The skies were so clear the next morning in Kushiro that I feel I should post a couple of shots from the hotel window... Same view really, but one closer up so you can see the mountains. Everywhere I go here, there are mountains in sight.
Train ride...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ZZEzR7mTF61jTUtnXKaa4lDXevTIpOgzBEb5Q4u5duX6PWYK4LYjhUUN2D-UlyCle0ni1DMa7SvJOl2jqFlH3Ar5FjrT76E-1DBGUyY9LwT-NWZ2fQejR-h8_C34gMFV4p87d5XuMYc/s320/IMG_1944.JPG) |
It says, "Kushiro." |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHHzQnypcwga3PVu8FNzW6NOjU091BNBu8NwBFpj3__0UE-4Z6gVzrWTH58XgGrr5tsCAhZAvp4A4pN4gp9UjKhFgWkYNBkh_lxVGSEqTN1iBSuRSeuEbuEd4b-bCu-jwzza_Y_nYEY0/s320/IMG_1947.JPG) |
Train spotters. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2TffDE_zdZzpY1reMKUjBHbi-mu_MCd-QPyzWzmVC2cCgma8tkUAeQ7SUd31dLLZBSnYUKbM3CZDIKhZMxX76KliEsj3fEMzh3BkO9bMHkoQmMPJllVwCWkq6vNKELK2lhNnqaRCUkZc/s320/IMG_1981.JPG) |
Men at work. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1BiA7m3RB5VnVtWqDSWBuuZHcKMd5rLQmfj8egOqJ-DV3FF6N-vpcH79Tc8EozFhcDtYBh2DTYgvzpZsN4oP8jtjTbzsxwN6Uab5yHm7hmAjsvl06ezclS-vgcUcSNzS1n9gd13WB90/s320/IMG_1991.JPG) |
Marsh. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicdydpW-CFuc_tAUs6x1M_NVfEZ0Q9q3DKWwEtOKeaAwc9B-ngwO0XePjyCoiiEw4ZUhHBBvwLE8yi7pyaazscRJinkDgQ_tnwdJ6n1FtSqDSQBmECsFqDUg78QNNtqnM2T1cYwi90IS0/s320/IMG_1997.JPG) |
I saw lots of people on the trip like this guy, out harvesting. What they were after, I don't know. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKihuQOonbfIp8BX-VsBZfenDOFDg7k8hJVVW_kulogaZM0rhC0DFv3u2t7B7uIGL2pfFoWRnRYIdGooCG6F5hnzH0wIqInvsd_AVNhOKlxhvY3tHZYHtg-Ci6MQ4xPveAJH4U6KNwTvc/s320/IMG_2028.JPG) |
New travelers. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jvvgNi9rYUov6zq1OYtVGZknGDSvLFyvHvFyKwBttuvF8g7dtJ95n93N3JYngRbcWl7KVvEpd5wDZsUc5w-NoCSTHauUFV8bDCfxJU8YQIhMMEQNewAVGnKDGyiWDwFltSlpJQKTmCs/s320/IMG_2047.JPG) |
Someone leaving us. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8c7v0NIbuZhz8s-F-CDHwo1Evxacj6kodIT-bZwDHKuRHSuf4XuGYFMxst48JijOhXVVH7f-qVRj4__orDkSbZUu2-i2ko5TqzOEingatleSzrcHVLbEC2u0fnXWxZlPq7trFP77bys/s320/IMG_2048.JPG) |
The engineer's view. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdiNzb99CR-PLIyMh0Hlx6E9D_bts5ZxTqdwcFb3C1LNMScvxSMorMl9TInhd866jCGzwLpqvkE1-ukaqiu2KMpEZlUKA7-06s5fE69e3oh0fqKhyphenhyphenHKCPYFp_sVID87bculFnbrwkMEYg/s320/IMG_2056.JPG) |
The region around Obihiro is wine and cattle country. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPtcqJ0utT7Bt9oWxIah33v5eCRpdldOuq8MySFf2HFyWO6mOQ8R9thCHV6RkNEv9e6kqi2s7XKCIWw3dqDC83HKA8AKnHIC3MmCCB2YVRIKmEifdPsstcvvzU36A4cYC4stLxZlCc9qk/s320/IMG_2075.JPG) |
Obihiro. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVHifH-snSkL8eXvc_jgDOAQ0q6c3TAoKAdsD6QWjNrLeApCy6VvkebwHrib6xvMAs3M6ZXRaKthmBwgDV8197NuouUcgdSJKD52h_wOxI-sRT6bIryZhvwhhv1iOTgAaMhmnygbrG60/s320/IMG_2078.JPG) |
My hotel. It is very comforting to be able to see my hotel from the train. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfARtkJaU2D07M1UcLBGUuI1z-UvbN1yMJJkR1IWdotAduxgG42YFwwvZagScPgMPA1pF5442L0NEDK61K8PPWpmWpFMtR8mynFq8kZwZcz4HyL4ZqN5jTF920p-S7E91JZY_1zsHszs/s320/IMG_2079.JPG) |
It says, "Obihiro." |
The walk-around...
