This summer, we went to hometown of my mother, Hokkaido.

Hokkaido was....big!

We went to Hokkaido by my Mazda in order to take expense reduction and we brought rabbit and hamster.

We married last year, but we didn't do wedding. We just did party with relatives nearby and announcing to the other relatives.
And most of my relatives are in Hokkaido. So We went to Hokkaido for honeymoon, and also meet my relatives.


Before we go, we had a big problem. Biggest problem was our pets. We had six pets, so if we leave them at pet hotel, it costs too much. But we could not bring them all by my Mazda. My Mazda may became Noah's ark. And, we were not going to stay at hotel, but at my uncle's house, so we couldn't bring them all. We had to choose which animals stay in Saitama, and which animals to bring with.

At first, Tora (cat). We had decided to leave her at a pet hotel without word. Because she is a nervous girl, so it is very hard for her for long trip. Even my uncle's house, we don't want to her to scratch thire furniture.

Next, Hana and Koume (dogs). At first, we thought we just bring koume with, and just leave Hana (she gets sick when she ride a car). Our neighbor also have dogs, and we had good relations, so we entrusted the care of both Hana and Koume to them.

We had decided to take Todo (rabbit) and hamsters in an end of thought. Both Todo and hamsters have gone to long drive. We keep them in cage, so we have no worry of toilet. Why we go to Hokkaido by car not airplane. The answer is for expense reduction. My house is at suburbs, so it takes about 3 hours to nearest airport. Then we have to wait to take off, and 1hour flight.

From airport, we have to ride a bus to Sapporo And we planed to go some places for a week, so we have to rent a rent-a-car. Besides, we cannot take any pets, so the pet's hotel rates more than twice. And...I hates airplane. I thought about ferry from Oarai, Ibaraki to Tomakomai, Hokkaido, but it's takes full day, so we better go by car. And...I hates ship, too. I hate I have not feet on the ground. I had better go around by my own car. It was totally 1,348 miles trip.

「The ferry, we got on board from Aomori to Hakodate」

On this paragraph, I will tell you the route to Tomakomai, Hokkaido. At first, we cut it from Kazo inter of Tohoku road to Aomori inter for about 6 hours. A typhoon came unfortunately on that day, I was hardly run fast. A car slides sideway to run by just around 65miles/pmh. Fotunately, a person on assistant driver's seat would not feel fear, because she fell asleep. The highway was vacant by midnight, and we had some foods and drinks, we had break just two times, one for gasoline, and one for rest room. It was about 30 minutes from Saporo inter to Aomori port.

By the way, we arrived at a port about half past 12 of midnight and went to buy a ticket, the ferry was suspended for a typhoon, but just reopened it when we stuck to a port. We were so lucky. The navigation time was about 6 hours including all waiting time. I didn't sleep from the morning, I drank beer and fell asleep for about 4 hours. Next morning, we arrived Hakodate, the southese town in Hokkaido. We drove to Tomakomai where my uncle lives.

From Hakodate to Tomakomai is about 375 miles. There are two stuffs from Hokkaido where I worked at. They introduce me some shops of delicious food. At first, we ate a dumpling of "a house of a marsh" of the Onumakoen station square. Even if it said a dumpling, it was point great small like little finger, but was very delicious. Next we ate a station lunch of Mori station "Ikameshi". "Ika" means squid, "meshi" means rice. That was exquisite piece.

Then we go straight to Tomakomai. Before I go to Hokkaido, I heard that people in Hokkaido drive so fast, but it was true, it was true. They over take us even I drive around 50m/ph on general road (speed limit is 37m/ph). On the way, finally, the other cars run around 75m/ph, so I thought I entered a highway. But it was also general road.

"a house of marsh"	"Ikameshi"

Finally, we arrived at Tomakomai and met my uncle and aunt. I met them after 3 years. My wife, Nanae wanted to go to a bear ranch, my uncle took us to a bear ranch in Noboribetsu, and after that, we entere a hot spring. Then we return to Tomakomai, my family open welcome party. There was my cousin and his/her wife/husband and their kids. I haven't met with my cousin for about 20 years. But we had very good time. Because I drove long, and I drank 4/5 gallon of "Japanese Sake" and a gallon of beer, I did dropout the party.

"my uncle and aunt in front of their tavern"	"To Shikotsukoback"

I slept soundly until around the daytime and went to Sapporo because there was some business. I had gone to Sapporo once, but Sapporo is not much difference as the other cities. So after business, we went Sikotsuko lake. We did nothing at Shikotsuko, we just look at lake. Then we go back to Tomakaomai, I drank again. My aunt own tavern. The taveren's name "Three monkeys". I drank much because her cook very, very delicious.

"Sitting with the other uncle"

Next day, we visited my grandfather and grandmother at Naie. Naie is my mother's hometown. My grandfather, grandmother, uncle, and aunts prepared barbecue. There are a lot of good meet, fish, and fresh vegetavles, so I ate much, and I just drank a gallon of beer. I haven't met my grandparents for more than 20 years, so I was very happy to meet them. I wish we could meet again and we want show them great-grand child.

On that night, we had reserved a room at the pension in Hurano, we left Naie in evening. We stayed overnight in a pension of pets OK. The room was prohibition of smoking (I smoke 2 boxes Marlboro for a day), and narrow. The dishes are not bad, but not so good. But the scenery was the best. The owners were very kind to us, so we were confortable. We went to a famous lavender field the next day. Unfortunately it was raining, but the flowers are so beautful. We came back to Tomakomai once on that day and I drank again.

"In a lavender field"

We go to Otaru today. Because there is a port in Otaru, fishery products are delicious, and there are a lot of present shops because it is a sightseeing spot. I have been to Otaru by employee trip three years ago (the company I used to work), so I knew town of Otaru. We went some music box museum, because Nanae really want to visit. Otaru is also famouse for glass work, but we had not enough time for look around the glass work shops. We went to check in at a hotel once and came back to Otaru. We had very luxury dinner on that night. We ate delisious Shushi and Sashimi. Nanae love shrimp. This trip is not only visiting my relatives, but also honeymoon.

"music box museum"	"A boat of Yujiro"

The next day, we go back to Otaru, and went to "Yujiro museum" (Yujiro Ishihara was Japanese famouse actor) by the request of my brother for buy souvenir. We are not the fun of Yujiro, so we just buy souvenir and left. Afterwards we go to station building of Otaru for buy souvenir. There were various kinds of souvenir, so it was difficult to choose. We go back to Tomakomai and drank afterwards.

Today, we have to leave Hokkaido to go back to our home. We planed to go back to Hakodate, get on board ferry to Aomori, and drive long way to home. I didn't mind that I drove Aomori, but I didn't want to drive to Hakodate, so we got on board ferry from Tomakomai to Sendai. It's takes about 12 hours, but if I drove back to Hakodate and get on board ferry to Aomori, and I drove to Sendai, it's also takes 12 hours.

In the ferry, at first, we were in the second class, but people was so noisy, so we moved to top prize private room! Because the first class was not vacant, so we had no choice. But! The top prize private room was so confortable. The room has private bathroom, refrigerator, television, and even video! The room was large enough. We pick some foods and beer, and borrowed some videos, we had very relaxed time. We arrived at Sendai when we got up the next morning. It's takes about an hour to Sendai inter from Sendai harvor, but I came down from Sendai inter to Kazo inter in around 3 hours. And finally we have came back to home. It was so pleasant trip, but I was very tired driving long distance. I want to go Hokkaido again someday.