日本海沿いの絶景を求めて… 北海道旅③ 岩内～増毛～留萌編 (You can use YouTube’s auto-translate feature for subtitles.)
It’s 6:00 AM in Iwanai. It’s raining. According to the weather forecast, the rain will stop by mid-morning. My car camping trips start early in the morning. Campers might not have the same experience. With the cargo area of my small minivan (Kei Van), I wake up and hit the road as soon as I’m up. However, the shops and other attractions are still closed, so I have no choice but to drive. Today’s planned route is this: from Iwanai to Ishikari via Yoichi and Otaru. From there, I head north along the coastline. I pass Mashike and head to the roadside station in Rumoi. It was raining in Yoichi, so I only saw it from the car window. The rain stopped when I arrived in Otaru, so I took a break. Otaru is a hugely popular tourist destination in Hokkaido, but this time I only took a few photos. From Otaru, I headed toward Ishikari. It’s still before 8:00 AM, but the rain has stopped. It would be fun to do some shopping and eat in Otaru and Yoichi . However, my goal this time was to see the natural beauty, so it was a quick trip. I’m near Ishikarihama. Should I get gas here? Is this the Ororon Highway? The road is so straight. Hokkaido is a pioneering region, so the roads are straight, but I’m used to the maze-like roads of Tokyo, so I feel like I’m in a strange place. Rumoi is 108km away. By the way, Rumoe is written as Rumoi but pronounced Rumoi. I thought the “ororon” in Ororon Highway was an Ainu word, but it seems to come from the Ororon bird, which cries “ororoon.” Unfortunately, the sky is cloudy, but the ocean ahead is beautiful. It would be a spectacular view if it were sunny. I’ve been driving quite a distance, but the scenery has changed from what I saw earlier, and it feels like I’m getting far away from human settlements. I’m finally entering the wilderness. Occasionally, I spot wind turbines. They used to be a common sight in the United States, but now they seem to be popping up everywhere in Hokkaido. I take a break at the Airoad Atsuta Roadside Station. The Sea of Japan stretches out before me. I try the octopus zangi, a local specialty. Perhaps because it’s so fresh, it’s hard to chew. lol I head north along the coastline again. The weather forecast predicted clear skies in the afternoon, but it started raining again. After a while, the rain stopped. Even though it’s Sunday, there’s little traffic. As I get older, I rarely drive in Tokyo. I walk to the supermarket as a form of exercise. But now, the roads in my minivan (Kei Van) feel great. This trip marks my total mileage of about 4,000 km. This is my first hot spring in Hokkaido. I arrive at Iwao Onsen Attama-ru. The open-air bath overlooking the ocean below is incredibly relaxing. Finally, I can see the blue sky. Since I retired, I’ve decided to try anything I’ve always wanted to try . While I used to find it a chore, now that I’ve actually done it, my way of thinking changes, and it’s always nice to feel a change of heart. I take a break in Mashike Town. The old Mashike Station, the terminus of the Rumoi Line, has been recreated here. The sea under a blue sky. It’s so quiet. I’m heading to Rumoi, my destination for the day. Rumoi is also a cute name. Lol , I wonder what kind of town it is. Hokkaido is dotted with small towns, quite different from the distribution of towns in the Kanto region. I arrived in Rumoi, so I decided to go to Cape Ogon. The sun was a little out of sight. Apparently, dusk is the best time to go. Cape Ogon is a quiet and lovely place. The composer of the famous song “Wakamono-tachi” was from Rumoi. Rumoi is very quiet , even though it’s Sunday. I imagine it’s even quieter in winter. I’ll also check out the bar district. I wonder if it gets lively at night? I think I’ll come back tonight. I’m heading to the Rumoi Roadside Station. I’ve arrived. Hmm? There seem to be a lot of cars. It seems a bit noisy. There are a lot of people! Maybe this town isn’t quiet at all? Since it’s Sunday, there seems to be an event going on. There are also children on the playground behind. I was glad it wasn’t a deserted town, but it seems like it’ll be lively until 8:30pm, so I decided to walk over to Izakaya. I had some seafood, roast pork and some alcohol. Today, I also enjoyed the hot springs in Iwao. Today’s heartwarming shot ① Iwao Fishing Port Today’s heartwarming shot ② Mashike scenery Today’s heartwarming shot ③ Mashike scenery Today’s heartwarming shot ④ Mashike sea When I returned to the roadside station, it was quiet. I’ll get some sleep. Good night.
北海道の岩内に初めての車中泊をしたあと、オロロンラインを北上ます。
露天風呂を味わい増毛の町でのんびり過ごします。
今日の宿泊地の道の駅るもいに着いたら…
留萌の夜は居酒屋で晩酌します。
You can use YouTube’s auto-translate feature for subtitles.
＜関連URL＞
●道の駅 あいろーど厚田
http://aikaze.co.jp/
●岩尾温泉あったまーる
https://www.town.mashike.hokkaido.jp/tourism/place/iwaospa/index.html
●道の駅 るもい