Biei, the Town of Hills (Oka no Machi)

BIEI has the nickname Oka no Machi (Town of Hills)... Its real name, in Japanese, means "Beauty Splendid", and that too is an apt name. Ever since reading about the place in Lonely Planet, my Mum had wanted to go there. Compared to all the other sights in Japan, this is an obscure destination, to be sure. There is not really that much to see; it's more of a place to relax. There is a big mountain reasonably nearby, Asahidake (the highest peak in Hokkaido); most people come here to see the summer wildflowers. However, we were a little too early for that. I sat back in my seat (the priority seat, no less) on the train up there, drank green tea, and enjoyed the view. The wildflowers hadn't yet showed, and truth be told it wasn't really summer either: up here in the hills in central Hokkaido the climate was temperate, and sakura (cherry blossom) was still in bloom. !

We had a few beers, and thought about what we would do. The hotel was cool. They had Chinese and butter making lessons downstairs... ..