道東旅行 Eastern Hokkaido trip

神の子池　Kaminoko-ike

友人に車を出してもらって道東を回ってきました。美しい風景に感動の嵐でした。

We travelled around Eastern Hokkaido with a friend who kindly drove us. The natural beauty affected us profoundly.

まずは神の子池。摩周湖（カムイトー＝神の湖）の伏流水からできているという言い伝えから「神の子」池と呼ばれています。水深５ｍで水が澄んでいるので底までくっきりと見えます。水温が年間通して約８℃と低いので、倒木が青い水の中に腐らずに沈んでいます。

First, we went to Kaminoko-ike, pond of offspring of gods. It is said to be created by water flowing underground from Lake Mashu, whose old name was lake of gods. The depth of the pond is 5 meters and the water is clear to the bottom. Fallen trees in the cobalt blue water have not decayed because the water temperature is low, around 8 degrees, throughout the year.

オンネトー湖　Lake Onneto

阿寒湖の近くにあるオンネトー湖にも行きました。角度や天候によって湖水の色が変化するので別名「五色沼」とも呼ばれているそうです。湖を１周約４ｋｍを歩いて神秘的な湖を堪能しました。

We went to Lake Onneto, near Lake Akan. The colour of the water changes depending on the weather and an angle. Therefore the lake is also called Goshiki-numa, five colour pool. We enjoyed a 4km walk around the mysterious lake.

イギリス人の夫が一番感動したのは屈斜路湖湖岸の露天風呂。男女別とはいえ、公共の場で裸になる公衆浴場は嫌がっていた夫ですが、この天然露天ぶろは水着着用ができて、目の前には屈斜路湖が広がるという贅沢さ。しかも無料で入れます。コタン温泉露天風呂の管理人さんに感謝です。

コタン温泉と屈斜路湖　Kotan onsen & Lake Kussharo

What impressed my husband the most was an open-air onsen, hot spring, by Lake Kussharo. As a British national, he was reluctant to go to a public bath in Japan because one had to be stark naked although men and women were separated. However, at the open-air onsen, one was allowed to wear swimwear and one had a splendid view of the lake. It was also free. Couldn't be better. Thanks to the person who keeps the Kotan open-air onsen available for everyone to enjoy.

砂湯　Sand onsen

屈斜路湖には他にも無料露天風呂が点在しており、掘ったら温泉がでてくるという場所（砂湯）もあります。 スコップで掘って足を浸すと泥水だけど温かい！楽しかった。

There are several other free open-air onsen by the lake. Also there is a place where you can dig and make a foot bath by yourselves. It is called Suna-yu, sand onsen, as hot water bubbles up when you dig sand on the lake shore. We scooped the sand with a shovel and put our feet in the hole. The water was dirty but certainly warm, above all, it was fun.

東藻琴　芝桜祭り　Higashimokoto Moss phlox festival

東藻琴の芝桜祭りにも行きました。桜色に一面に覆い尽くされた丘の斜面にも、その匂いにも圧倒されました。

We went to the Shibazakura -moss phlox- festival in Higashimokoto. The hill was covered with pink flowers and the sweet smell swallowed us up, which was overwhelming.

北海道はやはり大きい（日本国土の約２２％を占め、オーストリアと同じ位の面積だそう）。美しい自然が残るこの地を見るにはもっと日数が必要です。また行かねば。

Hokkaido is just huge. (It is almost the same size of Austria and 22% of Japan, although it is one out of 47 prefectures in Japan.) It will take many more days to go around there where beautiful nature still thrives. We have to come back again.