Wednesday 28 August 2013

Day 4- Hakodate to Aomori


Sayonara Hokkaido island!

Hakodate, a very large industrial port, looking at the map, the shape is similar to la Corunha, my home town.

Hakodate is famous international for the tuna and the scallops. It is a city of low density with not many tall buildings, extending miles along the coast. There are a few landmarks, the Red brick Houses (old port warehouses) converted into a shopping area and the ropeway.

After noodles and rice balls breakfast with Yoel and his lovely wife ( they were on their second honey moon) we left our hotel (toyako inn, a Japanese version of a holiday inn) located next to the fish market and headed towards the star shape castle/fort in Hakkodate, where we had our morning ice-coffee (Richard's discovery competing with Monmouth coffee) and made a quick sketch of the fort.

At lunch time we got the ferry towards Aomori, main island of Japan.
The ferry takes about 3:40 hours to cross the Tsugaru channel , giving us enough time during the journey to enjoy pot noodles and siesta and take a few photos. Instead of seats or benches you go into main carpeted area were you take off your shoes and seat on the floor, they provide you with small cube shaped pillows where you could rest your arms or head.

We arrived in Aomori on the afternoon, and immediately felt more like Japan, big avenues with medium tall buildings, according to Richard a bit like Sidney.
We headed to the tourist office were lovely RIKA IWAKE who gave us all sort of recommendations about what to do in the region and where to eat good food in the city.

We also found the coolest bicycle shop in Japan NARIFURI ! We wanted to buy everything but couldn't as we would have to carry it on, Tomoro the shop manager gave us some dried calamari snacks, with very string flavour, not enough for dinner thought, so we went to a place near by with great food, and amongst other delicious local food we tried, scallop with spring onion soup and egg! Delicious!

Thanks for this Yakitori menu to our honey moon sponsors!

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