Nikko

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So as anyone who knows me well knows I am not a morning person so the thought of an early start to Nikko filled me with dread. However up I got (aided by a very noisy neighbour) and off I set to the beautiful world heritage site of Nikko National Park.
Due to my early arrival at Nikko station and check in at my accommodation not being until 4pm it gave me plenty of time to saunter uphill from the station to the area that houses the many shrines and temples.
Before heading to the main attractions I decided to take a walk to Gamman-Ga- Fuchi Abyss,a woodland area with a collection of supposedly uncountable small stone statues (jizo). Apparently there is a statue midway known as the Bake-jizo, who mocks travellers foolish enough to try and count the jizo but I couldn't spot it (and before you ask- no I didn't try to count them!).
I returned to the temples expecting them to be busy by this time however it was remarkably quiet. I don't know whether this was due to it being midweek or a severe drop in tourism.
My accommodation was apparently near to the main Tosho-Gu shrine and was described to me as having a "curious Tudor style appearance". Given this I didn't think it would be that hard to locate, Oh how wrong I was!. An hour and several wrong turns later I finally stumbled upon it and wondered how I had managed not to see it for so long.

The Inn itself was a little worn around the edges and I appeared to be the only guest but it was very peaceful and a made a welcome change.
My peace was broken when I heard a noise that sounded like a garden strimmer and was faced with the biggest angriest bee trying to find a way out of the room. I couldn't open the window so off I went to ask the owner to help and somehow with a bit of broken Japanese
and some impressive miming she knew what I wanted (I know what you are thinking, no I didn't mime the bee- I left that as a surprise and oh what a surprise it was for her!)
Finally able to relax and once various large insects had been removed from my room over the course of the evening I settled down to the best nights sleep of the trip so far.

The next day I decided to travel out to the highland areas and visit Kegon no Taki, a 97m high waterfall, and Lake Chuzenji. The bus took about 40 minutes to get there and I knew I was in for a fun ride while en route it was announced that we would be going up some winding roads and that the bus would tilt substantially so hold on to your belongings, children, hold tight and pray (OK not the last bit but that is the impression it gave). It was also not the most opportune moment to feel motion sickness.
Arriving in one piece I first went to visit the waterfall, taking the 1930s lift down 100m to view it from below and it was a pretty impressive sight and served to provide some stunning pictures.
I then decided to walk the 5km course around the north bank of Lake Chuzenji to take me to Ryuzu no taki and the bus home. Again it was eerily quiet with no tourists or day trippers around at all and I did begin to wonder if I should've been walking where I was but after seeing a few fisherman en route I cranked up my ipod and continued on.
The earthquakes continued while I was in Nikko but all remained very minor and served only as a mild irritation and quite the bizarre sensation when trying to relax in a hinoki wood bath.
And so the journey continues on west and north...

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Photos

Ryuzu-No-Taki
View from upstream