1 November 2016
Dam it
Walking from Jozankei Onsen to the nearby dam via a tunnel
Last full day in Sapporo, and thankfully no rain.
I made my decision of where to go last night, should be easy to get there, there was a small hitch in that plan.
I took the subway to meet my bus, which seemed to be about to depart as I came up out of the subway, so I ran onto it and pushed school kids out the way to make room for me.
Off we drove up through the hills and valleys towards mountains, it started to snow. Snow is fine, you dont get wet in snow, then the school kids all got off and I could take a seat. Just me now. I knew I had to go to the end of the line then walk. I knew the end of the line was an onsen city, with big hotels and hot springs and geysers and tourists called Jozankei Onsen.
So when my bus driver ordered me off about 10km before then in the middle of a field in the snow, I was confused.
It would seem I had boarded a special school bus service that does not go the whole way. I am sure the kids were amused when I ran onto that bus.
Anyway, I only waited in the field for a few minutes before the next bus came along, and had a few old ladies on it, now we were on our way...to the dam!
Once we arrived at the Onsen, which is tour bus central, most people then board some kind of shuttle bus or take a day tour to the dam electric tunnel bus car park. Not me of course. I walked.
A nice walk in the snow it was, but cold! I jogged to keep warm. All roads today, no chance of getting lost, but very slippery!
Eventually, I got to the tunnel electric bus carpark, a 2km tunnel under a mountain that an electric bus for tourists goes through to the dam. It costs money, so obviously, I am not paying, not when you can walk through the tunnel, with that on offer why would you take a bus?
The good news was the bus car park had vending machines for a hot extra sweet milk tea to warm up, then I jogged through the tunnel.
The dam itself, was not massive, and I was too late for peak leafery, it was also too grey and snowy to fully appreciate, but I still think it looked great.
After having the place to myself apart from some workers checking the dams structural integrity by smacking it with a front end loader, an electric bus load of tourists arrived.
Turns out they were from Taiwan, I heard them speaking Chinese, and when one of them asked if I needed help to take cool photos of myself looking angry, he asked where I was from in broken English, so I answered him in fluent Chinese.
Turns out he comes from Taizhong (Taichung) in Taiwan, when I told him I had been there he did not believe me, why would anyone go there. But I have been there, I spent a week there.
After my time terrorising a poor Taiwanese man with my limited vocabularly, it was time to make the return trip back to the Onsen area and look for my bus.
Turns out I had about 30 minutes to spare, just enough to jog around the Onsen area and snap a few photos. There was steam coming out of the road and a few outdoor pools to soak your feet in.
The actual public baths are inside the hotels built on the edge of the cliffs. I then realised I was going to miss my bus. I had to sprint! Not only did I have to sprint, but up a very steep hill with switch backs due to steepness. I must have looked ridiculous, but I made the bus with 30 seconds to spare.
This is where bus #1 decided to leave me. Someone on the other side of the road is trying to figure out if a bus is ever going to take her into town.
I got off at the onsen city, which is down the river from here a little way. It was not my main destination, the walk commences from here... about a 20km round trip!
The view started to improve soon after. A shame there was no sunshine.
More view.
Eventually I got to the tour bus parking area where you can hop on the electric tunnel bus. There is room for about a thousand buses to park here, yet there are none.
The tunnel. I enjoyed the sound of my footsteps. I read that it is absolutely terribly and horrifically freezing in the tunnels. There are 2 to go through.
However whoever wrote that must have gone through in summer, because it is warmer in the tunnels than out of the tunnels today.
A nice view between the tunnels.
Also a waterfall.
The high side of the dam. I will admit I was underwhelmed at first!
The lake above the dam made for some nice views.
Posing time. I had to tell my Taiwanese photographer I never smile... Wo Cong Lai Bu Xiao!
There is a small museum with average quality info on the construction of the dam. But it does have a balcony to stand on and freeze and take another photo.
Now I walked onto the dam to look over the other side. Its a long way down! All the trees look dead down there.
The dam wall, best I could do, they dont let you walk down there damn it.
The damn dam. I think I have stolen these Vegas vacation jokes before on another holiday.
The dam worker in the safety vest you can see was keeping a close eye on me the whole time.
After jogging back to the onsen area, heres the view! A bit more colorful. Probably photo of the day, look at that huge hotel! There are lots of them here.
Hmmm, red bridge in the distance, do I have time before the bus? Not really as I would find out.
I ran to the bridge because as a tourist I must take photos of any bridge painted red.
Excellent view from the bridge.
And the bridge itself. Thats enough bridge.
Last photo for today just before I commenced my uphill sprint for the bus. Very invigorating.