After the potluck, we decided to head to the Indian restaurant we had enjoyed so much last time. We hadn't eaten anything at the Potluck, because it was too packed. Becca and her friend had their bikes parked outside, but I had walked. They biked next to me while I walked for a while, but I felt like this was taking forever. I offered to run next to them to get us back to the dorm to pick up my bike a little quicker. It was dark out, so fortunately no one we passed could (hopefully) tell that I was wearing jeans, a sweatshirt, and sandals. I love running along, so it was no problem, especially on a cool night. Walking can take so long, and if I can run, I figure I might as well do so--it really does save so much time. Becca and her friend put up with me being weird and running alongside them like a crazy person. We reached our bikes and rode to the restaurant. At night, it is important to wear a light on your bike here in Sapporo. As I've mentioned previously, bikers in Japan seem to be especially reckless. Well, it is not so much reckless as it is a general sense of chaos--folks don't necessarily pay attention, and for the most part, to me, don't appear to follow any standard, discernible system of road etiquette. Do you bike in the street? On the sidewalk? Into people? Who knows! Fend for yourself! That is my impression. No one even bothers to say "thank you" or "sumimasen (excuse me)" when it comes to bikes. As you can perhaps tell, I am a little exasperated with the situation. Biking in the U.S. can occasionally be chaotic, but I feel that at least in Minneapolis there is a fairly standard set of rules and common sense manners that most abide by. Anyways, the Indian food was delicious again. The naan that comes with the meal is so huge! I had been secretly looking forward to going back to this restaurant all week, so I am glad that we made it back. The goal is to go once a week, and I most certainly hope that we do. The owner even gave us all free lassi (a type of yogurt drink))!!! This was so kind, and I was both surprised and grateful. Next time, I may bring him a postcard from the U.S. as a thank you.
Today and tomorrow I am on my own again in Sapporo. Becca and her friend are off on an excursion, and so it is up to me to explore the city independently for a bit. This is both exhilarating and intimidating. My goal for today was to visit Hokkaido Shrine and also Mt. Moiwa. Mt. Moiwa is about a 500m tall "hill" next to Sapporo that provides an excellent view of the city, or so I have heard. I had hoped to also climb and hike around. First I set off on my bike to find Hokkaido Shrine, which is only perhaps 2 miles away from the International House. It is located next to Mastuyama Park here in Sapporo. I got some use out of my iphone navigating there with google maps. It would have been pretty complicated otherwise, because even though Sapporo is laid out like a grid occasionally there are streets that disappear. If I return, though, it will be very simple. Matsuyama park is very beautiful, with a variety of tall trees, many of which are labeled with name tags to identify their species. This was especially intriguing for me. There were many groups of young children playing and searching for acorns. I walked my bike through the park to find the entrance to the shrine. The gate is very beautiful, and reminded me of a much less intimidating version of Meiji-jingu back in Tokyo. I parked my bike and followed the path inside. The main path through the gate also passes through what appeared to be a garden with small trees and shrubs, as well as an older cemetary off to the side. I was so relieved and pleased to finally be walking through greenery. Although there were busy streets within a stones throw, I felt hidden away from the loud traffic. It was calm, at last. I washed my hands at the well, like at Meiji-jingu, and went in. There were many young children dressed in kimono and young boys in traditional clothes. They were all adorable. Since it was a Saturday, I am guessing there was some sort of ceremony. Unfortunately, almost immediately after I entered the main building it began to pour! I am two for two on rainstorms when visiting shrines. I was not outsmarted by Sapporo's weather this time, as I now always pack an umbrella. However, umbrella's don't keep you especially dry when walking around, and so I ended up damp anyways. It was admittedly a let down to be rained on again, when I wanted to wander and explore freely instead of avoiding puddles and getting all wet. Water drips off of all of the buildings at shrines as well, and so it made looking around difficult. I bought an O-mamori charm, then was somehow convinced to buy a bear-shaped bean paste pastry by an old lady. I love bean paste ('anko') but I hadn't intended to buy anything to eat there. Oh well. I left, feeling a bit defeated even though I enjoyed the shrine. I returned to my bike outside of the gates, in Matsuyama park and stood rather dejectedly under my umbrella, trying to keep my bike seat dry as I waited for the rain to subside. It took awhile, but eventually slowed to a sprinkle, and stopped. I walked my bike out of the park, with clammy hands and a damp backpack. Navigating back towards the International House was much easier, and I didn't need my phone to help me at all. I was happy to be able to understand the layout of the streets to get back. I ended up right outside of Aeon, the local grocery complex. I parked my bike and went inside to warm up. My plan was to walk to Sapporo Station afterwards to find a cup of hot chocolate. After wandering inside Aeon, it turns out they also have a starbucks! I was hesitant to go there, because it is extremely expensive in Japan and I don't drink coffee anyways, but I wanted a cup of hot chocolate that I would recognize and a calm place to sit. My tiny cup of hot chocolate was indeed expensive, but I added heaps of cinnamon and vanilla on my own which made it delicious. I drank it with my bear-shaped anko pastry, and it made me feel warmer and all around more encouraged. I bought an apple for the road, and then dropped my bike off back at the International House. I decided against trying to hike at Mt. Moiwa for the day because everything was so wet. It makes me feel a little self-conscious and stressed to ride my bike in the city here, what with the aforementioned chaos, and so that combined with water everywhere was enough for me. I decided to run some errands on foot. I picked up some envelopes, and when I got back prepared them to be mailed. All around, the day was not so bad--I sure do wish it wouldn't always rain on me, though! I must be doing something to offend the gods at these shrines! Tomorrow, I am hoping to cover more ground.