Toya Ko 🌋♨️🛖

May 4 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

Spent three days with Ismael and Mauricio, two mexican guys from Chicago that I met in my hostel in Sapporo that invited me to stay with them in a beautiful cabin that Mauricio's boss had right in front of the lake. Cycling there was beautiful, it started with a lot of rain for the first two hours but it soon turned into a beautiful sunny day riding alongside the sea. Now, the last bit, was an intense steep climb, but totally worth it, once I arrived to the beautiful onsen town. I first went to see if I could find a solution for my stove in the only outdoor's store I managed to find in a one week bike ratio, and the lovely staff gave me the best quick fix ever. After, I met the guys at the house, we grabbed some dinner and we went to an onsen. Funny, some onsens don't allow tattoes because they are associated with the Yakuza (the japanese mafia), so I had to cover myself with plasters everywhere to hide them (and as you probably know, I do have a fair few, so it was a funny task). On the second day, we visited Mount Usu, taking a cable car to the beginning of a small walk around the crater of the volcano, and then, onsen again, and some delicious sushi for dinner. On the third day, we went on a day trip to Jigokudani Valley (Hell Valley, guarded by a demon). After a long and expensive journey (and hopefully one of the few ones I will do on public transport) we got to the fuming and smelly town full of sulphur boiling pools, pigmented rocks and turquoise water. We walked around for a couple of hours admiring the geological feature and then spent a few hours in the crazy onsen next to it. So yes, lots of volcanoes and lots of onsens. Finally, on the last day we woke up really early and left to continue our separate journeys. I went to see the ruins of what was the village before the volcano exploited (from far away because it was too early to enter the area, and cycled my way towards the next stop).

🏯To do: Mount Usu, There are fireworks every night at 8.45h (yes every night), onsen from any fancy hotel in front of lake Toya), foot baths everywhere
🥢Food: Sushi Aikawazushi 寿し処あい川Read more