The next morning at Abashiri, I boarded a train for Kushiro.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpJW82lczNXpqTze9kxStPpOyw2QUsdPMNZutcdnLSPiewoSxq9XXq74570JKI7CWq7uT_3MBEeZ8-qZMBywGGYNfCoYKLGaYeb2Uhv4_C1crfhmhBoq6H1hkSgBtgGk4hfxByL51jLU/s320/IMG_1638.JPG) |
My conveyance. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTS598-yNavYyf0YoQ5hDjA95GoRZ9insXhNXp9t1fpOg2kGJhDwpGTFIFvS2wB4dVKYUoEFKtbTGhi4K8r8gi_ZfUtTMVcIhDJY7sGjIuzYTv7ugXNB9d7_BuPGmvwncdytByNbVf4CM/s320/IMG_1640.JPG) |
My way to the track. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBuYJzK3K25LpcNKkQQAdl_pr8S-8OPdo4LF-s4SdzmHEARrQke3RCLEoUp58vJy-Gg8YJQFuFw7FTN-qNxbyU2-oGecLLOapfRcSB-KnQSq4urFVPoxIsQ1cCp91qWHg8CC_LKKjq5I/s320/IMG_1643.JPG) |
Fellow travelers. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaW2LGSGqvg68_uPAiWRbRAMgwEHG01upHAsnBoB1lo1Nx6zRL_4iwhLrqFv_TCtHNostuYvT1kM-Ofd0Z7DAQR-BNIOEuw8AhgOULg9oKBVkQzj4vnAUh9QH8mFyr7BGXxpEhXgObQrc/s320/IMG_1645.JPG) |
Rolling out of Abashiri. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuQIbEQ-j954XJwtmeiwqmPBvV-bzZyDcQxNawIio-FqDrYjk2nExg7oT0tEjf5oZEQ5EmWK2CJblDsUGxxqi03A3fQY5rENYMz4RAWY45KZ2zHhgxnhil0Dwsf6OdzqEPNm048jpxOw/s320/IMG_1650.JPG) |
The ocean, not on my side of the train. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwLTAO6sGkd7OgCx0bmXIgeBVZHxsvedBJJTLrBPhHWB49LZ-GdWtzCC-cBy7EWIR3f5a4eISo79f3Bc6fR6lu2Wb6xROlMaOA2wxdtv0YeXW9N2ybPF1cfcpYR_5k_gAfQgO4lNPRLI/s320/IMG_1679.JPG) |
This is a little guy and I assume, his father. The little guy got on the train by himself. He was very excited. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHk_tTkC-2JlscTtPMokwF082m9Fbq9KcoCJmVNvofXK70Kz43QVSd2ro_uxrhx_0mrz25S3RDqLyZQw1MhS2K8Ly4MMqD1DMrBSgT49kvJmwH1SkN7uC6vJEzvs2ukKP4OQR1dSQrr8/s320/IMG_1683.JPG) |
A couple of stations later, these folks turned out to meet him. I assume his mother and sister. The little girl was very excited. She jumped up and down. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsCAEeZlLct4f9tgqwN-aqelLT8sRN9CALY_X_oBFYWU_j78pW1iRmhcaTu5CVLFacnQsSVbU0YxMcTA2o8ohndUcOdbHZjVP-UJNXQClOJjE9zujJUFshzIR1TpywgvljEz_iyFExoo/s320/IMG_1687.JPG) |
This was a local train; there were lots of stops along the way. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNsPu2v_TvK0mt68pPxbfWp8aMIJmvpPA579drQawy9ZfbtIVxxHiLyiXrGT0RFYKA689cEImADL9NFpx6lMUo5XhIGm-eTFWUw0p2-9L_T2Txo3uXVJbfLIoS8afy2dcAkqWm7JsUW4/s320/IMG_1693.JPG) |
New arrivals. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2GFyu8l8rUrAMGm9_vi5mGGTmTOvkC_vCL6fko7PcGoODul8LjYGV0xmzyDekdAsge0mTsLRL6ZBeVa790cYo_JJ9Apk0cKsz_d5caKnug6Vena4htKRe79hiY-djzYL22vAqHDPCyk/s320/IMG_1715.JPG) |
The cockpit at the other end of the train. There is one at each end. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjM5HOjpOPdvyQGU3q9pJN2RzgrQTG2yUqJeF7ITcLXXbHT25RJhYJDHoZzijUJ34CIyh8qsK0E45jm8tv5BCbz4k003OvVs9DE6xgeHYUpOAVokcdYcW8zqJ5r-iKXeQJYIDyoWKCzk/s320/IMG_1732.JPG) |
The stations can get pretty silly. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjGqEmwQP5uBlyPEUAXL0vf4girxyQXV5-s8botmiCSylqqka-MA-G-HGdAn_DPEAvnnPcrLSHrKwrbU3d4zcKJVwbkgT37unTUPF9F3MYX82iXn0OOPXsLtrCwLdR3bUHSwD4V1NP6o/s320/IMG_1768.JPG) |
Long grass. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZW9MR1kb0Ixa0-cG_QPyWkBubYOe0baw0Tj-sPVUd191IfcY_yrPbE-zXNbCYi5QWQUK6sNLpkKFgUw1Gle2zwzKlv6KoQrxBJlh32nbbiN_aBCcGOAZx4g4rYAZZFdNaMVRoyj8CY-I/s320/IMG_1776.JPG) |
