HomeOctober 17, 1997
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Shintoku Train StationWaiting for the 1:52 train to Furano. The train here from Chitose/Sapporo was a smooth ride through rolling hills with fall foliage reminiscent of New England - even some of the grasses look the same, and I've spotted a few purple asters. Way too many tunnels though. Every time I got into looking at the scenery, we entered a tunnel. I caught a glimpse of a small waterfall flowing into a green river. It looked like something from a scenic calendar. The train station here is small but very clean and well kept. The toilets are Japanese style - no western ones like at the airport. There is a small art exhibit of children's paintings of trains. The station is decorated with sprigs of artificial maple leaves around the ticket desk and all the lamps. A small kiosk sells food of various sorts, key chains, beverages, and books. There's a noodle joint next to the vending machine. Every once in awhile I smell the chicken broth coming from it. I've already met two of the other Earthwatch team members, Carol and Steve. We left the Hotel Nikko in Chitose at 9:00 this morning and took a bus to Chitose Airport, where the Japan Rail station is. Buying a one way ticket to Furano was a challenge because Carol and Steve bought round trip tickets and the ticket clerk thought I wanted the same thing. Carol's phrase book to the rescue! My dictionary is packed somewhere deep in one of the suitcases - doesn't do me a whole lot of good there. I succeeded in getting a one way ticket, keeping my post-Earthwatch plans open. What's the deal with key chains? Everywhere there are kiosks stocked with dozens of kinds of key chains from the really tacky to the kind of OK. At Narita, in the domestic terminal, an ANA kiosk sold stuffed airplanes on key chains, name key chains, ANA logo key chains, other airline logo key chains, Hello Kitty key chains ... The Chitose train station had Hokkaido shaped key chains and even a Hokkaido shaped clock. Come to think of it, Hokkaido is shaped a little like Martha's Vineyard. later...We met another American, an English teacher name Amy, in the Shintoku Station. She's on her way to Furano for a conference. We talked with her on the train all the way to Furano station. We're already in an area where foreigners are rare. yet later...Zsolt and Istvan met us at the train station in Furano. The first thing Zsolt told me is that my surname, Egan, means "yes" in Hungarian so he'll never forget my name. Since I don't think Egan means anything in Irish anymore - if it ever did - it's nice to know it's a perfectly valid Hungarian word that gets used a lot. :-)
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