Day 7: Shosambetsu to Haboro

 Hours walked: 7:30 - 4:00

Distance walked: 25 km

Cumulative: 160 km

We thought all our adventures would happen in the daytime - but nope! Today brought another midnight drama, with a happy ending. 

But first, we got an early start from our beloved cabin, rejoicing in more overcast weather. Our morning was uneventful, though we dealt with more narrow shoulders. Tova invented an elaborate game where she waved frenetically at every passing car, earning 1 point per car who waved back, 2 points per truck/motorcycle, and half point bonuses for bows and smiles. She was pleased to reach the 100-point goal. 

After lunch at a giant bird monument, we chugged the last 7 kilometers to our campsite. It was a relief to see that the beach campsite had a broad shelter for tents, especially as the forecast was ominous. Not even the grey skies and gusty winds could keep Zadie and Tova from running for the waves; over and over they zoomed off a great floating slide a few meters offshore into the cold water.  

After the traditional miso tofu broccoli noodle soup, we snuggled up at 8:30 and passed a peaceful, calm night. Right?

Well, not quite. At 9:30 the wind and rain picked up sharply. By 10, it got really intense. We had lashed our tents with guy lines to stout metal pillars on all four sides, but even so they were like two bucking broncos. The rain was practically horizontal, making the shelter useless. Tamar and Aurora in one tent, and Jakob in the other, were trying to hold the tent down as best they could using bodyweight. Aurora woke Tova, never an easy task, by bawling at the top of her lungs. This freaked out Jakob, who woke Sophia, who was scared and started willing herself back to sleep. 

As Tamar crawled out into the torrent at 10:30, she was astonished to see a black, gleaming river of floodwater creeping towards our tents! She hastily dug a trench to buy time, then decided with Aurora that it was time to evacuate. So we all scurried through the storm, shuttling bags and tents back and forth to the bathroom. Cockroaches and centipedes glared at us for invading their home, and indeed it felt like breaking taboo to camp in a bathroom, but it was 11 p.m., there were of course no other campers, so surely nobody else would show up that night!

Of course, within minutes, headlights appeared. A guy rolled down his window and started hollering at us. Via Google Translate, he said he had a spare room and that we should come with him. That he had kids too so he understood. That “I’m not a dangerous man, I promise.” He grinned broadly and laughed. 

So we made a snap decision and re-evacuated. Good call! It turned out his wife, mother, father, and 11-year old son were also involved in the rescue. We drove through the tempest to his fishing warehouse, where his upstairs office was warm and cozy. They plied us with towels, blankets and futon. His wife offered us a midnight feast of onigiri, buns, fried fish sandwiches, and soft drinks from the convenience store. The sleepy son drank most of the Coca-Cola. 

It was so cool getting to chat with them in the wee hours. We learned he’s a judo sensei, and owns a fishing boat. Tamar asked questions in depth (haha) about octopus fishing. They said this kind of wind and rain is rare. Eventually we managed to semi-graciously say goodnight, and turned in past 1:30 am, after one long and memorable night. Falling asleep to the sound of pelting rain and howling winds outside was delicious. 

Our unexpected host family!

Road walking as one does

Taking up the shoulder 

Relaxing by the roadside 

They both look triumphant