Obihiro is the only inland city that I visited on this train tour. It is wine and cattle country. The only reason I went there was because of the train schedules. I don't remember the specifics, but somehow to get to Nemuro I had to go make a connection in Kushiro, but didn't want to stay in Kushiro two nights since I wanted to take as full advantage of the pass as possible. That meant moving everyday. Obihiro made the most geographic sense. It turned out to be a good choice. There was a real different feel there, as you might expect. It struck me as a meaner, less laid-back town. It was the town where I most had the feeling, "I don't want to be walking around here too late into the night." In general, I think it is easy to have a false sense of security on the streets of Japan at night. People say you don't have to worry, but I didn't just fall off the turnip truck. A couple of folks have told me to be careful who were not talking about tight train schedules.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfu_tnwCGF9LrO6FLOTRRBz-wXf3sPknUXy13snemQrERUijrOTt84SMdsTfOJMmMbLJ_p539bdJauSNvdZv_gcu_hlm1WQRIuXWBVWRxrJvqxasAXRaPrdp4uP11eFnkj2skjysPj8I/s320/IMG_2081.JPG) |
In Hokkaido there are lots of symbols that are also associated with King David, most of them being of the six-pointed star variety. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjFwt-GFT9VZnuVkL_OZ2OuNr2YwTEzHNebct_AuUfab6fz4n43fnj58NLXeLiCORvrhSdyOVbuIRRw8ISAI-hHgRVapRaon872_xT52PMMWk3eFn0ikpXXokkHNwZKqtNg9l1v0ZRNw/s320/IMG_2083.JPG) |
Public art at the train station. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigDpe9b80rqeZ5GxRJxt4Uq3VOxcmRpe3jDkcBpMLvhrXNs9NdH21GXZLHZz5P58WEm-ZhOseu5k3on8ZhKWWRF_l126A6bncIwaGjfGB9ScX90_rrjdwNFZdolQW3QHQ7fSvSUGV2W8E/s320/IMG_2084.JPG) |
A very rare sight in Japan, a vegetarian restaurant. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdBvAc0MjepVyHXiNUvRvuPJUckmvan4TPKpTF5NU0jJYxOMx6js4G1pcqEP-iTjDBTHI7zRht7PW4c075ffQ4xO5vKiP-ZEVo_ZdlFV1Egm3_cn2wTCaRh-RdeGIiF1DDmDYwtW_l6s/s320/IMG_2085.JPG) |
The poster says "Veggy," but there are photos of meat on it. It is cow country. (Please forgive the landscape orientation, no matter what I do, it uploads that way.) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9r13-pfYbNNL2U9plQNP8e1VasrajIPBkrI33pGw6lZClhgO92PuaRl5rjdsMNRum2ylNqBHN2zsclveV31dP3QAzsgZ_8iYEak6mKu3Sf4t9SqUjPrAxWpKOPXUJQBUkWn5NY7ssvQo/s320/IMG_2086.JPG) |
Lots of pedestrian walkways like this. Each kiosk is a restaurant that will hold no more than 10 people. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Zyp6Dg17u0gsBEge__P9ITefJ8V3oth1_vgoAv1XLsSJajA0qIO0KH_nopg7UlokvXp_dWSly9_dJyFK8qdL921krGTitrumJYH-ldqv-_OdOrRuSHXq42kf7rrABs2nUHfx-OZk6rc/s320/IMG_2087.JPG) |
I would have been interested to hear this choir, but the dates didn't line-up. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2uFWpYQilfNx0DcRMt8oJeYreBOcamLiJxTYiySheERfmKhz8j0W9HrTXGUlMA9Tr0uxCP6_c_9zkwHqoBmWTM1qk5XmGf0kI09o9BlzYxtj3liT9GLpBQ36srpj9bhZvw_saToK6nA/s320/IMG_2088.JPG) |
Wine country. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fL3ajtfazTZicVFyrgt5rf0UBENaHQBqa-PSrd2PiCGmXxERz8OORp9lk-Y9rgdh87pdxIziJCtg_cG3sErYHP9-DAqg4XQGKtU2nrvRPD6DukrfcI92JJiyPrr7bmOcbXwI6Wg_Hs4/s320/IMG_2089.JPG) |
A party-hardy town. I had hoped to come back by after dark to shot it when lighted, but it was not to be. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wV0Giqb_bLUjXtjTmaUiJ6kvleEFv3jmHPl0BEGBlfZYU24w8BmVvWRGZ0ldMdRlpjzrkynJEWIMhZjBYzyPO81WiPWF18WvYJljTSsSWr85DU7QQoMa22MfArP4iPjJiwXt21UXrg4/s320/IMG_2090.JPG) |
