will i am's delayed diary

On the last day in Lake Toya , I automatically woke up at 3:30 AM! Since I was already up, I dragged myself out of the futon to catch the sunrise. Unfortunately for us, the weather was too misty for a good view. We gave it another thirty minutes before going back to sleep. Three and half hours later, the serenity of the lake was broken by the voice of an elderly gentleman singing "To-yaaaaaa, To-yaaaaaa... " over the lake's PA system. More effective than my alarm. Ate our morning meal downstairs and checked out soon after. One more crater trail to finish before leaving Lake Toya-- the Nishiyama Crater Promenade . The trail head happens to be where the Konpiriyama trail ends and the area was as deserted as it was yesterday. A lone park ranger waved us in while the trees rustled wildly around us. Seemed that the weather was changing. Like the day before, we were the only visitors on the trail. The Nishiyama trail is a boardwalk, hence easier to do. Along the way we s

Our booking at the ryokan was inclusive of breakfast. When we got down at 8:00 AM, a tray of eggs, sausages, natto , spinach, bean sprouts and pan-fried salmon was waiting for us. Good, hearty food for a day of physical exertion ahead. At the cafe, we exchanged pleasantries with the Budget Uncle, who had his wife in tow. She had a mang zang face and didn't say much at all. When we told him that we drove, he was quite impressed. He waved us off to do whatever 'young people' did. Drove to the nearby Toyako Visitors Center to get on the Konpiriyama Crater trail . The sun was shining brightly but the air was relatively cool. For some reason, we were the only ones on the trail with the dandelions and bees. Highlights of the trail was the view of Lake Toya, a crater, a destroyed incinerator, and an abandoned house from the year 2000 eruption. On the way back ( it wasn't a loop, so we had to double back ), we spotted another fox! Back at the trail