Good-bye Sado!

As much fun as Sado Island was, I was fairly sick with a cold, and on the day we left Sado I mostly slept. I have only 2 photos for the whole day.
First is the light house we saw, you cont tell but it was absolutely POURING with rain, we ran to the lighthouse, took a photo and ran back to the car!

My other photo for the day is the inside of this ferry (photo of the outside of the ferry was taken the day before):

 

It turns out that 'non-reserved' seats means that everyone has to sit on the floor. We hired blankets and I did some more sleeping!

Sado Island 6th March

Dimitri says this blog needs more random amusing Japanese stuff. The problem is, I don't really notice that kind of stuff! But i did notice this:

 Yes, the hotel wall has a built in vending machine for both ice and tea, but what really amused me was that tea is free and ice costs 100yen. Japan is a topsey-turvey world.

Anyway, After so much fun snowboarding I was a bit sad to leave Naeba!

  --- Me in front of the Naeba Prince Hotel ---

It was about -18 degrees when we were snowboarding and about the same when this photo was taken while walking to the bus stop.

 

--- Yuki always wears appropriate footwear ---

 

Have you ever wondered what Japanese people wore on their feet in the snow? I had, and then this creepily-lifelike mannequin answered my question. This was in Echigo-Yuzawa station.

 

--- For this there is no explanation ---

 

--- Welcome to Niigata, where cabbages are grown in the shape of trees ---

I couldn't take a photo of the boat we were on, for the obvious reason that we were ON it, so i took a photo of the brochure, that's just as good right?

 

--- Our little Sado Island hire car---

Once we had picked up the hire-car we drove to a 'Toki' Park. Toki are these special birds. Unfortunately the ones that were alive were a little too far away for a good picture!

 

--- Midori the dead Toki ---

Next stop on our Sado island adventure was a old gold mine.

--- Some Mannequins demonstrating a Meiji era water pump ---

---More mannequins demonstrating a festival to ask the gods for the rock to become softer---

 

That was a real bar of gold, and with weighed about 12kgs. If you could pull it out through the small hole you would get a present. Needless to say it was probably impossible.

I'm feeling pretty Japanese, peace sign AND a mask. This is an Edo-era mining train, don't think i was really supposed to be in it. Again, Yuki made me do it!

 

I really love this photo. I'm not really sure why. The countryside was just so beautiful in the afternoon light, and it was so so quiet. We were almost the only ones in this section of the mining park and the rest of the country-side was silent.

 

I really love the huge variety of textures and colours that the Japanese mountains have.

After the mine we went for a drive along the far West coast of Sado Island. The sun was setting and it was so spectacular.

 

 

--- Our beautiful room, with a view of the sea ---

Then after an AMAZING dinner we were lucky enough to see some traditional Sado Island dancing.

Naeba Snowboarding and Suspicious Onigiri- 4th March

I can't believe it is snowing so much here.
Had a brilliant day today, snowboarding, and then I went to an onsen, and ate some weird onigiri.

Yuzawa, a Double-decker Shinkansen, and SNOW- 3 March

--- Double Decker Shinkansen ---

--- The View from my room on the 21st floor ---

--- Yuki and I with our 'Collagen Nabe' ---

--- Yuki made me do it ---

So this is Nagano- 2nd March

After an uneventful morning I arrived in Nagano, an odd city, seemingly obsessed with its 1998 glory (it was host to the Winter Olympics). There are posters and signs etc everywhere proudly displaying the olympic logo. The only attraction in Nagano I was interested in seeing was the huge temple, Zenso-ji I think it was called.

This is my little Ryokan room, it is so awesome!

Snow Monkey, Hokusai and Onsen- March 1

Today was expensive, busy, freezing and the most fun I had had so far.
Sarah and I set off at 9am, driven to the monkey park by the lovely ryokan owner.

--- Us at the enterance to the monkey park ---

To get to the monkey onsen you have to walk through the forest, this was a wonderful experience in itself.

--- Pine Forest in the Snow---

When then proceeded to take literally hundreds of photos. I liked the baby monkey the best. Here are some photos.

After finally dragging ourselves away from the cuteness, we walked back into town, through some narrow streets, got a bit lost, bought some hot chocolate in a can from a vending machine and eventually found the station. Where we headed off to Obuse.

When we got to Obuse it began to pour with rain. Neither of us had umbrellas, but sensible Sarah has a rain coat. I put my hood up and we wandered off in search of lunch. We couldn`t resist the smell of a tiny little restaurant, where we ordered a lunch set, despite having very little idea what it would contain, aside from `hot noodle`. It turned out to be one of the most delicious meals I have had so far. Udon noodles in soup with assorted tempura type things on sticks. We demolished it before I could think to take a photo.
We then headed back out into the rain and to the temple which has a painting by the famous Japanese artist Hokusai on the ceiling. It was so beautiful, and HUGE, definately worth the long walk in the rain. We wern`t allowed to take photos inside, and it was raining too much to get a picture of the outside!

On the way to try the local speciality (chestnuts) a lady felt so sorry for us she stopped her car and gave us her umbrella. I was a bit overwhelmed at her generosity. We ate chestnut cakes in this funny little cafe.

--- Chestnut Cake ---

Upon returning to Yudanaka we went to an AMAZING onsen. It was outside, all made of rocks and it was snowing while we were in the hot water. The perfect ending to a really wonderful day.

--- The Onsen ---

Temple in the Rain and SNOW! 28th Feb

Before today I had thought the weather had been `cold`, oh how wrong I was. Today was FREEZING. It was raining when I woke up, still pouring after breakfast, but I was still determined to see at least one shrine in Atami. So off I went on another bus. The bus driver had to be convinced that I did actually want to go to the shrine, in the rain, at 8:30 in the morning.

--- The Shrine ---

It was actually very peaceful to be there totally alone in the rain, all I could hear was the rain falling through the trees. At times like this I really wish I had learnt more kanji. There seemed to be a really interesting story about the 2 dragons which were everywhere around the shrine. I must remember to find out what it was one day.

--- The Dragons ---

After the temple it was back on the shinkansen and off to Nagano. Somewhere between page 52 and 68 of my book it began to snow outside the train. It was really wonderful to watch the scenery become coated in more and more snow as we travelled higher and higher. Needless to say I took about 80 blurred pictures of snow out of the window.

--- Things you can order in the Shinkansen catalogue ---

From Nagano I took another train to Yudanaka, which is a small town which seems to be famous only for being near the snow monkey onsen. At check-in I met Sarah from London. She is really lovely and we decided to go exploring together and get some dinner. We found a giant statue and a bell that guarantees happiness.

--- Bell Tower---

--- My Traditional Room ---