Ninja wellies and flying cats

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Just wasted an hour trying to do a nice route map of our trip for you but the WiFi connection here is terrible so you'll just have guess I'm afraid!

Anyways, I'm happily sitting in front of a gas heater in our little hotel's lounge gazing out at the snow and trying not to look at the creepy metal bird avec spinning propeller (?!) which keeps staring at me despite having no discernable eyes.

For those of you listening to this by way of my father or the infamous Mr Lewis, please do try and stay awake this time - I'm not mentioning any names but watch my eyes Vera! I'm going to blame it on the abilities of those reading it aloud - you can't be putting enough humerous intonation in your voice obviously.

I was woken firstly by my wayward husband as he stole out to go pheasant hunting and then by the raucous big-billed crows who caw at 6.45 every morning outside our window no matter where we are staying. Quite handsome birds really but not only would they have your fingers off but also your arm and very possibly your leg too, with their massive meat cleaver of a beak.

I was then faced with the decision of where to do my morning ablutions. Not a problem you may think but when in Japan nothing is straight forward. I have 4 options:
1. Use the sink in the shared toilet next door on the side you use the 'toilet slippers - they are pink with the word 'toilet' embroidered on so you know. 
2. Use the other sink in the shared toilet before you get to the toilet slippers zone and are still in your house slippers.
3. Use the sink in the corridor
4. Go downstairs and use the sink in the hot jam bathing room

Big decision as you can see - one wrong move and we may be shunned from Japanese society and thrown out into the snow. I opted for the corridor sink thinking the toilet and bath sinks too risky. I was joined by a lady who came out of the toilet and proceeded to rinse her mouth out with water and then promptly left. Was this normal? I shall wait to see if it happens again tomorrow.
  
With the husband most likely halfway up a snowy mountain by now, I headed down for the advertised 'American style' breakfast with my Lonely Planet in case I did indeed look lonely.

After last night's dining extravaganza, I had high hopes for this follow up meal and I wasn't disappointed although my dreams of pancakes did not come to fruition. I also have a notion the owner really wants to run an English manor house in the 1800s however. Breakfast was accompanied by classical music and if I didn't look up occasionally from my huge buttered hunk of pain au chocolate, I forgot exactly where I was!       

The morning was spent writing up the previous day's blog and endulging my inherited penchant for embellishing the truth. The staff seemed a little worried that Mark had missed his breakfast and had gone out on an empty stomach. In the end, I had to assure them that he had indeed eaten something at 6am (possibly a nugget of Crunky Pop Joy - wonderful popcorn flavoured choc) and that we would be having a hearty lunch (which never happened I might add). 
 
This morning, they seem to have got used to the idea of having me around the place when all the other guests had gone off to play in the snow. They've even turned the music off which I was quite enjoying! That does have it's benefits though as it took me ages yesterday to work out that the music was overlayed by either birdsong (blackbirds to be specific) or rainfall. Thought I was going nuts when all I could see outside was snow and blue sky!

I've found I have developed a facination for icicles - there are some woppers here and it's just a shame they are proving to be a tad tricky to photograph. All the cars have them on the grills and it makes them look like catfish with whiskers.  No need to say it, I obviously need to get out more.

On Mark's return from the woods, we scoffed our remaining chocolate supplies (nice box of Fran - choc dipped biscuit sticks) and donned our snow boots. We got quite a send off when we were seen to leave the building together - I wonder whether they thought he'd run off and left me? They obviously don't have many of the more ardent birders visiting!

Please can you all keep your fingers crossed and think good luck birding thoughts as the elusive Copper Pheasant has yet to be seen and life will be hell if it doesn't show it's feathery face!

Went back to the wildlife sanctuary and found that the sleeping ball of fluff was a flying squirrel. A very kind chap told us all about him and brought out a cuddly toy version to show us just how big he was. The answer is huge - kind of like a cat with wings. Imagine that howling on your fence at 3am!

We followed this revelation up with a walk in the snowy woods to take some photos and for someone to do some surrepticious pheasant hunting. Many of the trees were full of huge mistletoe balls which accounts for the mistletoe birds found here. Nice to see something that now rarely exists in the UK. Also found some deer tracks alongside my more obvious clodhoppers. I just can't resist the urge to 'ski' through the snow in my snow boots - it's almost like sand it's so powdery. 

Stopped off for coffee and cake in one of the fancy cafes next to the onsen and spotted a packet of 'ageing tea' - almost bought some for my ageing parent but figured he didn't need it!

(Quick note - I am no longer alone! I have been joined at the gas heater by a young woman and we are sitting in a companiable silence broken only by our sniffing noses. Her's seems runnier than mine though).   

On our way back in our bewhiskered car, we spotted a sign for 'Meat Museum' - may go and investigate this later unless it offends my vegetarian readers?
 
Dinner was another 6 course extravaganza with some particularly good roast duck. I admit that it does feel somewhat wrong eating western food but at least the ingredients are sourced locally and they take such pains to explain exactly what and where its all from that I don't feel too guilty. Plus we finish off with a nice cup of green tea.

I did manage to drag the husband off to experience the wonders of the bath but it took him for ever to get in. He whinged and complained that it wasn't right or healthy and was just as pink as me despite lasting way less time than I did. What a big girl's blouse!

Following a comment that I had yet to discuss any alcoholic beverages, I purposely purchased a 'Saki cup' from our favourite shop, the 7/11, for the princely sum of £1. All I can say is I think I'll fork out a bit more next time! 

Do any of you watch a satelite TV programme called 'Ninja Warrior'? I'm quite a fan when no ones looking and low and behold, we found it on here! For those who don't know what I'm on about, it's a bit like a Japanese 'it's a knock out' but several million times harder and taken very seriously. The winning contestant wore a fantastic pair of what can only be described as rubber Ninja wellies with the Japanese style split for the big toe - I seriously want a pair of these, think of the grip I could get in my veg patch!    

Right, that's your lot for today , husband thinks I'm ignoring him!

TTFN, Lisa xxx

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Comments

[BossLady]

Ninja Wellies corner the market!
I would love a pair of Ninja Wellies too, I suppose that you can get them in Black...I had a look at the Monkeys but no sign of you if you headed there! More snow here, think I might be needing some snow boots soon as well if it carries on! Happy New Year! s.