Tadaima

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5-10th July: Kanagawa prefecture with Shizuyo and Mura
Food, glorious food! With my personal guides I have eaten and bathed at the best places for the last few days. Amazing anago at the Tsukiji Fish markets, awesome ramen and homemade nabe, chanko (ex-sumo recipe nabe)...white onsen water at Hakone and Tanabata (Star Festival)... and bto top it all off my own personal oyakatta (chef) cooking for my birthday as well as dining at his restaurant....in Mura's words 'wow,wow,wow! love,love,love'. It just doesn't get any better 😊 Do I really have to leave?????
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3-5th July: Kyoto
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2-3rd July:Nara
Only in Japan would hundreds of bambis....yes bambi, wander free in a city. Admitedly it is a huge park area... but...really? Nara has many gorgeous parks and buildings, no wonder it has so many world heritage listed sites...although I am a bit templed out.
After that, I somehow managed to find a cool onsen and stay off the gaijin trail today. Cheapest onsen yet at 300yen, inlcuding an assortment of beauty products to be trialled for FREE and FREE massages devices. Another day of bathing and massages. I earnt it though with all the bike riding...perhaps 50km? The whole day I was totally lost...since I left my navigational system in Australia (otherwise known as Pete).
Now to finish the perfect day of bathing, riding and eating... off to Gusto!
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30th June & 1st July: Yoshinoyama & Suginoyu
I was in the area, ready to go hiking... I had to abandon plans to hike from odaigahara to osusi dani.... bad weather and Lonely Planet people not really knowing the inaka (countryside)...but... I found an onsen (public bath) map for the Nara area...

I have been off the gaijin (foreigner) tourist track and travelling Japanese style...bathing and eating....then bathing again. Despite being rejected from a few hotels/bath houses....(because I am not actually Japanese?) I found Suginoyu... the most leirsurely 3 hour bath I have had in a while.

An expensive train ride with several changes later.... I found 'SuperHotel'in Nara...not the most desirable place but at a third of the price of other hotels in the area, I can be tempted with western style and modern trimmings.

Expectation-o-meter: worthwhile
Communication-o-meter: I can't believe how much I am understanding AND reposnding to.... growing weary of making up the dates I am getting married due to excessive compliments...suddenly I start pretending I dont understand what they say... then miraculously they speak (really bad) english.... good to know their high teacher taught them the basics eg "you nice body and big smile".


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27-29th June: KOYASAN - amazing!
Words can not express or do justice. You will have to wait for the photos.
The shukubo (temple stay) serves shojinryori (vegetarian food). Not bad at all and in huge quantities. I've started skipping lunch so I am able to eat breakfast and dinner. Even then I am struggling to eat it all. Mind you, I am literally paying for it at $95 per night... very expensive but worth every yen. Especially when a little old priest serves dinner then lays out my futon (bed). The sento (bath) isnt that good, but it is the whole experience that counts...
The streets... the never ending temples... little bridges... even the fences... amazing....

Expectation-o-meter: AMAZING...
Communication-o-meter: buddhist priests, natural speed - we manage to communicate!
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24-26th June: OSAKA - beyond expectations...
I didn't have high expectations since it is a big smelly city but... I stayed at a very cheap and local hotel (Hoteru Toyo). At $15 a night for a private room, how can you complain that the bathroom/toilets are cleaned once a year and to man standard? The little old man that runs it is soo cute. There are endless little back streets filled with tiny food shops - I had to stand up for lunch... again for only $2.50... me no complain.... mata ne!

Expectation-o-meter: VERY GOOD
Communication-o-meter: people don't really want to chat.... scary/stupid foreigner...

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I was worried Japan wouldn't hold up to my expectations....but... the smell of tatami mats, cheap sashimi (raw fish) and public bathhouses... what more could I want?

I arrived safely... after a few teary moments on the plane - I couldn't believe I was back in Japan. A few delays but well rested. I am happy to report that i didnt have to push or peddle or tape the plane together for buying such a cheap ticket.

Sure the sky literally isnt as blue as in Oz and the exterior of buildings is somewhat... well... generally ugly... but the smell of straw mats, cute little old people still working in their 80's, free unlimited drinks at internet cafes, the beep of pedestrian traffic lights, endless unlimited food options... ahhh.

I can communicate mush easier than last time... it is all quite easy really, when u speak the language! who would have thought...

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