Thursday, March 02, 2006
Mountain nakedness
I`ll cut to the chase and confirm there will be no photo to support the blog. The Japanese like to get naked together. In the sento baths in the city or in the thermal spring heated onsen in the mountains, they are not fussy. So you just have to join them.
Today we have been walking/hiking in the hills near Kyoto. We got a very small train/tram in to the hills and jumped off at a place called Kibune. The map (hand written and with no english words even daring to make an appearance on the page) would have you believe that the path we wanted was about 5 mins up the road from the station. After 30mins of walking through the middle of nowhere we found the path. The boards at the start point contained lots of information and directions which I have no doubt would have been outstandingly helpful if you could read Japanese. To ensure we were in the right place (there was little doubt we were in the right place as we were in the only place anywhere near) we conducted a spot the difference game using the map and the information board comparing various Japanese symbols. This is a painstaking process but often the only way to work out where you are or where you want to go. As a tip for anyone attempting this. Pick one symbol out of what you think might be the name and then seach high and low for it.
It was all good and we set off up the hill in what appeared to be the less popular direction of travel judging by the number of people going the other way who chose not to pass the time of day with us.
(Finns/Vickers/Herons take note - hiking can actually be quite a pleasant experience if you are wearing the correct clothing. Enough said.)
The walk was very pleasent pasing a number of temples and shrines that all had different meanings and significance. I would like to tell you all about it but once again I`m hampered by my lack of Japanese.
At the end of the walk we headed for the japanese nakedness venue of choice. The mountain onsen. It was Anna`s idea so I will let her explain....(can I just add at this point that it was advice from an ex-resident of Kyoto that gave me the idea.)
I must admit there was last-minute stagefright as neither Rhod or myself knew just how many of our clothes we would have to remove, so being true prudish Brits we had brought our swimming stuff along with us......oh, there was no need for those! We had to go into separate male and female baths and changing rooms - this isn`t Sweden!
Let`s just say that we observed the customs and enjoyed our thermal baths immensely, looking out over the valley of Kamara with the sun beating down. Absolute bliss, but probably not good on the old blood pressure!
We ended the day in a conveyor-belt Sushi restaurant. Surprisingly tasty stuff. Perhaps we`ve been missing out all this time.
Today we have been walking/hiking in the hills near Kyoto. We got a very small train/tram in to the hills and jumped off at a place called Kibune. The map (hand written and with no english words even daring to make an appearance on the page) would have you believe that the path we wanted was about 5 mins up the road from the station. After 30mins of walking through the middle of nowhere we found the path. The boards at the start point contained lots of information and directions which I have no doubt would have been outstandingly helpful if you could read Japanese. To ensure we were in the right place (there was little doubt we were in the right place as we were in the only place anywhere near) we conducted a spot the difference game using the map and the information board comparing various Japanese symbols. This is a painstaking process but often the only way to work out where you are or where you want to go. As a tip for anyone attempting this. Pick one symbol out of what you think might be the name and then seach high and low for it.
It was all good and we set off up the hill in what appeared to be the less popular direction of travel judging by the number of people going the other way who chose not to pass the time of day with us.
(Finns/Vickers/Herons take note - hiking can actually be quite a pleasant experience if you are wearing the correct clothing. Enough said.)
The walk was very pleasent pasing a number of temples and shrines that all had different meanings and significance. I would like to tell you all about it but once again I`m hampered by my lack of Japanese.
At the end of the walk we headed for the japanese nakedness venue of choice. The mountain onsen. It was Anna`s idea so I will let her explain....(can I just add at this point that it was advice from an ex-resident of Kyoto that gave me the idea.)
I must admit there was last-minute stagefright as neither Rhod or myself knew just how many of our clothes we would have to remove, so being true prudish Brits we had brought our swimming stuff along with us......oh, there was no need for those! We had to go into separate male and female baths and changing rooms - this isn`t Sweden!
Let`s just say that we observed the customs and enjoyed our thermal baths immensely, looking out over the valley of Kamara with the sun beating down. Absolute bliss, but probably not good on the old blood pressure!
We ended the day in a conveyor-belt Sushi restaurant. Surprisingly tasty stuff. Perhaps we`ve been missing out all this time.
# posted by Rhodri @ 2:21 pm 
