A different sky presented itself today - overcast all day and it made a difference to the look of @Hakodate. Nonetheless, no rain and no wind and it did seem warmer.
A leisurely breakfast in a new dining room - a lot bigger than our last and not quite as many food choices but we could make some selections to get us started.
The tram is our friend and always gets us close to the highlights on the itinerary, so a simple jaunt across the road and the day was underway. We had a couple of places to visit in #Hakodate before our afternoon Bullet Train would whisk us to #Sendai.
Our explorations today included visits to:
GoryokakuTower - Back on the city tram using our scratched all-day pass and out to the Tower for a bird's eye view of the fortress. An historic site because it was the site of the battle of the last Samuri of Japan - this star shaped fortress was the last bastion of these warrior's fight in resisting the new age of rule in Japan. And the bronze statue and paintings of Hijikata Toshizo, that littered the complex, celebrated the warrior considered to be the very last man standing. According to @Zac, his "apparent" good looks make him a hero to the "fan girls" who are often seen doing their coy poses for their photos.
This incredible Tower structure with observation deck was built for the sole purpose of giving visitors a birds eye view of the star shaped fortress. And it was a magnificent view of the setup - surrounded by a moat, and with the fortress centred within the points of the star, there were no blind spots in its defence- well, except for an enemy armed with guns and heavy fire-power.
The more recent iterations of the Fort as a tourist attraction sees the defensive banks and avenues lined with cherry blossom trees. And there were hundreds of them visible from above - full of budding potential - but no blossoms. @Zac said "Come back in about a month" and coincidentally we will be back this way on May 1st - so a revisit to this park is on the agenda. @Mac has been locking in the directions and the tram options for our return. I have noticed on the official website that a "budding" picture is added regularly so visitors can track the progress of the blossoms - might be worth a check as we approach May 1st and our return.
Part two of the visit here was to walk the grounds and it was definitely a bonus that we had enjoyed the benefit of the bird's eye view first - definitely enhanced the meaning and significance of the stroll.
Morning Markets - a misnomer really because they are open well into the late afternoon. Originally established here after WW2 as an informal solution for selling the local farm produce, over time it was formalised into a physical structure and is now the centre for both wholesale and retail of fresh seafood. And things were live here. You could select your crab from the tank and it was cooked for you to eat in a street stall or with a vendor in a restaurant. If you preferred, perhaps a "dancing squid bowl" was more to your liking - a bowl of rice with a still moving translucent (stunned) squid moving on top. Um, definitely not. But we were a little partial to the crab and prawn bowls (completely cooked) on offer and settled in for a satisfying lunch.
Walked it off with a look at the #Hakodate Cruise Terminal (we'll be back) and the #Ferry Museum and looped around for our 2 pm meet up for the next leg of the journey.
Shinkansen - The Bullet Train - With backpacks retrieved from the hotel storage, it was time to take the connecting train back to Shin-Hakodate Hokuto Station. This is the benefit of a @Zac - he has all the transportation timing figured out and all we need to do is follow along. I love that nothing is left to chance - even though we need three tickets for this journey, @Zac issues them one at a time at the correct stage of the trip to ensure no "dropsies."
From the 20 minute local Rapid Express ride to the Shinkansen boarding - there was no wait time. We were on board and seated before we knew it. Comfortable, clean, great viewing and with the group clustered together.
And with nothing more than a gentle "shrug" the train was off. The track runs above the ground and is often protected by tall sound barriers and there were dozens of tunnels so views of the countryside were intermittent and fleeting. (Confessing - especially limited photos because I was asleep for most of the journey.)
This train had the ultimate destination of #Tokyo but we were headed to #Sendai - our first visit to the mainland of #Honshu. In order to get from the norther island of #Hokkaido to the main island, the train travelled through the #Seiken Tunnel - the longest underwater tunnel in the world and under the #Tsugaru Strait. This section took around 23-25 minutes because the train speed is limited to 60 kph in the underwater tunnel. Tried to keep my mind off the whole "Ring of Fire" thing for this part of the trip.
Once we were out, it was full throttle. You could track the speed of the train, and we noted a cruising speed of around 280 - with occasional peaks over 300. Amazingly, as a passenger, you didn't feel any sense of motion or movement. Even trips to the loo were navigated with ease. And speaking of "loo" - this little annex was twice the size of the bathrooms in our hotel rooms and had lots of buttons and gadgets - so many in fact, that there was a bold warning NOT to hit the SOS Stop button instead of the Flush button. Wouldn't that have been embarrassing.
The route took us towards the eastern coastline as we trekked south and the land was an alternating mix of farmland and towns. Everything is still that rather sombre winter grey although the further south we went, the more green appeared. And as we closed in on #Sendai, there were oohs and ahhs of excitement because there were regular sightings of parklands adorned with the gentle blush of the pink of the cherry blossoms. A promise of things to come.
The train made various stops and people boarded and left the train with calm efficiency. There is an announcement event about 5 minutes before each station to "prepare" for leaving the train - people have their luggage down and in hand and are ready as soon as the doors open to make their exit.
Of course, we were equally well-prepared courtesy of @Zac, and made the short walk through the bustle of the high-rise complex of the station (our train arrived on the third floor high above the city streets) to our new home for two nights, the #Daiwa Roynet Hotel.
A quick turn around and it was time for dinner. But OMG - we were definite non starters. @Zac diligently provides a list of eating recommendations each day - taking care to include the local "delicacies" to ensure you are getting a chance to eat like a local. Definitely NOT tonight for us. #Sendai is famous for beef tongue. There is an entire street of restaurants devoted to this offering. It didn't matter how many times @Zac talked it up - we just couldn't get our minds around trying. In fact, after our seafood lunch, we opted for "the burger joint" #The Most Coffee - on the third floor. Great service, fabulous views of the nighttime foot traffic of #Sendai and one of the rare occasions, anywhere in the world, where the pictures of burgers actually matched the food that was served.
Took a stroll home through some of the shops and found a little something special and retreated to the comfort of our room. I was drawing the zzzzs as soon as my head hit the (once again very hard) pillow and didn't stir all night.
Weather: 10 degree start in Hakodate with 16 in Sendai
Steps: 14 925
KEEP CALM THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
I'm happy to report that my inner child is still ageless. James Broughton
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