An advertisement for this train... |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7mooTNUsxe97VSk0AjIBjpU43MZZPQTxeTSILj1BEb0zARR4ctnrucl_yqPBTozZ5yDh5El5X6wLGNEhbfVMYRq5PCx235qWtWoj9gj1MNjc8LbisF-soiTac8NDvy3NxhgqtiD_J0o/s320/IMG_1794.JPG) |
the " Kushiro Shitsugen Norokko." The beige building in the background is my hotel. |
I wish that I had known about this train beforehand, I would have taken the ride. There were people running from my train to jump on this one. They were in the know. By the time I had researched what all the excitement was about, the last one for the day had split. This area of Hokkaido is famous for its wetlands. I had seen a lot of wetlands from my train. They were beautiful. You don't see them because the shots through the window weren't worth it. This train has open windows and only a wooden bench seats. Have a look:
http://en.visit-hokkaido.jp/travelPlanner/details.php?code=6203014000139
Walk-around...
This was a Sunday afternoon. Kushiro is not a small town, it is a city. It is a city that is not happening on Sunday. Most of the businesses on my walk were closed down. It was like being in Bavaria on a Sunday. There was also the threat of rain during my walk. That was not clear when I started it, so I hadn't unpacked my umbrella. Fortunately the rain held off until I got back to the hotel. I had been checking out the buses and figured I knew which ones to catch to get back to the station in case it did start raining. They wouldn't have helped much once I left that boulevard, though. I always end up leaving the boulevard.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4tG96qHLBTovgWL2udlk-F1ly0BQMYc6TlNuYbFhxqPls2CYCcHsowgvLIZ2AXsvlvobPa7gHIuDoVz3HR3XhxmjmZqnB8ThzTDrNrMt30rdT7rvYheXhbaIOgd4NBwjsdFeDH7lasvY/s320/IMG_1798.JPG) |
I still find buildings like this one with the point, strange in this country. Here it is, set up right next to the train station. It strikes me as having a little bit of Disneyland right across the street. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTqG75g7zy-kLcbYxVCXEMb3cf-GfBKczdlryKYRPOmF_-UviSGB0WbEmkwq4k_HvmlMA65XxTlzgho002V9Y8zQN-mBTYKjPggP5JgxqWn483H5BokdmEZ5umNRcp2GIBU9W6HsH2jo/s320/IMG_1803.JPG) |
My hotel. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhocia5PSWkKAW5qd4lim9rx-pwDIvCWeODdPCIFgNk0NhEElrD8lToD58rtp5Ku0iQpeLKdUvjhO8J-tFlYm80zx0vJc-oAVpB_OXuA0H7d0tSzFw1bkIYxkdaRsX0_x3fCE3exTMrlRg/s320/IMG_1808.JPG) |
Sunday traffic. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghacdhtDFx8iRW2_rvl6nPYf8_2iAfsL2FfRUW3hfDPrUrsJ3y3MEExcSVkQYLPIZT0oOXRrjTk0UOtfcHo5QGHtAYkXDj0wpcPbjRGgDmu3VYrIY7VEAL6Bv2xBYFgenQqdYzYGuthHg/s320/IMG_1811.JPG) |
The mouth of the river. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcKlMApkyeYntlzwZQyEZQIXVimund71g6DF9vREPk-dWiHfoyySPwtKBfUAOjqemy_QcDfh55k8kvahFHLpxeNrAZuxXC1-9QrJWx3Y5CkrAf9FQ6muZVrX39AlANwytMgYiZxh_HxI/s320/IMG_1819.JPG) |
This is for you, Dr. Burkhart. I didn't go in because at first I thought it was some kind of church service. I think, however it was just a concert. Maybe some kind of trumpet club? Every soloist I saw played either trumpet or flugelhorn. Go figure. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9D5gsxkaL9X1Yyun9REH5B4RooYpfrajQHlOA6EY05pzQPweAtRdsk86c6PMHL8e_zX-TDGquCq3GxYL89f_Ew_qltB4DSvSZzks1cevWq4YKuPyO6K7rbVLLfBqOr9Gl8eNTJ9HKNI/s320/IMG_1832.JPG) |
