Day 3

April 3rd

  With the main sights of Sapporo checked off the list, I’m off to Otaru for the day. I’ve heard great things about the canal there, as Otaru has been known to be a popular port city.  It looks like it’s about a half-hour drive to the city, so this should be a nice commute on the highway.  

As I’m passing the miles on the highway, I’m noticing a gradual decrease in the snow around me. While I know that the cold climate is a great attraction to this part of the country, I couldn’t be more excited to see any signs of spring.  A motorcycle trip at the end of winter is not ideal, regardless of the distance.  The DZed also appreciates the warmer temperatures, as it’s going to have an easier time starting (and running more efficiently). 

As I work my way into Otaru, I begin to see the allure of the famous canal. I’ve never been to Venice, but I can see the great appeal of having such a landmark run like a vein through the city.  Boat tours are a thing there, but I’m getting a kick out of the option to tour the canal via Rickshaw.  Can’t say I’ve seen a lot of that in my life.

Since I’m only staying for the night,  I found another hostel to stay in (hopefully one with better fitting slippers).  With my things put away and DZed parked, I decided to head over to Otaru’s famous brewery and try out some of their best drinks. 

	 By local recommendation, I’m checking out the “Otaru Warehouse No. 1” Brewery.  They give free tours of the facility every 30 minutes and they go in depth with how their beer is brewed.  One thing that I learned from the tour is how heavy of a German influence there is in their brewing methods.  Instead of mass-producing their beer, in the traditional sense, they only use a handful of ingredients and choose to brew higher qualities of beer.  

	While I’m no expert on beer and how it’s made, I was fascinated by the differences in their brewing methods and why it has such an appeal with people all over the world.  As for the beer itself, it was fantastic.  I ended up trying their “Dunkel” variety of brew.  It’s a darker beer than their other two varieties and provides a rich, smooth consistency.  Not to mention, it goes great with their wide selection of Germanic food choices.  

	During my tour, I met a very friendly couple from the states who decided to honeymoon in Hokkaido.  They were from the Northeast and wanted to visit a place with a similar winter climate to their own.  As we began to strike up a conversation, it became very clear that they didn’t expect me to be where I was I from.  

	Perhaps it’s a stereotype that runs around the coasts of the US but they were surprised that a solo traveler, like myself, came from a fly-over state. I suppose international travel isn’t as common of a thing from the middle of the country, but it’s funny to see that kind of ignorance being assumed on me in this day and age.  Regardless, they were great company throughout the day and recommended I take a boat tour of the canal this evening.  

	Fast forward a few hours and I find myself on one of the boat tours through the canal. The tour began around dusk, which allowed onlookers to see the best of what the canal has to offer.  

As the sun began to dwindle and gave way to the night, the gas lamps along the canal lit up and gave a whole new aesthetic to the city.  The lamps provided a pulsing light to an area that regular street lights could not.  The colors, as dull as they look, illuminated the canvas of the buildings along the canal. The older, brick building showed their seasoned, sturdy age.  Nothing about the architecture was particularly impressive, but it shows the character of the city and the foundation it’s built on.  

	With new photos for the albums and a new appreciation for how beer is made, I headed back to the hostel for some rest.  Tomorrow, I plan on heading to Shakotan Peninsula. I’m excited to see a different kind of terrain and get a view of the Sea of Japan, from that lens.  

Have a good night and see you soon! 

-Ayden