SHIRETOKO NATIONAL PARK

My knowledge of biology is like a child: my categories to divide everything in are plant, flower, three and animal. so when i hike up a mountain with a froup of middle aged man, who are interested in the flora and fauna of the mountain, you might think i pick up some things. But now i categorize in little flower and very boring little flower. We are walking up the Rausu-dake in the pooring rain, i am getting cold and we are not getting any closer to the summit because we stop at every little plant (and let me tell you we are in a thick forest! so there are a few).

I am in Shiritoko park. Maybe japans most beautiful national park and most untouched by human hands. This peninsula, formed by volcanoes eruptions , still inhabits over 600 brown bears. Everywhere there are big warnings. Even the Lonely planets stated that the hikes here are for experienced hikers only! When i decided to hike here i also decided to walk in a group for savety. I am nicely positioned in the middle of a group of 6 male persons who are on a kind of retirement trip. So i think i am save, being far out the fastest of the bunch, so when we encounter a bear.........or will the bear go for the one who got the most fat and meat on it. Anyway no reason for me to leave this slow and nature loving group of people.

The hike isn:t that difficult as mentioned in the lonely planet, but 2km before the summit, we encounter a very long and steep snow part. Due to the rain the snow turned into ice. I guess that i can make my way up, but for sure will fall when i will try to go down. After a few seconds, when the rain hits me hard in the face, i call it a quit. My fellow hikers all have their so called eisen, a bunch of pins that you can put underneath your shoes to get more grip. They even call it by the german name: eisen. I should have had those too, to get to the summit, but i have nightmares that i will have a wedding with a broken arm or leg, so i return back. After five minutes the group return too, even for them its to steep and to slippery. The return i dp quickly i am not waiting for more names of leaves and plants, i want just the warmth of a hot bath and coffee!

the reward of this hike is this shgiretoko salmon. The local sushio master was invited to cut up this lovely fish. And let me tell you nothing was ledt behind. Asd the sushi master explained wehile cutting up this fish, some parts were used for bbq (head, tail), some for fondue, some for sashimi and sushi, Even the eggs, liver and kidneys were used. And the end everybody applaused for the master. My belly was full. and still there was fish left.

Although everybody warned me for 600 bears, ebven guys with guns stopped me for hiking on the moroway i didnt see any bears. Maybe good but also dissapointing. But i see a lot of deers and a couple of foxes. All drying up in the sun after a splash of rain.