Today we decided to take a trip to the countryside to spend some time at an onsen.
Today we decided to take a trip to the countryside to spend some time at an onsen. (Will update locations when I figure out where we were) The two of us decided to eat at a restaurant adjacent to our hotel to save time. The food was great. I had a rice filled omelet while Lucas was more adventurous and ate something that came with a large fish egg. He also decided to have dessert but I was so full from the omelet that I didn’t even think to order dessert. We yet again hopped onto a train but this time the route was a bit more complicated. It was interesting to see how train cars tended to get older as you traveled away from the city. Our last leg of the trip was by a rather comfortable bus. When we arrived I decided to pick up a souvenir for my father before we did anything as to not forget. As Lucas and I walked down the narrow streets around the onsen we stopped to admire a couple of shrines. After an hour or so of soaking in the scenery we realized that the sun was beginning to quickly set so we hurried over to the onsen before it would be too late to see our way. Bathing at the onsen was a culturally enriching experience as it was a very foreign indulgence. We were first instructed to bathe and were subsequently asked to purchase soap and a small wash cloth to complete that task as it was obvious to the owner that we were tourists and had come completely unprepared for the rituals involved. The bath house was divided by a wall by gender and had women on the left and men on the right. We were given locker keys and left our shoes in smaller lockers at the front desk. As we undressed we noticed that bathing involved a stool and a bucket. We were somewhat aware that this was the norm but hadn’t experienced it anywhere else. We watched from our peripheries as the other men began to bathe to see what it was we were supposed to do without being obvious. After we’d spent just enough time to get a hold of what was expected without being awkward we undressed and hurried off to bathe. It was strangely not as awkward as I’d imagined it would be prior to the event. First we washed our feet, then our stools, and finally sat down to fill our buckets with water for use while bathing. After we bathed we were allowed to go into the natural hot spring. The water was hot but not so hot that it was uncomfortable. The water felt clean and was a rewarding experience for the relaxation it brought to my overworked and under-slept body. After we were done soaking and had clothed ourselves we headed back to the bus stop to wait for it to take us back to the train station where we could catch a rail line that would take us home. The moment my head hit the pillow at our hotel I was out of commission. Today was a was a wonderfully relaxing day.
Places: Onsen