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Published: November 23rd 2011
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Ahhhhh
So pretty. So we're sitting here, wearing our cotton yukata robes, in our rice paper-walled, tatami mat-floored room, having just eaten a 6 course traditional Japanese dinner and bathed in hot springs with water famed across Japanese for its healing mineral properties and things are generally Pretty. Awesome.
Rewind! We forgot to tell you, when we got back to our room in Kyoto there was a letter stuck to our door from the owner, addressed 'Dear Tess-san and Aisha-san'. That morning, we'd let the front desk know there was a minor issue with our room (but no biggie). The letter was hugely apologetic for all inconvenience caused (? not really?) and please accept our gift of a bottle of plum wine. How nice is that!
Anyway, this morning we checked out, happened across a rully good boulangerie (we're not being wanky, they're all called that and not bakeries!) for breakfast then hit the train station for our trip to Arima Onsen (onsen means hot springs). We planned out a pretty easy journey with only four train changes and a total trip of about 90 minutes, which all went very smoothly. The train journey was really enjoyable. It was interesting to note
the complete lack of distinction between towns along the train line, we simply left Kyoto, which morphed into the next town, which morphed into Osaka and so on. As we got closer to our destination there was a marked change in the scenery (and breaks between towns) - thick, wooded hills and mountains with BEAUTIFUL autumn colours. It was breathtaking. As we got out of the train for each transfer, the other major change we noted was temperature. It was getting very COLD. A really crisp cold, like Canberra on a sunny winter's day, or actually even up in the (Australian) Alps. Or Cooma. You know.
Arima Onsen is one of the oldest and most famous hot springs resort towns in Japan. It's known for its two different types of mineral springs: Kinsen ('gold water'😉 is actually a muddy rust brown colour full of iron deposits and is said to be good for skin ailments and muscle pain, while the clear Ginsen ('silver water'😉 contains radium (yes rly) and carbonate and is said to cure various muscle and joint ailments. Arima Onsen is nestled in a valley and as already mentioned, at this time of year the surrounding hills
Bridge over River Kawaii
See what I did there!!! Genius. Arima Onsen. are covered in dense forest and autumn foliage. Add the quaint winding roads, relaxed, quiet holiday atmosphere and crisp weather and its basically really really beautiful!!
We are staying at Ginsuiso Bekku Choryaku (or just 'Choryaku'😉, a five story ryokan with indoor and outdoor baths. A ryokan is a traditional Japanese guest house, usually with baths attached, preferably mineral spring-fed. The second you walk into the foyer, you take off your shoes (which are whisked away somewhere and presumably - hopefully! - returned upon checkout) and put on slippers. You have to wear slippers or socks at all times, or else! See, it's relaxing already! Once you check in, you are shown to your room and seated at the low table where you are served 'welcome tea' and a little Japanese sweet, by a sweet little Japanese lady. She spoke no English at all and was asking how tall we were (so our yukatas are the right length). Tess can count to maaaybe 7 or 8, thanks to memories of Mrs Hudson's kindergarten class (Mrs Hudson taught Katie and Katie taught Tess) so was trying to tell the lady in centimetres - she got her own across okay but
the lady really couldn't understand Aisha's height (probably because she just refused to believe it!) until eventually he just stood up - the look on the lady's face was as if the part of 'the beanstalk' from Jack and the Beanstalk was being reenacted right before her eyes!
