Hakuba
I enjoy adventure as much as the next person. I enjoy exploring new places and meeting new people. But the longer I am away I realise what matters most to me and start to feel unbalanced. I start to miss the things that keep me centred. The warmth of the sun, the peacefulness of the ocean and most of all, my friends and family.
Hakuba was by far my favourite place of my travels. After a bus, a flight, another bus, a train and then another train, I had made my way from Sapporo to Hakuba. It was a long day of travel, especially as I was still getting over the flu, but it was well worth it. My accommodation for the next eight days was a lodge called Kamoshika Views. There were many other travellers staying there, which was a nice change from our previous Airbnb’s, which had just been occupied by our group. Everyone was so friendly and interesting. It was nice to hear other peoples stories and hear about their lives.
We woke on the first morning to go and collect our snowboarding gear, and despite not feeling 100% I thought I would give the slopes a run for their money. It was my first time snowboarding and it was harder than I thought it would be. The feeling of sliding over the snow was like gliding on a cloud, the only problem was that I was not in control. At least not to start off with. After a couple of runs down the mountain, heels dug deep into the slops, I began to get the hang of it. Unfortunately my cold was taking it’s toll, I was knackered and had to call it a day.
The following day I decided to give my flu the respect it was demanding. As far as I was concerned, the slopes weren’t going anywhere. I chilled out and spent the day resting at the lodge. It turned out to be a very peaceful day and I had a chance to chat with some of the other people who had stayed behind. One guy from Melbourne had broken his collar bone on his first day and was now just waiting around till he could get a flight home. It’s interesting how well you can get on with complete strangers, not knowing anything about them, yet being able to talk for a whole day with no issues!
I proceeded to spend my stay in Hakuba like this. One day testing myself against the snow covered mountains, and the next day resting at the lodge having interesting conversations with interesting people. By the end of the week I was carving my way confidently down the slopes. I felt comfortable and in control. I was no expert by any measure, but I could glide from left to right and feel the bite of the edge of my board in the snow. It was exhilarating and I was hooked. I had also really enjoyed each of my rest days at the lodge. I managed to finish The Book Thief, which I had been reading throughout my travels and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t yet read it. I had time to write a little as well as phone loved ones. I also met some really nice people who live amazing lives.
I think that about sums up my time Hakuba. It was half about the snowboarding, and getting better each time i faced the slopes. The other half was the relaxed vibe of the lodge and the amazing people I got to meet. Hakuba was gliding on clouds and good company. By the eighth day I didn’t really want to leave the lodge, I had become comfortable there. At the same time, leaving meant only a few days till I would be heading home. As much as I have enjoyed the last five weeks exploring Japan, I am definitely looking forward to being home, in the warmth, in the ocean, back with with my friends and family.
I have a couple of days left in Tokyo before I fly out, but I think this will be my last post of the trip. I guess we will have to wait and see what comes next! As always, thank you for reading and I hope we will talk again soon. Remember to be kind to one another, the world will be a better place for it.
Till next time,
Charlie.
