Hokkaido: part two

We visited the northern most peninsula in Japan where we explored the Shiretoko National Park.   On our drive into the park we drove along the Sea of Okhotsk which separates Russia and Japan.  We also drove across the peninsula to stay the night in Rausu which gave us access to ocean side onsens.  The drive to Rausu proved to be very scenic with views of the mountains and Russian islands in the distance.
We camped by a river and bathed at the river side onsen.  This was our first Japanese onsen experience. The pools are separated by gender and bathers are naked.  After observing the process for awhile, I was schooled in the traditions of how to bathe Japanese style by a few old women.  You clean your body first outside the tub by splashing the hot water on yourself with plastic bowls.  After you are clean you are ready to soak.  The pool was nearly scalding so I only soaked for less that a minute but it was great to feel so warm and relaxed before a nights sleep in a tent. 

Shiretoko National Park was where we met most of our animal friends.  We drove by a lot of deer while exploring the park and a few had pretty good size antlers.  I especially enjoyed my fox friend.  We spotted him from our car, slowed down and pulled over for a picture and he ran right up to us.  But then he was a little camera shy because he quickly went behind the railing.  That was my first fox sighting in the wild.  Throughout the park we were warned to be bear safe but we never encountered a bear, much to Todd's disappointment.

The next day, after our first onsen experience, we went searching to for the wild onsens on the ocean.  The first one we came to was Seseki onsen which is a hot springs that is completely covered during high tide. We were lucky to find it just as the tide was beginning to come in.  The water was scalding so I could only handle soaking my feet but Todd enjoyed a full plunge and a rinse in the cold ocean water afterward.  Then we continued up the road to its end, part of the park and peninsula is only accessible by boat or foot.  As we made our way back we found Aidomari hot springs, it is the rectangular pool above and the northernmost hot spring in Japan.  It was just as scalding as Seseki so we could only manage a very quick dip. 

After a tame lakes hike we were on our way out of Shiretoko, headed for Akan national park.  Along the way we stopped to enjoy a water fall and Todd waded in the Sea of Okhotsk.  Little did we know,  a typhoon was following us to Akan...