Travel Entry - Mountains, Monkeys, and More!

This weekend, Kaz and I took a road trip to explore the Japanese Alps (the Nagano area). I never realized it before - but Japan is actually a really popular destination for winter sports (especially Nagano and the northern island of Hokkaido - that's on our "To-Do" list). Since many hotels were booked (I am quickly learning that in Japan - people plan trips way early...my guess is most Valentine's weekend trips were booked before we even moved to Japan!) - we decided to make our weekend a bit of a "multi-destination" trip and get a feel for the area! 

~*Matsumoto*~ 

On Friday night, we drove about two hours to Matsumoto. On the drive, I pointed out kanji symbols to Kaz that I had been studying earlier in the day...I still don't actually know what they mean yet or how to use them...but it's a start! And, we drove through more tunnels on one drive then I think I have driven through to date...one of them was actually 5 miles long! They literally built roads in Japan by tunneling through mountains. I enjoyed it...Kaz not so much (he's rather claustrophobic). 

Once arriving at our hotel, I was able to truly experience the use of the words kin'en (non-smoking) and kitsuen (smoking)...as we were mistakenly placed in a smoking room (not sure of the last time I smelled a smokey hotel room). After a quick dinner of ramen at a little hole in the wall restaurant...we turned in for the night (in our non-smoking room). 

The next morning, we headed to Matsumoto Castle (after a quick stop at a souvenir shop to check for Kit Kats, of course!). Matsumoto Castle is one of Japan's premier historic castles - and aside from some renovations/structural repairs over time - actually stands as it did when it was built in 1504. Matsumoto Castle is also on the list of "National Treasures of Japan" (there are only five castles on this list). Many landmarks in Japan did not survive the war, but have since been rebuilt. Tourists can actually go inside Matsumoto Castle and see the interior (many castles have been made into museums inside - so you can't actually get a feel for what it used to be like). The staircases were definitely the most challenging part - all different angles with steps of varying depths. I should have taken pictures of us clutching the handrails! After exploring the castle - I even got to "fight" (pose) with a samurai and ninja!

 

 

~*Jigokudani Monkey Park*~

Next, we headed to Yamanouchi (in Nagano prefecture - another two-hour drive) to Jigokudani Monkey Park. The name Jigokudani actually means "Hell's Valley" because of the steam and boiling water that bubbles out of the ground. (This area of Japan is very popular because of these "hot springs"). This park is famous for the wild Japanese macaques (snow monkeys) that inhabit its ground every winter. They travel here after foraging in other parts of the national park during the rest of the year. To get to where the monkeys are, visitors have to walk on a rather narrow path for a little over one mile. That wouldn't usually be a big deal - but due to unseasonably warm temperatures and rain over the weekend - the path was a mixture of mud, ice, and who knows what else. We sloshed slowly through it...and it was worth the trek! 

Once you enter the area - there are literally monkeys everywhere....existing as though people aren't there watching them. Usually visitors will see the monkeys soaking in the hot springs; however, since it was warm - most of them were rolling in the snow. We saw one monkey eating an entire apple - one try to grab a lady's bag of food (which she wasn't supposed to have anyway) - and another try to jump on a woman's back. Other than that - they kept to themselves and refused to actually look at the camera (I really wanted a monkey selfie!).  

~*Hakuba - Winter Sports and Onsen Region*~

After a day of castle visiting, monkey watching, and another two-hour drive, it was time for my first ryokan/onsen experience. A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn, which usually features tatami-matted rooms, communal baths, and meals (in which guests wear yukatas). In the Nagano area, water from the hot springs are often pumped into these baths - making them more popular and desirable. Usually, there are public onsens (that guests and the general public can use); more private onsens that people can reserve for 30-45 minutes...if not completely comfortable with the whole being naked around strangers concept. And, if you are really lucky...rooms that have a small but private onsen. I should also mention that aside from ryokans with onsens - public onsens are everywhere in this region...and you can move from onsen to onsen as you wish (they are only a few dollars to enter). They are usually split up by gender...and, you shower and scrub clean before being able to soak in them. Japan is big on the idea of keeping clean and dirty separate! 

When we checked in, we found out that we had been given a room with a private onsen - totally not expected but surely welcome (still working up some courage at the idea of a public onsen). After some tea and sweets to warm us up after our journey - I love Japanese hospitality - we were escorted to our room. As promised - the room was covered in tatami mats. Notice that there isn't a bed?! When you go down to dinner - someone comes up and sets up futons (mattresses) on the floor for you to sleep on...actually way more comfortable than one would think. 

Many ryokans feature both dinner and breakfast (as it is most common to stay for one night only). Sometimes the meal will be served in your room and other times you go to a communal area. We actually had our own little room/cubby downstairs to eat in...which was neat. You can go to dinner wearing your clothes - but they often provide you with a yukata to wear. A yukata is usually made of cotton and is sort of like a summer kimono. I was super excited to wear mine until we both realized that we had no idea how to actually wear them...or tie the sashes properly. Thirty minutes of YouTube videos and how-to websites...and we were at least presentable...though our "bows" didn't seem to match anyone else's! 

The meal was a traditional Japanese meal, which meant many courses and lots of items that I was unable to identify. Luckily, Kaz was able to identify most...and I tried almost everything (with exception of raw shrimp with eyes and some fish gut-jelly thing). I found out later, that unbeknownst to me...I ate something containing jellyfish and something containing squid intestines. Glad I didn't know that at the time. After dinner - both of us were too full to do anything! Overall, dinner was yummy...and at the same time - not something I could replicate or eat everyday!

The next morning, we ate a quick Japanese breakfast...buffet style with lots of rice, fish, and pickle things (I found fruit and yogurt)...and headed home. We had hoped to spend the day exploring Hakuba, but the rainy weather put a hold on those plans. Darn, I guess we'll have to come back to this area!

We had a great weekend...and I would definitely recommend our excursions to others. I have a feeling too...that over the next two years...I will be visiting some more onsens! 

Sunny Moments: New experiences - sights, smells and more!; No rain on Saturday!; Apple Kit Kats (Nagano is famous for apples).

Cloudy Moments: Not getting to see Hakuba; needing to work up the courage to try some public onsens! ;)