I don't know what they catch here, but they must do a lot of it at night. All of the boats were outfitted with these lights. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_C6p7yHXldmUqMJQHSRBNxDTXBjkCQwSs9Me6UnjGDGdqFYMnk6lQFQsdeiHAbVFVujrdSoQCcC_S58sbSoMm1tWZfcDQ1967K1bwgjfHKjcEIYlDdHbIlCRopFPZfV8CsIiDyGM1F8k/s320/IMG_1843.JPG) |
Anchors. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4lr9oF77p2Q88W_ffEb6qCaxevihbLS0r0oOHQfYoAREuYTA5Th6meQFqvTXG-AwB-9KEe1YEPa2gobsHge_cra9Hu3VYouNKQegJ-f48kijexakrwM-mKmzjmawIezPIaAvkHfb673Y/s320/IMG_1856.JPG) |
Protecting the seaways. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFEt5jF-8l1ZnklRhUgasJ7SY56LAz5lZZzrymryMerSele21f7gxTB60DwTc20MHefW_CwTJPaojHLWWabnoWPyw9YTaeFh58JaPOPb5BHlTGYxH705g3c-ImxpFfccaZ2JR9ZB973eM/s320/IMG_1867.JPG) |
I wanted to walk out to the end of this, but the guys in the Coast Guard cutter were watching and I didn't want to create any problems. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQ9N96W7lUb6Pyftw-B_fiIBDgpFEtaRQDlgEodjhIxNSIef-cezS0_OrkQrEhz9NFfq8sxPkM0BmaHMJBvLPiaFYgUI-cWtNOIe9RD5y9MqqkLY7zl7HRmpgXQnSz5-8UOy65JMQdOU/s320/IMG_1884.JPG) |
The facilities. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nwgaTKySzOQkNkl8ifyjKjG662o5SAbpsOP3kPB7TM7wLrm0Ht_hEXhGejncM_vrEO15cqevKO7sW0hZsShXJC60iB0AZ6fv7db3G6lcU6F_kATeemcynYtyWXEzj2HfWSgqWyVlXxY/s320/IMG_1896.JPG) |
River commerce. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9yPDeOBUW5Qj7zy_oABtg47IisrJ7WHOZefjqM00O4RYa5QFgreyJ7VUxgJCFw7EG6qAc1nYcKY-eMnjBKzbMjXjl2R2QTTGkVWU-S52HfSCMu1ZMBr1Sa3eLOt4IpM_LxQwdqHTvxrM/s320/IMG_1899.JPG) |
Sunday traffic. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZ73mn2woIKmi0oDxtzKlXmF7vcylPap1PjmkhGCQMCiG6yWeNwu-VGhWgxk170FwFgwXRK5FAcW4PqHtYdx9VbmOwHgk7e2LJsSG4h5-X4IJiEARnfWGa8U3gOVtSksVFmYvREZnJKc/s320/IMG_1902.JPG) |
Bowling. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKSw7OJFMbqN8xB9oN4NrnDRun7dHzKg1lAkxe5YpVRY8pHk-OHPmuvyQF2rZN79AmK34kML52T1ZACAPs8QpimQaUC_R1pGfb53BL5j5YMrJSByf3CO1Y0HAFwYn8BquE44RlXoi84k/s320/IMG_1908.JPG) |
View of the station from the hotel room. |
Dinner...
It was a pretty long walk that I took, yet I found no place open for dinner. On that level, this town was really different than anywhere I've been. Everywhere else the problem is choosing which restaurant, not finding a restaurant. I returned to the hotel, changed into warmer, rain-friendly clothes and went back out. I had noticed one place on the side street next to the hotel that looked like it might be are restaurant and might be open.
I stood outside of it for a bit because I really couldn't tell what it was. A lone guy walks up, looks at me; I say "Konbanwa." He replies likewise. I see that he is about to go in. I say, "Tabemono, de su ka?" He says, "Hi. Soba." I say, "Is it good?" That was too much English for him, so he opens the door and gestures me in...
Now I am in a seaport town, so what I want is seafood, but really, nothing was open. Nothing. Okay, Burger King was open. I had to go with the soba. She had a shrimp; that qualified. I was happy.
Thank you, Roper. Nice trumpet pix. I'm behind on reading, but catching up. Your travels are most excellent.
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