Hell Valley

I originally planned this day for tomorrow, the last day of my stay in Sapporo but weather conditions made me change my plans. The town of Noboribetsu onsen is said to be one of the best onsen towns in Hokkaido so naturally i had to give it a try. Not only does this town have a lot of different hotsprings with various water compositions (ie. sulfurous, rich in mineral, calcious) but it's also famous for its gorgeous and easily reachable geothermal source for all it's spring waters. Once you get of the bus you are immediatly greeted by a gorgeous sulfurous smell. Did i say gorgeous? I meant awful. :-P The walk to the geothermal site was a short and easy one and it's a spectacular site. In the middle of a green gorge there is a barren and rocky area where nothing grows. Colums of steam and small strangely coloured streams complete the picture. I just stood there for a while and looked in awe. The pictures on this post don't do it justice. It's truly mesmerizing. From the vantage point there were several tracks to lead you around the area for more wonderful sites and attractions. One of which is a small stream which looks like any mountain stream with cold water, only this is nearly 50 degrees celcius. Perfect for making a footbath the locals must have thought. And boy it is! Just take of your socks and shoes and soak your tired feet in the creek. Delightful! I got to talk with a nice family from Taiwan who were there with their parents and kids. It was really fun and they wanted to take a picture with them and me. :-D.
Once back in the onsen town i went to the Daiichi-Takomotokan onsen resort. By far the biggest one in Noboribetsu-onsen. With 7 different baths boasting different water compositions and temperatures and hence various health benefits. It was a great experience. It even had an outside bath with view over Jigukodani (Hell Valley). Unfortunately no pictures of the onsen for obvious reasons but trust me if i tell you it was brilliant. I can't tell you much about the ride back since i slept practically all the way. The evening in the hostel was spent with a wonderful couple from Sweden/Norway and a Canadian while trying to watch my soccer team progress to the next round for European football. Just a perfect day!Read more