Day 9 Sunday 20th June - Kitahiroshima

On the road around 8am on Route 5 heading for Sapporo - pop 1.85 million, 5th largest city in Japan.
This is the capital city of Hokkaido. Good run into the city on bike paths and roads with a wide shoulder and it's Sunday so the traffic is light. Tourist info centre at the JR train station gives me maps, head off in search of Route 12. My goal is to find the Shiroishi cycle path that leads north out of Sapporo. A wonderful lady helped me and then I zoom along the tree covered path escaping the city with ease. The path goes for 21km to Kitahiroshima JR station.
Just wondering how to find Perfecture Road 3 when a man with 2 young children chat with me and offer advice. Then whilst I am at the convenience store deciding on what to eat the man and children return and invite me to sleep at their house for the night.
Really??? Awesome. A delightful evening with Taka, Yuki, Haru (6 years) and Mina (3 years). Sharing stories, playing UNO and snakes and ladders. A lovely dinner - salmon steaks, prawns, tofu with ginger, miso soup and rice. To this amazing family I thank you for the wonderful experience and your amazing kindness. A real highlight of my journey. We are in email contact and they have invited me to return to go skiing with them in the winter -wow!!!

Day 8 Saturday 19th June 2010 - Otaru

418km done.
Great sleep. Spend an hour cleaning the bike. Another hour resorting the panniers. The mist gradually clears to reveal a balzing sun shining day! Lovely coastal road, shrines and fishing villages, dried squid anyone? Onto Yoichi, more tunnels - these tunnels really are an engineering masterpiece. Along Route 5 to Otaru - this is a lovely town and will be on your map if you are following my journey. A delightful lady befriends me and takes me to her 1919 Misono (handmade) Ice Cream shop. I'm fed noodles, miso soup, fish, salad then ice cream - yummy - thank you so much for your kindness.
Otaru, population 145,000 is absolutely stunning in the evening - the Venice of Japan. Attractive, picturesque, old warehoused 1893, canal and cyclo rick shaws.

Day 7 Friday 18th June 2010

So far I've cycled 322km - bike going great, love the waterproof panniers and feeling strong as I zip along the coastline through fishing villages. It's glorious - this is why I'm here, the freedom, the sea, just being... energized by the ocean - it's flat and calm, blue skies, almost no traffic, tunnels that have reached 4 km long, tunnel, tunnel, tunnel. Lunch at Moiwa. Glorious day on the bike - hooray for Route 229. Located a free camp ground - Noduka Campsite - the grass has been recently cut, spotlessly clean bathroom and outside sinks where I do the hand washing. The sun is still high in the sky at 5pm, a lovely sea breeze. Did 96km today. Whisky, Japanese men and a shared BBQ as the sun sets!!

Day 6 Thurs 17th June 2010

Awake early to pack up in my dry shelter. Lovely bathroom with fresh flowers. Such luxury.
I cycled 200 meters and reached the town - Kuromatsunai!!! Hearty breakfast and head off in search of the coast and the Sea of Japan. Up hill, tunnels, misty, no trucks in fact almost no traffic, gale force winds. Finally reach the sea and my spirits soar - that was a tough slog getting here. Black volcanic sand - that's weird.
Turn right and keep the sea on my left and I've officially crossed the land mass and I'm heading north for Cape Soya. Lunch at Cape Benkeimisaki. Hunted out the gorgeous Suttsu Onsen with eight different pools, each labeled as to their temperature ranging from 39 C to 43C, with superjets, bubbles, outside viewing the forest - heavenly.

Day 5 Wed 16th June 2010

A very quiet, peaceful night's sleep. Awake 5am glorious lade view out my tent door. As I rode off into the morning in search of a Larson for breakfast the rain started. Route 37, hills rain, tunnels, scary fast truck, more rain, very narrow shoulder gushing with water from the heavy rain. Decided this is not what I want to do - cycle route 37.
Took the next turn to the right and headed for the hills. Route 266. Zoomed along the valley still raining but no trucks. Beech forests. Thinking I was some distance from any town I pitched my tent in a roadside shelter, wet and tired.

Day 4 Tues 15th June 2010

Awake and up at 4am to check out the view - awesome - all the mist had cleared, the lighthouse is on and it is stunning.
Back to bed, up again at 7.30am and it's all shrouded in mist again.
Bus loads of tourists arriving so I move on, cycle past a smoking volcano Mt showa Shinzan and on route 453 to Shikotsu- Toya National Park. A large beautiful lake, the volcanoes last active March 2000. Camped at Naka-toya Camping Ground.
A fantastic onsen. Soaked and scrubbed and soaked more in the hot tub and relaxed in the tatami room for hours before eating yummy ramen noodles. Fireworks across the lake.

Day 3 Mon 14th June 2010

A beautiful misty morning, with views of snow on the mountains across the lake.
An interesting restaurant or two.
Along route 36, with the misty sea or fog!!! Discovering the joy of convenience stores - they really have great food. Yummy hot rice balls, fishy stuff and seaweed, tuna sandwiches, egg sandwiches, pancakes with honey.....yum.

Stop at Cape Chikyu (one of the top 10 scenic places in Japan). It's around 3pm and it's so misty I can't see the cape, in fact it is so misty I decide to camp here and no one can even see me. Very peaceful with the beautiful mist.