Suimeikan Karukaya Sanso Takayama

It's almost impossible to guess how nice & luxurious the inside of the hotel was just by looking at the exterior of Garaku. A huge glass window reflects a flow of Zinzu river. I had thought that Zinzu river is just an ordinary river which is not so much worth watching. I was quite surprised to see how nice the river looks through the glass window there! I was quite impressed by the ...

... home! So after more stops at rest stops and potty breaks we pulled up in front of my apartment 22 hours after we left in the morning – beat!

The Mano family are the sweetest people I have ever met and generous beyond belief. I am so grateful that they are so kind to invite me to go on these great trips, I have seen some amazing places during my visits here!

I hope all is well with you and yours and that your Thanksgiving is wonderful!!!!


More later . . .

... We did notice that we were missing the hot broth. Some of the locals started lining up for a table. The owner/waiter finally delivered our broth and then had the audacity to tell us to eat quickly! Come on! It's not our fault! We swiftly finished our meal. I'd chalk up this meal as more of an "experience" as oppose to getting a hardy meal.

We continued with our sightseeing. On the way to Matsumoto castle, we stopped by ...

... when cooked a unique melty experience. Yes i am raving but i'm serious, it was that good and if anything, i've never tasted anything like it. Go gastro-tourism!

The next day was our day of hardcore sightseeing which included going to see the traditional folk village which has reconstructions of various traditional houses, and examples of traditional art such as exceptional woodcutting, in a beautiful country setting. Also on the list were: the old style ...

... some money on cab fare. Hopefully I can remember to ride on the left side of the street and the other vehicles remember to do the same. I'm also hoping that the rumors of English-speaking guides are true.

Adjusting my expectations... I had thought I'd zip through the castle and get to Kyoto early. Probably not. Everything takes longer than you think.

... for being of the Gassho-zukuri (literally “praying hands”)-style of thatched roofs. Built steeply to withstand the heavy snows, the thatching on the roof is an amazing 2-3 ft thick! Several of the buildings are open for exploration and contain artifacts from the period. Fires burned in most fireplaces to help repel insects and preserve the structure, as well as adding period atmosphere.

Takayama, Chubu, Japan chrisfite

... as a side dish of curry & rice.

There was a museum of old checking station in Inotani. It's too bad that Inotani checking station no more remains. It could be a great sightseeing spot if we are actually able to see the station.

The hightlight of the day was viewing Tokoniji Falls. Although I've never heard about the place, I thought it ...

so i am in matsumoto, out of the last 7 nights i spend 6 on parkbenches, the last time i took public transport was 8 days ago and suddenly i have a lot to write about...
First, a night in a youthhostel in JP sets you back around 35 to 40 dollar per night...nothing included, except the privilege to check in after 4 pm and leave before nine...ah...and at 9 pm they lock you in...thanks, then i prefer to sleep in my sleepingbag in a park,more fun, mmore adventure, more cheap....

Matsumoto, Chubu, Japan asci

... of traditional gassho-zukari (praying hands) houses with steep roofs that are deeply thatched, rather like an A-frame house. The large houses that are seen there today give a misleading perception of rural life in the region. These surviving structures were those of village heads and their extended families and much of the house was given over to raising silkworms. Most people lived in simlar structures the size of ...

... MP3 player. The train arrived on time as always and we boarded it with luggage behind us. The next train stop took us to the Japanese boonies. The train station was only about the size of two of my dorm rooms and the local postoffice looked a little neglected to say the least. Matt and I decided to go explore the city while we waited on the bus to arrive. We crossed over a beautiful river and went up a road flanked by rice fields. A map seemed to indicate a ...