is the language and even the signage which is all in Japanese characters. That probably wouldn’t hinder more adventurous travelers than I think I am at this time in my life.
2 comments:
I can tell from your blog that you are having a hard time remembering how warm it was just a few days back so now you are cold and not going to get that much warmer fast. Hope you have a good sale.
I enjoyed the videos! The action shot of the guy running with the flag is good too. I wonder what the flag means. Glad you are continuing to have a good time.
Post a Comment