My friend Sally reminded me that I was still jet lagged what with 13 time zones and yesterday was very stressful. So why should I be surprised by my poor sleep?
I resolved to have a great day in Hakodate. The weather was great. I had no ideas for things to do. Except they couldn’t cost money. Until I get enough yen together to pay of all of my hotels I am operating in budget traveler mode.
Before breakfast, I take in the morning fish market. Not much to photograph. But lots to see and smell.
There was this strange squid thing. You wait in a long line. You pay about $30. You get a fishing pole kind of thing. You catch a squid. (Out of that blue tank ). Then you eat it. Well the lady in the little booth behind the blue tank. She does something to it but it’s still pretty squiggly when it lands on your plate. I did not play.
Off to breakfast. I wasn’t feeling much like sushi for breakfast this morning. But, that’s what they have for breakfast here so I had sushi again. And what turns out to have been squid stuffed with rice. I didn’t know what it was when I picked it up. I ate it. It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t good. It just was and I had no clue what it was. Until this afternoon when I saw something that looked like what I had eaten for breakfast at 7-Eleven. I used my phone to translate the label and that’s when I found out I’d had squid stuffed with rice for breakfast.
Remember, I am operating in strict economy mode. Breakfast came with the room so I ate breakfast.
I head out on foot to see what there is to see in Hakodate. It is a tourist town. But all the tourists are Japanese.
Hakodate, like many towns has converted it’s old wharf and Warehouse area into a tourist destination. For shopping of course. I certainly wasn’t up for shopping. But I did see a tour boat going out into the harbor at a price that I felt I could afford. So I hopped on board and spent a very fine 30 minutes.
That was today’s entertainment budget. Money well spent. There were 3 groups of 6 year old kids and some other grown ups. Of course the narrative was in Japanese but no one seemed to be listening so I doubt that I missed anything.
So. What did I find interesting.
Totally enjoyed Hakodate. At least on this. Fine cool Sunny summer day. I am sorry that I have to leave tomorrow morning. But my next hotel is in Sapporo. It’s prepaid. And Hakodate is stuffed. There’s a squid festival this weekend.
