A Longer Trip to Hokkaido

[mrs.dr.ron]

I wish I could grow these japanese hydrangeas at home - but I think it is way too hot on the sunshine coast !
There are so many pretty colours !!
And this was our last trip to Japan ! ........

 

[drron]

 

[drron]

We are walking down Sakaimachi Hondori street. Full of tourists and interesting.

 

[drron]

 

[drron]

 

[drron]

This was a place selling Murano glass so they had this display.




But nice furniture.










We went back to the hotel and then drove to the Aeon mall hoping there were a few restaurants there. It appears it is often used to get your steps up.

 

[drron]

Back to the hotel for a nap and then went out about 1800 to the street we had walked that day.






However virtually all the restaurants had closed for the day. So we went back to the BBQ restaurant. I once again had the Marzen beer.


Some of our food.

 

[drron]

Otaru at night on the way back to the hotel.

 

[drron]

Saturday breakfast.

 

[drron]

And the last of Breakfast.






After breakfast we decided to drive to a couple of shrines/temples and up to the observation deck on the hill behind Otaru. Then to the Cape Observatory and possibly the railway section of the Otaru museum.


However things didn;t quite go to plan so I will pause this TR and start a special TR on the Dark Side of Japan Travel.

 

[Flyfrequently]

I wish I could grow these japanese hydrangeas at home - but I think it is way too hot on the sunshine coast !
There are so many pretty colours !!
And this was our last trip to Japan ! ........

Beautiful photos @mrs.dr.ron

Am keen to know if you purchased one of those bread slicers?
Great invention (and clutter up the 3rd kitchen drawer)

 

[Bundy Bear]

Sometimes things don’t go to plan

 

[Matt_01]

Sometimes things don’t go to plan

Have a look at the other thread @drron has started, it is a little more than 'Sometimes things don’t go to plan'

 

[Bundy Bear]

Have a look at the other thread @drron has started, it is a little more than 'Sometimes things don’t go to plan

The Dark side of Japan Tourism.


I have been reading it.

 

[drron]

Back to th last week of our trip. Not quite what we envisaged. after 2 hours of being asked questions by 4 different policemen on that fateful day I was about to be taken with Mrsdrron to the police station. I had time to take a picture of our Toyota after it was lifted off the motorcycle. really minor damage.


The tow truck people then drove it on to their truck. little did I know that if your rental comes back on a tow truck your rental is automatically cancelled with no refund. Didn't really matter with the subsequent developements.
I was also able to take some photos of the hydrangeas near the intersection.






We then sat for 3 hours before I was called in for an interview. I still didn't realise what was going to happen but the police interpreter told me I was probably going to spend the night at the Police station so I called a taxi to take mrsdrron back to the hotel.

The police help sponsor the local baseball team.




About 7pm I was told I could go out and buy myself dinner. There was a Lawsons across the street so I decided I would go there. Thought it a bit strange that 3 police shadowed me. Had i known what was ahead I would have tried to find a proper restaurant.
So my last meal wraps plus apple juice.




Posting these 2 photos reminded what the first thing our youngest grand daughter said when she saw us 2 weeks ago. Poppie was probably worried more about being not allowed to take pictures of his food than anything else.
The next few days have been thoroughly documented so fast forward to Wednesday at about 3pm. I walk free. Seeing my darling wife wasjust so wonderful. In the background of the photo is my criminal lawyer who obviously did all the hard work.




Then back to the smallest hotel room we have ever had.

 

[drron]

Mrsdrron had a really hard time. We were staying at the Hotel Sonia and were due to leave the day after the accident. She was able to get an extra night there But had to move from one of the largest rooms to one of the smallest for the Sunday night. They and the hotels in the area were full for the next week as it was coming up to one of their major festivals.
Now Mrsdron didn't have any way of accessing the internet. Her phone was dead. Add to that her memory problems after her serious head injury at the end of 2022 and she had real problems. The first thing she did was ring the Embassy from the hotel but she rang before 9am so was put through to Canberra. Fortunately she talked to the woman who had talked to our son a little earlier.
She then packed her bags and got a taxi to the Police station and got them to find her a hotel. All were expensive. She picked the one nearest the train station. It was the Green Hotel Annexe. The room.




Note the tap is for both the bath and the basin.


We went out for dinner. Decorations going up along the streets.




We found a little restaurant opposite the railway station. A robot brings the food and takes away the dirty plates.


Mrsdrron had a mixed tempura.


I had tonkatsu. Mrsdrron's was a set meal and came with ramen which she didn't want so I had it.


It was nice and fairly cheap. Great to have some hot food.

 

[drron]

Thursday and the first thing on the agenda was taking our large case up to the station and Takubin it to the CP New Chitose which we hadn't cancelled. The 7/11 store was the only close place that had an "english" speaker. Well he dad about a dozen words of English so I tried hard and remembered a fair bit of Japanese. However as back up I had the CP Japanese website up on my phone so no worries.
I noted that there was a nice looking bakery across from the 7/11 so went and had a look. They had scallop pies! First time I had seen that so naturally had to have one. Only 2 scallops but they were large Hokkaido scallops with roe on. Quite pleasant but I prefer the taste of tassie scallops even though in their scallop pies they are usually tiny.


Mrsdrron went back to the hotel and I went for a walk to the police station. Funny right next to the station is Toyota rent a car.
Otaru station a s you cross over the line to get to the Police station.


This is the Police station but the detention centre side. On the top floor the third smaller window which is slightly open is where my cell is.


The front of the building is the police station.


There is a really lovely old building virtually next door.

 

[drron]

Some sights walking back to the hotel. no wonder the trains were noisy at night. Crossing over 5 sets of points right outside the cells.

 

[drron]

We went out to try and find a restaurant for dinner. This one looked good and advertised an English menu. it was also open and had seats available.


Should have looked more closely at the photos - seats were on the floor. Hard enough to get down but getting up again would be nearly impossible.
The problem was the festival started the next morning. Decorations were up but many restaurants were closed s they would be open long hours in the next 3 days. Those that were open had no seats left.






We did pass a couple of places that had seating available but we just walked by.




We thought we were right. There was a seafood restaurant above a seafood shop. Went up and there were plenty of seats which in the circumstances was not a great sign. Only 1 woman serving and just 8 other customers were there. It was meant to be open for another 1.5 hours so in we went. The woman showed us to a table and threw the menus at us.
And we sat. She came with dishes for the 2 tables closest to us and took extra orders from them. We still just sat. not even a glance in our direction.
Next a table paid their bill at the cash register. She had a 5 minute chat to them then disappeared into the kitchen. Came back out and collected their plates etc and took them back to the kitchen. After a while she came back out and started cleaning the table -there were about 8 othe unused tables so it wasn't actually an urgent job. It had been half an hour so we got up and walked out. She turned her back to us and didn't utter a word.

So dinner was the left over sushi at Lawsons. Only 2 trays left. Plus we decided to try the famous Hokkaido melon.




We have had much better rock melon back in Australia.

 

[drron]

So I was actually glad to leave Otaru. Every hour they have a rapid service from Otaru to new Chitose airport. I had bought the tickets the day before. The reserved carriage wasn't full but it looked pretty full in the non reserved carriages. Naturally I had another scallop pie before we went up to the platform. lots of hydrangeas growing next to the lines.


The incoming trains were at capacity but many of those arriving stopped and took a photo of the Station sign. Apparently it is the original one.


Then our train arrived.








The reserved seat carriage was obviously the J cabin.




Non reserved where Y.