Hakodate

Niseko –> Hakodate…a.k.a. hako-not-today! I was too sore and too tired to do anything. I had one night in Hakodate and in that time I…

tried salt ramen, a specialty of the area.
I saw a “live band” at my hostel. I don’t know why but I was expecting something youthful and amplified. It ended up being a live brass band of adults playing arrangements I recognized from my days in orchestra. Suddenly the gestures the hostel receptionist was using to explain the evening’s “live band” event made a lot more sense.

If I could do it again I might have gone to the city viewpoint, which is supposed to be very romantic. But seeing as Japan is not as built for backpackers as Southeast Asia, I’ve been feeling extra solo-dolo and thought a trip to a the viewpoint might just make me feel lonely…and it was freezing cold outside. Plus, if I’d gone then I never would have seen the live band!

Some of my most satisfying travel moments have actually come out of saying “no” to certain things and choosing to do what truly sounds appealing. That includes saying “no” to the voice in my head that gets attached to the idea of visiting travel guide destinations. Sometimes sleep and self-care is the higher priority.

The following day I took a bullet train to Tokyo.