Train trip to Shiraoi - Poroto Kotan village

I might be being blighted on the technical front (work going on in hte background a present!), but I am certainly being ewarded in other ways.  I though yesterday was good but today has been even better.  I had a rotten night with only about 4 hours sleep - brain too active or jet lag or whatever but decided not to fret about it and try and catch up tonight (ha ha!!). Anyway I had an earlier start which proved to be a waste of effort as trains to Shiraoi are not that frequent. After interesting chat with pople in the tourist office, tickets for the 11.24 train were exchanged for 3,560 yen (£22 ish) and all I had to do was be at the right platform by the allotted time.

This meant I had an hour and a half to kill and as it was brighter outside I replayed part of my walk yesterday but in place of the subway I walked 'on the surface'.  It is so different here from anywhere in the UK as amost all the buildings in the centre are tall blocks but they are organised on a strict grid system so once you get going it is not too difficult to know where you are going - especially if you count the streets as you cross. While I think about it, I asked about the wide subway 2 floors below ground and if it had been intended to be another metro line...no was the reply, it is for people to walk the distance between the two main roads that run north to south of the city centre.  In winter they get alot of snow and this helps people to be able to get about.
 
When I say alot I enquired how much - 1.5 metres in a night and that is not an exageration!  Makes us look a bit stupid moaning about a few centimetres. There are some general street scenes to entertain you - just odd things or bigger machinery or whatever and of course some autumnal colours. If the clouds hadn't appeared they would have been more vibrant.

This is the clock tower of Sapporo.

Will add more pictures when they have been loaded to the cloud.  The problem is one of the time it takes to copy them from the SD card to the cloud and then to pull them back to add to the blog.  As I want to back them up each night it makes sense to do it this way, even if it is frustrating.  I am going to investigate another place for photos as it could be easier - this is partly the disadvantage of not using a laptop and partly cos I havve taken just too many photos (already!!).

Moving on to the main event of the day - I caught the train and enjoyed the view en route - very flat and autumn well advanced.  Nearer our destinationthere was a 'pretty' town or two by local standards (and me as the judge!) and the terrain changed - I have seen snow capped mountains not that far away!  The houses are incredibly close together and virtually no space around them - not much more than a few  feet and often that is being tended.

Having arrived at the station I then had to follow a outline map to ind the Ainu cltural village.  I though I had got there but had stopped too soon, but was soon pointed in the right direction and fnally foind it. Located on the edge of a not inconsiderably sized lake,

The area was surrounded by forest and when the sun popped out the colours were incredble.  I had no sooner exchanged my discount voucher and 650 yen than it was time to go to see the 'show'.  I had seen clips of such a show on the internet but being ther in person was special.  Although completely different I couldn't help thinking off the first time I went to S Africa and went to the Zulu experience. 
I passed a few hours looking arnd the village and meeting a couple of ladies  one the teacher of the other.  The younger one is being taught how to make the costumes in the traditional manner. very important for their heritage.  Costumes fr the performances are machine made and not out of traditional fabrics whereas the ones made by hand are all done in the way they have been for gererations.
 I am not wuite sure what I will do tomorrow as the forecast is bad and I have a cold, and need to srt out stuff here as i am moving on to Tokyo on Friday morning.  Have to find a hotel and book it before that so need to get at it!

More to follow! ttfn.

e