(Don't) Go chasing waterfalls

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On our first morning in Nikko we awoke to sight of sheets of pure, white snow. Tiny, delicate, flakes of the the stuff were falling everywhere. We had no choice but to go outside and experience it for ourselves. We had to touch it, stomp on it, throw it! It was magical! It had turned the already beautiful, small city into a sparkling wonderland. Any more attempts to describe it will not do it justice, nor will the photos I put up.

We decided to head out and explore this snow-encrusted city. We headed for the hills to see a collection of shrines and temples. Our amazing host Yoshiku had warned us it would be hilly- she wasn't wrong. There were many steps and steep inclines to get to the top of Toshogu Shrine. We didn't go in, but we saw a pagoda and the views from the the top were amazing. We could see far across the mountains. It was like living in a snowglobe.

The snow showers continued and we pushed on. The map Yoshiku had given us indicated that a waterfall was nearby and it didn't seem too far away. A waterfall in the snow?! That would be amazing! Right? There was more uphill walking (hmm hmm... hiking) over thick snow and ice. Anyone that knows me could confirm that I am not the most coordinated individual, so trekking over snow proved a challenge. I fell over once or twice... Therefore, you could imagine the perils of black ice. On our way to the sought after waterfall we had to cross a road. We were carefully trying to cross between two stationary cars when.... BAM! James slipped right onto his backside. I tumbled shortly after. James recovered gracefully. I did not and my whole body continued to slip towards a stationary car. Every attempt I made to grasp onto something was futile, the ground was too slippery. I could see my right foot about to touch the car's back tyre when James's hand grabbed me. I was saved! Talk about skating on thin ice.

We decided we were quite good at skating, so we thought we'd give proper ice skating a go. We saw a huge outdoor rink on the way to the waterfalls. James is quite an accomplished skater. I am not. Poor James. Most of his time on the ice was spent teaching me how to skate a small distance without falling over. I made it one way around it rink (holding his hand). Pretty big achievement, if I say so myself. I got pretty cocky at this point and decided to freeskate. It was at this point that I took a spectacular fall and sprained my left arm.

However, we perservered. We WOULD see this waterfall. We walked a little further. The snow began to get heavier and the path even steeper. I had lost all feeling in my toes. Alright, it was about time to surrender. I could barely walk another minute in the cold, let alone forty. We decided to take the bus.

It wasn't long before we were at Kirifuri falls. Hooray! The hiking wasn't over though. We had a short, freezing walk to get to the falls. You had to mind your step, particularly in the snow, as there were few safety barriers. We didn't stay at the falls for long as it was freezing on the platform. I had never been so cold in all my life. Despite this, we got to see some pretty impressive falls... At last!

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