Into the Forest
Well, I’ve arrived. Took the short walk from the steps off the plane across the tarmac and waited 40 minutes for the bus into town. Ate at one of the only two restaurants open in town. Pork chop sashimi. Pork chop okay. Pork chop a little on the tougher cut but good sauce (think panda express orange less spicy and tart). Doesn’t look like it but it’s almost 1 kg of meat.
About $12USD for the whole meal. I don’t like eating so much this late (~9pm) but don’t know what the cooking situation is at the minshuku (guest house), so just have to try and stuff all this food down.
Asian Games table tennis match in the background. Walked back feeling very stuffed. Watched more Asian games in my room before I could sleep.
Into the woods!
Met an American from Ohio (Gazaimas!) at my minshuku. We were both planning to hike Shiratani Unsuikyo, the place that was the inspiration for the forests in Princess Mononoke, and he offered to drive me up there so I wouldn’t have to take the bus. It was a perfect day for a hike: 72°, full sun but plenty of canopy providing shade, nary a breeze, streams flowing afoot, rocks not overcome with water and the ability to bound from stone to stone without getting wet, from the forest floor to the mountain top.
This mother is steeper than it looks.
All of the sudden we arrive. The landscape here is different from where I just came from, magically transformed. I think I am going to plant a bonsai. Like Daniel-san in Karate Kid 2?
While searching for pictures of Princess Mononoke for this post I stumbled upon this. Obviously did not know about this scene when I took my last photo but I can see why the kid is doing it.
Ran out of batteries on the hike. No GPS or G’s in this area; your phone will spend all day looking for a signal, and with the alltrails app working in the background your phone will quickly be sapped of its battery power. Until next time!