「請問，從這裡可以到札幌嗎？」指著時刻表上的車站名稱詢問票務櫃台。
「可以的。」櫃台小姐微笑著說。無需說明，已經了解我的困境，手指快速地點擊操作螢幕，列印出早上9點出發，傍晚6點抵達札幌的行程。
三天兩夜旅行的第二天早上，準備前往北海道最東邊的根室。昨天晚上還在想，今天中午到了根室要去哪一家壽司店大快朵頤一番。沒想到東西向的電車突然全部停駛，連回札幌的電車也都取消了。
剩下的唯一的電車是30分鐘後，往北到網走的快速電車。雖然名為快速，其實只有一節車廂，和普通列車一樣慢，要花三小時穿越山區。之後還要再花六小時，搭兩班電車往西才能回到札幌。
從網走回札幌是180度的大迴轉。但是這班快速電車之後，今天剩餘的班次也全部取消了。進退兩難的情況下，只好聯絡取消根室的住宿，臨時改道去網走了。
"Execuse me, can I get to Sapporro from there?" I pointed at the station name on the timetable.
"Yes," the counter clerk replied. Without further explanation, she understood my situation. She quickly operated the console and printed out a journey that departed at 9am and arrived in Sapporo at 6pm for me.
It was the second day of the trip from Sapporo in the western Hokkaido to Nemuro in the eastern Hokkaido. I had checked out the hostel and was going to Nemuro. Suddenly all trains between Sapporo and Nemuro due to the rain. I was stuck in the middle.
The only train still in operation was leaving in 30 minutes for Abashiro in the north. All the other northbound trains would be suspended after this rapid train. It was a "rapid" train, but as slow as the commuter train. It was a single-carriage train that took 3 hours to go through the mountains. Then, I would need to take two westbound trains for 6 hours to get back to Sapporo.
It would be literally a giant U-turn, but I had no choice other than sitting in the train all day long.
