Wild Leaf Chase

Throughout my trip, I've had wonderful experiences that were planned months in advance with meticulous organization. I've also had equally wonderful experiences from purposefully open plans where local fliers or Google led the way. And in both cases, you should be flexible and listen to signs around you and adapt as needed, and no matter what, make the best of the situation. Today was a convincing lesson on that.
I started by sleeping in past my anticipated timeline, my splitting hangover no doubt a contributing factor. The plan today was going to Daisetsuzan National Park to see earlier turning fall colors. No problemo, I'll just head towards the station and figure it out as I walk. While walking, Google told me my ass was going to miss the express train that wouldn't run again for many hours. I waved down a taxi, got to the station a bit quicker, and ran to the ticket counter. Thinking I could still make it, I bought the ticket and ran through the turnstiles and to the tracks, where I watched my train depart without me, hands on my knees to help my queasy stomach not hurl. Bummer. Well, the local train would run in an hour. It took longer, and I would have to make another connection but that's fine. After killing an hour, I boarded the next train and rode for about 1.5 hrs. At the end of the line, I needed to wait another half hour and then ride another hour long train. This one was literally a single car train; I guess this place was more remote than I realized. Once at the sleepy entrance town to the national park, it was another 1hr wait for a bus that took 45 minutes to reach the ropeway. At last! After missed trains, sprinting with a hangover, and about 4.5 hrs of travel, I was ready to ascend the cable car and be among the sea of yellow leaves I'd seen on travel blog posts linked from "Best Early Fall Colors Hokkaido" google searching. I entered the car, and as we rose in elevation... less and less trees had any leaves left, and once we reached the main location only baren branches remained.
You can't time the leaves, and more broadly you can't time life. Sometimes it just doesn't work out. As I sat on the next section, a comically slow chairlift with neither leaf nor snow beneath my feet, it was easy to feel disappointed at myself. But you know, the mountains were still refreshing and the long train ride let me see a lot of Hokkaido countryside. And the lower section was still beautiful! I probably should have listened to signs like my headache and missed trains, and been flexible to changing my plans. But now that I was there, I would make the best of it and enjoy the beautiful views of the national park. On the return 4.5 hr ride, I was able to catch up on the Mangas I was reading. While in Japan, I had caught up on One Punch Man, Kaiju No 8, Spy X Family, and Full Metal Alchemist. I made it back to my room, feeling a bit silly but perhaps also a bit wiser.Leggi altro