Cowboys and cowgirls. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFV2Nme8ZMk4Cj2hY-E5xWEznuw69CXF-dovL8wZuTAjvGZxIdXpeSHqMEp50lJXpWi4CXKVS-FIFqGw8f_SONHooVizjtqb9RCx45xvFUIOszuOx1XVQV4I_lyscLZWMphWNk-zCGIqk/s320/IMG_2093.JPG) |
Then this bridge appeared. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVfEnulxe5rj-nqaI68RAM3cNNKHFb02xTFs5lZHTBrowqbBpwFsx-fTmJ_PYPBDB9iqDFyp_WvjV97Gh2UIHx5EVfWetethF4zzbO8mszKKicLWN5P4RicgGx93Bpz5WPwgFehWcWKg/s320/IMG_2102.JPG) |
The riverside park. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjaY9hrcfV5OHKWDq2wHCaM4vES3BzvcXnAi1D3g2Vumv0g_vJd9BA1xZ6CbXAx6vZ3rRyLjrA6BQtbSnMFLdQW4jz5B-UfODW1rF1zDva4GmOYNXM00m5dJK6Fm2BzAhCjWOfqkkW2Q/s320/IMG_2103.JPG) |
Local fauna. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngocVXFEEa18V7I12bM5_5B05GwD2o6lzJzBksnTBQ1w2Ll6f2rGYCQe34mUArSYJWC9mQD3dRQZTKDg8TGybem6cvO7T7MOvIfOJcm9Q7V4N5FRcYPqS7ktEPldtTjbAnQB2n7OyaG8/s320/IMG_2132.JPG) |
One of Obihiro's three rivers. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoP2-jzN0SHHahvWVPLTJGO1CZZOTwdoRdiNrJ19pUTvVU1ONUYAUV6HD0rFTqg5zVGtJ7PC1tPXrZivb5Dr9mVpbKEl9ReChaFMYm7oy0m0Gl6IDFbj7hoWFDLQNajWTmtZFFj18poN0/s320/IMG_2150.JPG) |
Monuments for graves. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVgL6K4RYsGURDZEKE12UP5_0DAZp0bebPMqiKmoYdGhbrtYzk5WQ4Rd472b66BkIZ6nLZ87UY088R6EvhKW57ldW52B1egyoNr9NzYmP8-cNbxusHHjDDgndLobt3_u4hmQU12DO4Iw/s320/IMG_2151.JPG) |
Monuments, probably not for graves. |
I walked a very long way in one direction in Obihiro. Rain was threatening there too. I took a bus back to the station. I cannot stress too strongly what a huge decision it is to take a bus in these cities. You just don't know where the damn thing is going to end up. I take pictures of bus signs along my wandering ways so I can show the bus drivers, since I really can't talk to them.
Here's a thing about the buses here - they all seem to be manual transmissions. It has been a while since I've ridden a bus in the U.S., but manual transmissions are not what I remember.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrE-5HCBqxNglYppgsZBrop13HLHY5wchEIRJu-c-2qy8-PhBQ7YvdFIXV2Dfn7LOlJkSpcT6RzHqTcbVE0LMcoSYAj8Yo1U7Sl0qs7gL_nBfKqqM0sjVyJQJplbarTC5mSIXOC6LoD4/s320/IMG_2183.JPG) |
View from my room at night. |
Dinner...
Dinner was the opposite problem here as opposed to Kushiro - many, many choices. The main criteria was flesh from ungulate mammals. Even that took a bit of doing because the place was full of restaurants serving fish. I managed.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkn1j_kZbRT-iD-IMfVdnygFjscWDmsqijQW-LJ8N4ocZOa9YSooSmkRcfTUtM6YuhZflb33lb2QYQQgz8oKsloDDG4jucd8eujWYZtolpzVylkmCjxQ08M8G_vJQMsA4gTnJ5khtNXSU/s320/IMG_2184.JPG) |
Vegetable 1- a token effort. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizJ948ChEPwHO4lSrCkNZFTjA5cBr6f7ImdtRTGjg4-X2eS8_EhKugdloLoiu06xyKO-OwBNcd8My5-DWZkqVoplD8jSEkNoV9N-ScJseuLPBeZkmNVRvOw53riMzHOJpBK_ogNVamdlQ/s320/IMG_2185.JPG) |
Vegetable 2- a token effort. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzWPNJQWVNbYHtChYRJJKxSlPlA4FcPga2p6JKlyl4A25y89ryFpfNF0Ti0URc6pD_-jCrun5esbpe2pAMuFTnhhRYI1vrMYKfislmKpj346-f3rh0ezc16O3o7ZJcc30i4eV1nWjuKo/s320/IMG_2187.JPG) |
Meat 1 - cow. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4jwsv4tOgBgYwBTmRjfR-x5Bh7f0Kmwe2fNTNgKMzAGi6WLg7IlhPHrSgYYwV8xjT5o13IBiqB242-9-aN4fKLEdDRvkNq8euFPVLP8lfZdqpSStHA7l4fNzJF6g0n6UNypl4KQ_7_M/s320/IMG_2189.JPG) |
Meat 2 - cow. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwltlA_ucSSU9YBfFS25aofSiTyDPMqhtRhyjCQWQeclVtJ0X_uYBbM2mwf0wIpQlf_viwFAvr_gaC14cZqQrr9HvwydrhK9jJc6BZC08UzwKW2nggdeQslUua9Uo4j6ra684JeMou7O8/s320/IMG_2192.JPG) |
Meat 2 - pig. |
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