Although we live on an island, we finally made out first trip to the coast this past weekend. We visited the city of Tomakomai, known for shopping, bars, and curry ramen. The ramen was awesome.
Tomakomai is on the southern edge of Hokkaido. I wondered if I would be able to see the shore of Honshu just south of Hokkaido, but I wasn`t. The waves were suprisingly small, but the sound of the crash was a comfort. We were so happy just to be there. An ocean sunset always takes my breath away.
The most significant disappointment was the environmental quality of the beaches we visited. Tomakomai has a paper mill which chokes the air with pollution. The city`s river, running toward the ocean, leaves garbage littering the riverbanks. And the beach was. . . cement. Large cement blocks, shaped like jacks, are positioned just off the coast in order to protect the beach from further erosion. Very little sand remains, although we did find a few lovely shells. Fishing ropes and garbage litter the cement blocks.
None-the-less, Hayden, Nick and I were very happy to be at the coast for a breath of fresh air. We needed it.
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