July, 2009: Hakodate to Mori, on the SL Hakodate Oonuma Go

(Itai!Itai!!)

The morning fish market near the Hakodate station is a famous tourist spot. Plan a breakfast there. It's worth it.
After the breakfast, the highlight of the day is a ride on the SL Hakodate Oonuma Go. SL is short for Steam Locomotive. The thought of getting on a steam locomotive is really exciting.
The SL pulls out of Hakodate at 9:35am, but way before that, there is already much festivity on the platform.
The drivers at the engine were dressed in old-style uniform and so were the conductors. There was even also a Japanese lady dressed in western clothes (supposedly from the Meiji era) who posed with the passenger and serves as a guide on the train.
The SL probably reminded many older Japanese of the good old Showa era (good, as compared to the current Heisei era), as evident from the winning entries for the SL's Haiku competition.























The train seems to attract mainly young kids. But along the way, many railroad otaku were waiting beside the track, heavy camera hanging their neck, ready to snap a few pictures of the SL rumbling down the track. And young and old, everywhere the SL passes by, stop and gave the train a friendly wave.
While the engine is a steam one, the cabin were modern well-lit and air-conditioned ones. The last cabin, though, was a old-style one. You can hang out there, stick your head out of the window a bit and feel the wind rushing pass your face. You would be amazed at how fast the SL can run.
At the end of the trip, I could actually pick up some tiny pieces of coal from my face and behind the ears.