Shiraoi and Uppopoi

After waking up on a foggy rainy day, I rode in the wind towards Shiraoi, where I had booked a campsite thanks to the super kind people from the visitor centre which was on top of a lake and close to a museum I was really keen to go see. The ride was pretty nice and not too much on the road for the first half, but the wind made me work hard, even having to paddle when going downhill. The second part was just highway and a lot of wind. I was also a bit rushed because check in finished at 16.30h in the campsite, and I wasn't sure how long it was gonna take me to make it there. I stopped at what looked like a Japanese chain for a very cheap delicious kimchi meal and eventually made it to one of the most beautiful campsites I have ever seen. At the beginning it was only me, and the guys working there thought I was crazy because the forecast said the weather was gonna be terrible, so they let me set up my tent under the cozy rest area. Later on, two other guys arrived at the wide wild camp, which was the biggest gift to me, because as I was getting ready for dinner, I realized my stove had just broke. I asked to borrow their stove and as I was cooking they were so kind to even come to give me some delicious warm soup. I rested a bit in the campsite, organized myself a bit, and the next day headed down to visit the National Ainu Museum (Upopoy) which was the most interactive museum I have seen in my life, full of live representations on what they used to be their day to day life in a Kotan (Ainu village), I got to see the offering ceremony, got into a singing class (yep, singing class), and saw a show where they showcased their typical instrument (too weird to describe but so cool), they sang lullabies, danced with an arch and an arrow and played and sang so more. But everything was in Japanese, so I could only guess what they were explaining. At the end of the last show, one of the girls that was performing came to talk to me and apologize for the fact that nothing was in english, and tried to explain some basic things to me in a broken english. After that she asked, where are you from? And I said I was spanish, to what she replied that it was incredible because there was a girl working in the museum from Catalonia. I laughed, that's where I am from, I replied. And she got so excited and disappeared to a room to give her a call. A few minutes later Queralt, a girl from Manresa, was walking through the door, and I had the coziest experience in the museum getting to learn from the Ainu in the most private and warm way (and yes, in catalan!). Finally, I had a traditional ainu soup, and started a short journey towards Noboribetsu.

⛺ Stay: Shiraoifurusato 2000 Nennomori Porotonomori Camping Ground
白老ふるさと2000年の森 ポロトの森キャンプ場 ($400 yen a night for an amazing open and empty campsite, also really close to Upopoy)
🏯 To do: Upopoy (better to go in the morning because there is a lot of workshops going on, requires a few hours to fully explore)Baca lagi