Yukatas on, we decided to brave the hot springs before dinner. Men and women bath separately. And naked. (That's probably why they're separate!) And yes. We both nuddied up in the outdoor baths. And it was GREAT. Our bodies are quite achy from all our pack carrying and trekking around, so to just chill out (hope 'chill out' doesn't imply the baths weren't HOT HOT HOT, because they were!), staring up into the sky through the leaves as the sun set, was really very therapeutic. While she was waiting for Aisha to finish up, Tess had a good old chat with the baths attendant, who was happy to speak English (many Japanese know at least some English but are too shy to actually use it) and had been to Australia three times (including Canberra) because she loves it so much! Also, just FYI, she goes to "Honoruru' every December. Once you
First Course
Um. There was a salt igloo on my plate. With sashimi inside. (And a bit too much fish roe for my liking). But igloos!!! Made of salt!!! leave the baths you go to the relaxation 'lounge', where you are given a glass of iced tea and a little almond milk pudding (so yummy!). By the time you walk out of there you are SO RELAXED!!
But the fun wasn't over yet. We still had dinner to go. Dinner is 'keiseki', a traditional dinner of up to fifteen(!) courses served in your own rooms in the ryokan (althoughs our was 'only' six courses). The maid brings in one course at a time, sets it all up in a precise and artistic way then leaves you to eat, before re-entering the room to bring the next course. The presentation of every course was absolutely phenomenal, our trays felt like real works of art! Some of the tastes and textures really were very 'foreign' to our palates, and it's true that we didn't enjoy every single thing we ate. But we DID enjoy every single part of the amazing experience. And lots of it definitely was delicious - Aisha's highlight was the salmon sushimi and Tess' was a tie between the very lightly cooked teriyaki fish and the Kobe beef (ryokans love to highlight regional specialties and seasonal produce
Er...WAT.
It was a cheesy-milk-salty-soup with grilled salmon, greens and water chestnuts floating in it. And it was cooking at our table! (It was also yummier than it sounds) through their keiseki). We had what we think are persimmons for dessert; and we definitely know they were seasonal produce as there were trees EVERYWHERE around Arima covered in persimmon fruit!
Once it was all cleared away, a new team of three maids came to shift the table and chairs to the side, lay out our futons and make the beds. They are very...efficient. The pillows are really interesting, they are longer that ours and you fold them back on themselves, as one half is a normal pillow and the other (which goes on the bottom) is filled with...we don't know, twigs and rocks and wheat or some shiznazz. At least here they put another pillow on top of it, not like Tokyo where the lumpy one was the only one you got!
****Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz we are sleeping now****
Good morning!
Once we woke up, another maid came in to pack our beds back into the closet before a traditional Japanese breakfast was served (also in our room). This was a quicker affair than last night's dinner, because dinner is served one course at a time and it takes a while to get to everyone, whereas breakfast
Breakfast, Mr Bond?
Pickled, not stirred. is laid out all at once. Again, our palates got a bit of a work out - there were all kinds of pickled vegetables, tiny tiny tiny little fish (like 1mmx1cm), silken tofu, a little green salad, more pickled vegetables, rice on which you pour a mixture of soy sauce and a freshly cracked raw egg (this one was hard to stomach), pickeled vegetables, miso soup with seaweed and mushrooms, and a small (and delicious) grilled fish. Oh, and a berry flavoured tofu mousse type dessert. And pickled vegetables. Did we mention there were pickled vegetables? (Note to self: Pickled daikon and crunchy greens not so bad. Probs wouldn't bother pickling that eggplant though.)
It's a beautiful morning, like those crisp, clear Canberra winters (except the sun is warmer) and nature again is looking amazing. Compared to Kyoto and Tokyo, it is so peaceful here, it really has an effect on you (although 'The Castle' may have ruined the concept of serenity - you can'tt really say "It's so serene!" as you just end up saying, in an ocker accent, "'Ow's the serenity. So much serenity..."
Staying at a ryokan has been an incredible experience and
really has shown us a whole other side to Japan and deepened our cultural experience immeasurably. Despite hardly anyone speaking English, we have felt very welcome and comfortable (that can be said for everywhere in Japan). But soon we will be leaving Arima Onsen, taking the train to Osaka and then...next stop Hong Kong!
Love Tess & Aisha
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Rebecca
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Whitebait
The little fishies are whitebait, and they're so morish :? srsly.