45th Parallel

    Yep, you heard that right. I am exactly in between the Equator and Santa Claus. Which is fitting because Santa comes soon and I am Extra Greedy this year. As always, I expect to be buried in presents. 

To give you context, I am as far north as Maine or southern France. The sun goes to bed an hour earlier than I'm used to but it also wakes up an hour earlier, too (my favorite). 

There's your Geography lesson for the day.

There's this neat volcano on Rishiri Island that we took a ferry to and biked around it. So let's begin there. 

"It's time to wake up, children."

The ferry to Rishiri Island was rich. The one coming back, not so much. Had to sit on the floor. 

Look at the Asian Quay. She's a sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepy mushroom.

Snow on top. I wanted to climb it, but after you've climbed Mt Fuji is there really any other mountain to climb? I didn't think so.

Not having grown up near an ocean I like staring off into the Great Unknown. 

Finding an open restaurant was harder than I thought. Finally, there was a decent café where we purchased Ramen and curry. The two Japanese staples.

The more north you go the less it feels like you're in Japan. In fact, this island reminded me a lot of when I was in Iceland for my 24 hour Spartan Race two years prior. Look at these colorful house. "Now you have some color."

I liked the little lampshades. Aren't they neat? Also the lampposts had these animal decals. You have to just look at it, though. 

Getting ready to go back to Wakkanai. 

Lots of cars go back and forth. But if you want to rent one there you can. 

Next morning was brisk. Seeing the windmills are my favorite. Reminds me of driving to CA with Lincoln and DDD that one Spring Break. It was all fun to be invited to do things. 

If you turn the pic upside down it looks exactly the same. 

Also, this part of the country you will see less shrines and temples. This one doesn't look like the typical ones you see in southern Japan. 

Here's the pinnacle of this post. Litrilly. We got there right before a tourist bus full of Asians came and ruined everything. Kinda like in the states. Can't call me racist, though. Because I'm in Japan with HQC. I'm like a modern day Tim Whatley (7th paragraph down). 

I love that crane. They're always alone doing whatever they please. 

Oh, say hi to Putin. That's Russia over there. Reminds me when the Brits were cornered by Germany at Dunkirk. 

This is a huge mound of clams. Seagulls and crows would pick them up and drop them on the road then happily hop over to them and eat whatever they could find on the inside. It was fun to hear the crash of the shell on the pavement. 

This Michinoeki was all neat. 

Saw quite a few deer-er, too. 

The Status Quo is arriving.

Now it's my turn to be a sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepy mushroom.

Freezing cold this morning. I hope it's just a cold front because if temps stay like this then I will be miserable for a while. 

The Misty Mountains. 

Hey, I found her!

We stopped at another Michinoeki. "Hmmm I didn't know sausage had bones in it." Man, this was so good. And juicy. My stupid friends thought it looked nasty. They're dumb. That's why I'm biking across Japan and they have to go to work.

This sink was neat. It has the hand dryer built into it. So you don't have to walk over across the toilet with wet hands and drip on the floor.

Guess what this is a pile of? I'll give you a hint.