Day 9 - Hakodate to Sendai

And so ends our time in Hakodate.  The morning was filled with fog, as the mountain was shrouded from view.

For a Monday morning, all we could hear outside was the drone of cars on the roadways.  The air was a little sticky from the early morning dew, but the air temperature was pleasant.  Making use of the stereo and it's fancy tube amplifier, we put on some music as we quickly dressed for an early breakfast.   The Morning Market was first on the agenda. Near the station, the market spanned the block, with both inside and outside stalls. Known for its rich seafood, Hakodate's market stalls overflowed with fish. We saw enormous crabs, prickly sea urchin and Hakodate's famous squid. All manner of vegetables filled the space. 

We were so close to the station, it made sense to see if we could get on an earlier train to Sendai, so we went to the JR Rail counter. Sure enough, Mona got us tickets on an earlier train. We returned to the hotel to retrieve our luggage, and the helpful receptionist hailed a taxi. Our taxi driver quickly delivered us to the train station, and we worked our way to platform.  We rode a short, commuter train packed with people to the station where we would board a Shinkansen train for Sendai.

The Shinkansen sped along the line, turning the countryside into a blur.  The hours quickly passed, as we entertained ourselves and enjoyed our bountiful snacks.  There were occasional stops along the route, but none of them took more than a few minutes each.

The Shinkansen train finally pulled into Sendai station.  As we exited the train, we were assaulted by the strong humidity here - it was only a few degrees warmer than Hakodate, but certainly much, much more humid (80% at 4pm!)  We struggled through the heat, but finally reached our hotel.  In the midst of downtown Sendai, Mona has managed to find an oasis: a Japanese-style Inn with a natural hot spring!  After checking in and depositing our belongs in our room, I went down to the men's hot springs bath.  As is tradition with Japanese baths, you wash outside the tub - typically in short rows of stalls with benches and sinks - then soak and relax inside the tub.  The hot spring bath was about as warm as the hottub at our fitness center, but the peaceful music made it a relaxing experience.  There was an indoor and a smaller outdoor bath; the outdoor bath had very tall walls, but an overhead view of the sky, where you could just see a few stars.

Leaving the bath, an ice cream treat awaited in a freezer outside.  Mona returned, so we ventured out in search of dinner.  Heading back towards Sendai Station, we passed several shopping centers on our way.  We passed a few buildings where each floor was a different restaurant.  Stopping at one, we scanned the menu then headed upstairs.  Why not start at the top floor and work our way down, until we found something?  The top floor restaurant was closed, and the next floor down had a wait, but the next floor looked promising.  We were seated in a booth, then began ordering from an excellent picture menu.  Before long, we'd plowed through a variety of fish, chicken and other dishes.

Dinner was excellent, and we wandered back towards home.  We crossed through a shopping arcade, marveling at the number of people out-and-about on a Monday night.  Arriving back at the hotel, it was time for another dip in the hot springs bath.  After a warm bath, there's nothing like curling up in a warm bath and drifting off to sleep!

Day 8 - Sapporo to Hakodate

Today ends our stay in Sapporo. The cooler weather and more-relaxed atmosphere, certainly made us more comfortable these last few days. We woke in the morning, packed our suitcases and prepared for the walk to the station. We would have a three-hour ride on the train to our coastal destination, so we chose to get to the station early, and find provisions for our trip.  The walk was quiet and uneventful, as Sapporo was very quiet on a Sunday morning.  Reaching the subway station, we made good use of the elevators, as our bags now made going up and down flights of stairs a real chore.  The morning subway had few empty seats, but we were able to get on board without any issues.  

When we finally reached Sapporo station, the train station seemed so much busier than the subway.  We crisscrossed hallways and intersections, twisting along to the JR Rail lines.  When we finally reached the JR Rail lines, we scanned the board for our train, but didn't see it on the screen.  We were nearly an hour early, and the board showed nearly a dozen trains leaving in the next 25 minutes.  A helpful attendant indicated our train was on Platform 8, so we thanked him and continued through the terminal.  Since there was ample time before the train, we planned to go the food court.  Thanks to the nearby coin lockers, we stashed our luggage to move about more freely.  The basement of the Daimaru shopping mall boasted a large floor, with numerous stalls selling food.  We grabbed several meals, snacks and drinks, then returned to the coin lockers.

With luggage in hand, we headed to the platform and maneuvered ourselves into the line.  Once the boarding began, we quickly found space at the front of the car and stowed our luggage.  Settling into our seats, we soon left the station.  The Hokuto line is not as fast as the Shinkansen that operates further south, but still is well over 100mph in the longest stretches (though is averages much closer to 80mph for much of the 3.5hr trip).  This line also stops at more than a dozen stations on the way, allowing passengers to debark at a number of places in Hokkaido.

We pulled into Hakodate Station in the early afternoon.  Since this station was smaller than the others, it was only one floor: No Stairs!

As we exited the station, the air was clearly cooler here than it was in either Tokyo or Sapporo.  The grand plaza in front of the station held taxi stands and a bus loop.  We pressed onward and boarded a tram that looped the city.  The tram was busy and crowded.  

The Hakodate Marathon was apparently today, and we saw dozens of people in running attire.  Exiting the tram, we soon found our hotel, the Village Concordia Resort and Spa.  Highly rated online, the hotel was known for being cozy.

In the lobby, the front desk staff greeted us with a cold beverage and wine!  We were escorted to our room, and the concierge explained all the features of the room.

Today's first adventure: dropping by the ATM and topping up our Suica cards for the subways and trams.  The next adventure: onsen!  Hakodate is know for it's hot spring baths.  We headed downtown on tram, in search of one.  We came across a public bath to check out, but Mona discovered a public foot bath nearby.  As we reached it, several people were already dipping their feet.  The water was extremely hot!  A sign indicated the temperature could average 49 C or 120 F.  I could put my feet in only briefly, then take them out again almost immediately.  The bath was a good way for my feet to relax, and I felt invigorated by the attempt.

Moving on from the foot bath, we walked down to the seashore and enjoyed the quiet afternoon waves. 

Not too far away, Mona discovered a great ramen restaurant and we stopped for dinner.  The diner was small, and an older woman worked it, all by her lonesome.  With help from Google Translate, we placed our order and she whipped it up, all by herself.  We made short work of the tasty ramen, and continued onward.  Daiso was a short walk away, so we visited the location and picked up more souvenirs and gifts.

The sun had set nearly an hour ago, which would make for excellent nighttime views from the top of Mt. Hakodate.  We hailed a taxi and he whisked us away, right to the front door of the Mt. Hakodate ropeway.  The nighttime views, of course, did not dissapoint.  One side was the Pacific Ocean; the other side was the Sea of Japan.  The lights of city glittered in the darkness, making the city appear as the night sky upside down - it was truly a wonderful view.

The ropeway base station was only a few blocks from our hotel, and it took only a few minutes to get home.  The lobby of the hotel featured a small collection of Jazz and Classical CDs.  Mona and Kylee selected a few CDs, then we headed up to room.  Jazz music wafted through our suite as we wound down from the day.  The hotel furnished small jars of a strange jelly in our refrigerator.  It turned out to be a welcome desert that tasted much like peanut butter.  I devoured mine, but the ladies were less-than enthused.  

We would only spend one night in Hakodate, as tomorrow we would check out and continue to our next-to-last stop: Sendai.