I packed my luggage yesterday already, so I had not much to do in the morning besides sweating, showering, sweating some more and getting breakfast.
The really awesome breakfast in the Dormy Inn hotel for the last time. Today with Tofu and Natto. Some days you have to eat healthy. The Natto was actually good; tasted and smelled much less rotten than the brands I had in the past.
It was still pretty early for my train at around 10 but I had to check out, so I did and took a taxi to Ueno station. The line at the ticket counter wasn't that bad yet and after I few minutes waiting I learned that with a green car railpass I don't need extra reservations for my suitcase. Swell. Good to know for the future.
10.30h, Still two hours until the train is scheduled. The coin locker didn't take my Suica, so I wandered around the station with my full luggage, which wasn't fun, so I had a coffee in a place where I could sit for a while.
11.30h I decide to wait the last hour on the platform and enter the Shinkansen area.
The unthinkable happened: The Tohoku line (aka the one I have to take) is shut down without an ETA. Great. Browsing the news I find that a service locomotive derailed and that they cannot say when the line can be reopened.
I decide to wait down there (Shinkansen platforms are on the 4th underground floor, comparably cool and when a train drives by you get ventilation!) and hope for the best.
12.50h Lines are reopened, YAY! Thanks Japan Rail to get a derailed locomotive out of the way in around 1.5 hours.
But now there is a big backlog of trains. They shorten the times between them and slowly work their way through the pile of delayed trains in addition to the regularly scheduled ones. My train starts shortly after 14.00h, so a bit over 1.5 hours late. First time I had a real delay in Japan, but at least they had a good reason and a disaster recovery plan.
Proof that even JR can have delays.
Shinkansen locomotives always look brand new and spotless clean. Wonder how they handle all the insects exploding on the windshield.
The ride itself was mostly uneventful, so I just post some landscape snapshots and a short clip to get the feeling for the speed.
In the area of Sendai. They had shitty weather. It got sunny again further north.
Fukushima area. The reactor is further east at the sea.
Between Morioka and Hachinohe. In Morioka the train was decoupled. One half goes to Hakodate and the other one to Akita. Didn't even take 2 minutes in the station.
Near Aomori.
First glimpse of Hokkaido after 15 minutes in the 54km long Seikan tunnel. It goes down to 240m under sea level and 100m under the seabed. You can actually feel it in your ears like on a plane.
Vegetation actually looks a bit different in Hokkaido.
In the hotel I just threw everything into the room and went out to eat. It was 20.00h by now and I had nothing to eat after breakfast. I just stormed into the first open restaurant and it was a tablet Izakaya. They are magical. You order via tablet and get your food so fast that you cannot help but wonder how they can prepare it in that time. Hokkaido in general and Hakodate especially is famous for seafood beyond fish. So here is what I ordered (and wolfed down).
Pickled cucumbers with mustard. Tasty.
Grilled squid. Tender and very tasty.
Octopus sashimi with seaweed. Yummy.
A giant oyster in its shell (which was ~18cm long) very fresh and aromatic.
Hakodate at night. My hotel is on the left side of the narrow part.
Fresh fries and crab cream croquettes. I have no idea how they make them. The crab flavored custard like substance in the middle is runny and they have king crab legs with meat inside as "handles". The ketchup was completely unneeded for both.
My room is on the 8th floor and I can see the sea from my window. On the 17th floor they have a lounge where you can also get drinks in the evening and have an awesome view of the bay. Will take pics tomorrow in daylight. I also plan to take the cable car up to mount Hakodate, the point where the picture on the wall poster was taken.
While I am writing this the wash dryer is running. Every room has one in my hotel, the TokyuStay. Sharp brand machines. Very quiet.
Tomorrow I can sleep in. There is no breakfast with fixed times in this hotel, but I got 3 coupons which I can use in 16 different restaurant around the morning marked. Most are open until 14.00h, so no need to hurry.I can choose between mostly seafood, Ramen, grilled meat or donburis (rice bowls, a bit like poke bowls, actually the original and blueprint for poke bowls). I will decide tomorrow.
The weather is quite a bit cooler here. You don't feel like entering a pressure cooker when you leave the hotel.
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