I arrived in Otaru yesterday. Today I’m going to wander around town.
I dropped off my luggage and went looking for breakfast. If it hadn’t been raining, I might have gone to the Rinyu Morning Market, but I headed to Ishi to Tetsu instead.
Except they weren’t serving breakfast today and wouldn’t open until eleven. Oh. I’d come back for lunch.
A quick trip to Yoichi
In the meantime, I went to Yoichi to buy fuel. Whisky, that is.
While waiting for the Yoichi bus at Otaru Station, someone asked me which bus went to Kihinkan. Achievement unlocked.
I got my supplies without trouble.
Then I caught the bus back to Otaru. The schedule works remarkably well for whisky shoppers: arrive just after the distillery shop opens, finish buying, and a return bus is waiting. Very convenient for someone like me.
The weather in Yoichi was different from Otaru. The sky had been restless all morning.
Lunch at Ishi to Tetsu
It was past eleven, so I returned to Ishi to Tetsu.
Chifuyu was there in her work outfit.
Time to load up on carbohydrates for tomorrow.
By the time I finished eating, the rain had stopped.
As I walked through town, I visited the Karin, Chifuyu, and Rikka panels. Another round of thumbs-up photos. Quota met.
I bought a grilled chikuwa at Kamaei. I expected something about the size of the bamboo chikuwa sold in Komatsushima. This was much bigger.
Putting my aquarium pass to use
In the afternoon I went to Otaru Aquarium to use my annual pass.
The waves were high around Todo Rock. It had rained in the morning, but now I could see blue sky.
Inside, I took another picture of my handmade Karin acrylic stand beside the aquarium’s Karin panel.
And I ended up buying a hokke hoodie.
Getting ready for tomorrow
After the aquarium, I went to pray for a safe marathon.
If I add up all my visits to Otaru, I must be getting close to thirty days here. I’ve never lived in town, but the total keeps growing every time I return.
I spent the evening preparing for tomorrow. I’d forgotten to bring a zip-top bag, so I went to a convenience store to buy one.
Tomorrow I’ll run in my Karin T-shirt. Let’s go, Otaru Shiokaze High School track team.
I went to bed a little after ten. First I need to wake up on time and make it to the starting venue.