The Kindness of Strangers
Mary-Grace Browning describes the unfailing kindness of the strangers she met whilst in Hokkaido
I have encountered the kindness of strangers on many occasions when hiking in Japan. On one trip to Hokkaido, accompanied by 8 high school students, we decided to climb asahidake. To take advantage of the free bus to the ropeway offered to those who spend a night in the village, we booked into the Youth Hostel and attended the Warden's talk on the evening before our hike. He made much of an arrow on a rock and then waxed lyrical about flora and fauna.
The following morning, we picked up our packed lunches, put on our bear bells, and set off. About ½ hour after leaving the ropeway station one member of the group started to feel unwell. We stopped and a trio of descending Japanese ladies enquired if we were OK. On hearing our problem, they offered to take our student to the ropeway student and look after her until we returned. We emphasised that they would not need to wait with her. As long as she was settled in the cafe and her condition had not worsened, our problem was solved.
The depleted group continued, negotiated the arrowed rock (a cautious glimpse behind showed us the sheer cliff awaiting the unwary!) and reached the summit where we had hoped to picnic. The immediate onslaught by thousands of hungry mosquitoes (not mentioned by the warden the previous evening!) prevented this and we crossed the summit onto the snow field beyond where the biting beasts did not follow us. The path disappeared, but, through a slight mist, we could see orange coats ahead of us and headed across the frozen surface to recover the path through the alpine scrub - truly beautiful. We were about to unpack our lunch when we were overtaken by a group of university students who urged us to walk another few minutes with them to a natural hot spring where we could enjoy wild ashiyu while eating. So large was the pond that the boys in the group stripped to boxer shorts and swam - the girls made do with taking off shoes and socks!
What was in the picnic? Two of the most delicious onigiri I have ever tasted, beautifully presented in a bamboo leaf casing. Rested and refreshed, and now very much alerted (by tales from the students) to bears who might be startled from a hirune (nap), we travelled on down the mountain to the cheerful tune of bear bells. Back at the ropeway cafe we met up with our sick student who was resting in a sunny corner in receiving some TLC from all and was sun dry. She had managed to find out where her three rescuers were staying, so we bought ample omiyage before descending to enjoy the delights of the at the Youth Hostel.
After a late night playing Uno Last Card with other hostellers, we nearly missed the bus - as we ran down the street our waves were seen by the driver who stopped and waited for us: the kindness of yet more strangers impressed us all.