Day 2 - Yufuin #44
Trip Start
Dec 17, 2007
1
4
30
Trip End
Feb 14, 2008
Yufuin,
Japan
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
I entered Hakata station and made my way up to the platform. I am amazed at all of the trains with nice designs in Kyushu. AIt seems, almost all of the trains are fro commuting and all of the same basic design. I was speculating that there is a lot of inter city traffic which leads to nice express trains. Or maybe all the trains are new to me so I preceve that there is a difference.
Anyways, when my train pulled up, the Yufuin no Mori, I was in for a bit of shock
The Yufuin no Mori Train
. The train was beautiful, a dark green with large front windows and inside, beautiful blonde wood floors and walls. I was very lucky as my seat was in the 3rd row in the first car so I had a great view out of the front window. Then there were the train attendants. At first, I thought there was only one girl but it turned out be 4 or 5 (and they were all cute) and they provided great services like pointing out the beautiful sights and taking pictures of the passengers wearing the conductors cap. The train even had a snack bar and a very nicely done salon. The scenery was nice as the train climbed into the mountains. Yufuin no Mori reminded me about how rail travel used to be, a special momemnt. Unfountanely, my ride on the Yufuin no Mori ended after a little over 2 hours as it arrived into its namestake, Yufuin (Mori means woods).Yufuin is an onsen resort in the mountains of Oita precture. There is a huge mountain looming over the town. I wanted to go up on it to have a view of the valley but I couldn't find a way (it looked too steep to climb and I didn't want to waste money on a taxi). There is a long street that has the typical Japanese collections of souvener shops, restraunts, and Inns. There were lots of people including high school students on a school trip. I ate an Yufuin burger for lunch which included cream cheese and tomato sause. I thought cream cheese on a hamburger was a bit strange when I ordered it but it turned out to be pretty good
The Train Attendant
. I did find a nice pond with a shrine besides which was rustic.I had a bit of trouble finding a place to stay in Yufuin because its seems most of inns cater to couples and groups as they usually include an elabrate dinner course. I wanted to stay at a nice onsen resort as I wanted something special as the other inns on my trip are what I would term, budget. Anyways, my manager and I search around the internet and found a place that would take a solo traverler.
I took a taxi to the place as I couldn't find it on a map. It turned out to be not far from the station, maybe 10 minutes on foot. And there did not seem to be anyone there. I looked around and saw that were 5 small newly built huts/villas arrange in a U shape. After a few minutes, an older woman inn keeper showed up and led me to my villa. It was basically, one big room with a 6 tatami mat living room, and a big bed behind a devider with bathroom and kitchen area off to one side. Then there was a big window with a great view of the Yufuin mountain AND my private Ryotemburo, an open air onsen bath. I had saw this feature on the internet and which is why I choose the place. Basically, the back yard is fenced off so that you could have some privacy (Look out, if you see on the internet, pictures of me naked taking a bath, it was probably taken here)
The back-up Driver
. There is a shower area and then there is the main bath built with rocks and the over flow water goes down a short stream into a smaller bath which I think is a foot bath. The bath itself looks like it would hold 2 or 3 people.When I got back from walking around town, I took a bath.It did feel strange getting naked and taking a bath outside alone (I have been to public onsen and taking a shower at the gym). The bath was hot but I was able to adjust the flow of cold water to cool it down. You couldn't see out, just the sky but I was able to see the reflection of the mountain off the window.
The one problem with the place is that there is no food service at the inn (since there was only 5 villas) and the location was in the rice fields so no restraunt near by. I bought a box lunch to eat for dinner which probably saved me some money. The good thing about the inn (besides the private ryotemburo) was the villas are seperatged from each other so you don't have to hear your neighbors (the inn in Fukuoka had thin walls. I could hear my neighbors talking but they went quiet just before I went to bed). I was starting to think this would be a great place to bring a girlfriend. Each villa is named after a flower, mine was Tsubaki, camillia. The name of the inn is made up of three characters which I can read 2, 5 and flowers so I was thinking the name of the inn was something like 5 Flower villas in Japanese
The salon
.The inn keeper brought me a bottle of sake and breen beans on a wooden tray that floats so people usually drink sake while taking a bath. Unfortunately, I can't drink alcohol but I did eat the green beans while drinking coke out of the small glass while taking a bath. I took a second bath after night fall and watched the moom and the steam coming off the onsen.
Yufuin is in Oita precture and it is my first visit so now the talley of prectures visited it stands at 44. Tomorrow, I am going to Kagoshima which will make it number 45. This is one of the main reasons that I am taking this trip as it is my goal to visit every prefecture in Japan. Today's blog is dedicated to a native son of Oita, Yousuke Santa Maria. He is one of my favorite Japanese TV personalities and I have watched his show Pusuma every Tuesday night for 6 years. (and he would have enjoyed the train attendants.)
Comments
Very nice!
You are so adventurous! I've never been to Yufuin - sounds like a great place to visit. So they don't serve dinner, but they gave you sake while taking a bath?!? Interesting... I hope they served breakfast. :)