13 May 2015

We arrived this morning to the island of Hokkaido in Japan.  It's a brisk 60F here, and a pleasant break from the heat of Thailand.  We are starting our trip in Otaru on the north part of the island.  There are lots of hotsprings in the area; fortunately we have a private one on our balcony.

And here's the view from the tub. It opens directly into the neighboring forest. 

It's cool enough the cherry blossoms are still in bloom.

Enjoyed a lovely walk in the woods between rain showers.

Lots of white birches here.  This one looked like an eye and eyebrow to me. 

There also appears to be a stone carver in the area.