The Outdoors!
Last weekend was Golden Week (*cue trumpets*)!!! A four day long weekend seen once a year in Japan. Thusly Chris and I set out to go camp at Lake Shuemarinai (sp?) for the duration, aiming to relax, drink beer and watch the Japanese bass fishermen fail miserably at their pastime
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Lake Shuemarinai. About 30 mins drive from Nayoro
It was in all a very chilled weekend. Even the weather was chilled. Freezingly so! We constructed giant bonfires with stolen wood and sundry supplies and were not terribly freezing. Watching the Japanese neighbour-campers park, unload a CRAPLOAD of camping equipment, sleep for 8 hours and then pack up and leave at 8am sharp the next day. Crazy people. Likewise watching the fisherman hurl their lines out and then proceed to reel them in faster than any fish could possibly hope to match, repeating the process for the day. It was great entertainment watching from the campsite! It does however make me want to get my own fishing gear.
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Note the snow…
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Generic John Tourist Shot
Speaking with the town’s veterinarian during my weekly conversation class, the trout season starts in June, so I’m quite tempted to make fly fishing my summer preoccupation. I still miss snowboarding though. Alas!
I also got my first look at the Sakura which is slowly starting to bloom way up north here. We drove past this awesome little Shinto shrine (the countryside are peppered with them) which was sheltered by Cherry and Pine Trees. It was literally in the middle of nowhere!
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School-wise the Junior High Lessons have picked up in pace somewhat. It seems to be some manner of weird energy generated both by the students and us teachers. It’s odd, but great nonetheless. It might also be due to my increased elementary visits and am thus just happier with work regardless! On the way to one elementary school I passed the Hamaonishibetsu (town next to Onishibetsu) harbour, and next to it, much to my amazement, were 10-15 surfers! Bear in mind the water was in single digits and they were decked out in full body wetsuits, but I was really amazed to see surfers this far north. I know on the Western coast of Hokkaido there is quite a surfer scene, but here! I certainly won’t be trying that anytime soon!
