En el Japon mas tradicional, o parque tematico?
Trip Start
Jan 14, 2008
1
82
105
Trip End
Dec 19, 2008
Takayama,
Chubu,
Japan
Friday, September 26, 2008
Y llegamos a Hida, en un tren local y ya cuando llegamos nos dimos cuenta de que se trataba de una zona muy tranquila y rural (el no ver gente por las calles al anochecer nos sorprendio despues de la masificacion de las ciudades). Y hacia frio!
El caso es que llegamos al alojamiento, un hostel en un templo, donde habia hasta toque de queda. Fue raro, pero divertido, pues alli nos encontramos un grupo de chicas vascas con quien compartimos experiencias en este pais, que a veces parece de locos. El viejecillo a cargo del templo nos mando a la cama a las 10 y nos levanto a las 7. Entonces decidimos cambiar de templo...
En el siguiente, la experiencia fue total, pues el monje en cuestion (que por cierto, era un amor) nos planto los futones justo delante de un altar. Eso si que es una experiencia religiosa!
Ya, durante el dia, paseito por la ciudad, viendo templos, mercados y en busca del castillo (que ya no existe) y excursion a Shirakawa, un pueblito rural con unas casas de lo mas originales, para protegerse de la nieve en invierno. Aunque aquello mas que un pueblo del Japon rural parecia Disneylandia, con ese concepto tan particular del turismo que tienen los nipones.
Luego Sandra decidio volver a Kyoto un par de dias mas y Alberto y yo decidimos relajarnos al mas puro estilo japones: Onsen (si, esta vez entre, con mi tatuaje y todo!), donde alucine con esta costumbre y ritual del bano en aguas termales (quien haya estado sabe a que me refiero), luego cenita buena y noche en Ryokan, que es el alojamiento tipico japones.
Castillo de Himeji
Asi que nos toco dormir sobre tatami y degustar un desayuno japones (lo de comer algas y pescado en el desayuno no triunfo... menos mal que no contratamos la cena!) y la experiencia de comunicarse con alguien que solo hablaba japones.Despues de estos dias de relax, vuelta a la jungla... alla vamos de nuevo, Tokyo!
By Pato
From Hiroshima we went back to the west to Takayama, with a quick stop in Himeji to see the famous castle which was quite great as all the japanese... with incredible spaces and location. And then we arrived to Hida in alocal train and we realised that it was a calm and rural place, which was so strange for us after being in places with such a lot of people and life. And it was chilly!
So our accomodatio this time was in a temple. It was weird but funny as we met some Spanish girls (from Basque Country) and we could share experiences in this different country. The old man in the temple sent us to bed at 10 and woke us up at 7! Then we decided to change the temple...
The other one was great (and specially the old man, so nice and funny!) and we slept just under the sanctuary. That's a real religious experience!
And during the day we walked around the town, seeing temples, markets and looking for the castle (there's no castle anymore but a huge garden) and we made an excursion to Shirakawa, a small village with very original houses with a funny roof to being protected from the snow in winter time. Althought that looked more as Disney than a rural village... it's this strange concept of tourism that japanese people have.
After that Sandra went back to Kyoto for a couple of days and Alberto and me stayed for a little bit of japanese relax: Onsen (this time I could get in with my tatoo), where I was amazed with this activity and ritual of the termal baths, good dinner and Ryokan, the typical japanese accomodation. So we had to sleep on a tatami and taste a japanese breakfast (too much for us eating weeds and fish in the morning) and the funny experience of comunnicating with someone who couldn't speak a word in English.
After these days of relax, go back to the jungle... here we go, Tokyo!
