Aomori- Northern Honshu

Katy and I took a quick weekend trip up to Aomori prefecture- the northern most point of the main Honshu Island- about 700km from Tokyo.

We left at 6:40pm by Shinkansen from Tokyo station and 3.5 hours later, we arrived. We booked a ryokan (Japanese style place) near the station for one night. The next morning we were up bright and early to catch an infrequent bus (all public transport runs much less frequently outside of major cities) to see some fall foliage. Our intension was to get off the bus at a gondola that would take us to the top of a volcano- so we could hike around the rim.

The drive to the volcano was a burst of color through the lush forest. Unfortunately the weather wasn't on our side. As we rode the gondola up, the misty rain turned to thick fog and we were pelted with icy rain and poor visibility at the top. So, we rode the gondola back down, got back on the bus, and continued down to the river hike. Fortunately, we were met by sunny skies and fresh forest smells. The 10km or so that we walked along the riverside was absolutely magical- right out of a magazine edited for color, contrast and autumn beauty.

                                                                         

But we just couldn't seem to catch a break, and our last hour of hiking was in steady rain. Neither of us were totally prepared to be walking through such incessant rain, so sopping wet, we jumped on the bus to take us the final 4km to the lake-front. We warmed up with a hot lunch and tea, walked along the boardwalk next to the lake and hiked up to see a temple in the woods. By 5:30 pm, we found our backpackers hostel and by 7pm we were asleep!

Well Sunday's weather, while windy, was clear and sharp- the crystal clear lake reflected the blue of the sky and the browns, oranges, greens and yellows were in their glory. Our hostel allowed us to borrow 3-speed bikes for free, so we attempted to ride as much as we could around the lake. However, the hilly portions are nearly impossible on a speed-less bike, so we got about 15-18 km around, when we had to turn back. Next we jumped on the ferry that would take us on a cruise around the lake. The front row seat, the sun baked couch and the smooth lake was a perfect setting for a nap! That's right, I slept through most of the cruise! It was fantastic.

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