2geonomads

Day 11 – 6th April 2017

Ondawa
Gail and I are up and about far earlier than usual as we are keen to take another hot bath in the hot spring before breakfast. Once again I am the only one in the hot bath so clearly the other male guests at the hotel are intimidated by my Obese Ferret torso!
An early start as breakfast is at 7.30 and what a breakfast it is! Whilst nothing could compete with the dinner laid on for us the previous evening the breakfast offered is an amazing selection of both Japanese and Western food.

We now have some free time to stroll around the village and take more photographs of this beautiful location. We also find the best coffee of the trip so far at the St Anton Coffee Bar.
Marlene, another of our travelling companions, provides us with some humour when she lets us know that the idea of the local inhabitants queuing up naked for the open air baths (available only to local villagers) is for her a bridge too far. She is,therefore, greatly relieved when it is pointed out to her that these hot springs are only for cooking!

We eventually say our goodbyes to this wonderful resort hotel and the superb staff and headed back to Liyama where we boarded another Bullet Train for a short 11 minute journey. We then journey further south through the magnificent mountain scenery of the Kiso Valley, taking a detour by coach to the small town of Tsumago which was  the 42nd of the 69 staging post towns along the Nakasendo road linking Edo ( now Tokyo ) with Kyoto. Sections of this old road have been restored and the people of Tsumago, in their efforts to preserve their historic town made three basic rules, namely ” do not sell, lend or destroy ” any houses. Evidence of their success with their campaign is there for all to see as one strolls through the Main Street.
There are also some attractive small stores and we manage to purchase a lovely scarf as a gift for Chiaki.

Chiaki had earlier told us of a 400 year old cherry tree which promised to be laden with blossom. What we find when we reach the site will come no surprise to you but it is a beautifully shaped tree!

Now it’s on to Nagoya where we book into the Meitetsu New Grand Hotel.
In an effort to compensate for the lack of blossom Chiaki takes us over to the Tsuruma Park near the railway station where we are finally able to see a spectacular display of cherry blossom, all under floodlights. Although it is by now teeming with rain this in no way discourages the hordes of locals, some of whom have laid out tarpaulins for an evening picnic, from having a whale of a time as they celebrate the start of spring. The alcohol intake increases as the evening wears on and predictably the younger generation, in particular, become increasingly more boisterous.

As we start heading back towards the station Gail encourages me to use my GoPro to get some close up of the blossom. She forgets that this will slow me down a little and moves on ahead into the crowd. By the time I have done my GoProing she and the others have disappeared. I, therefore, fall back on the rules set by Chiaki earlier, return to the station and wait there. After waiting a fair time I back-track to the park and eventually find the rest of the gang.
Inevitably, I become the prodigal son who lost his way while obeying the rules but Chiaki supports my version of events.!

Cheers
The Obese Ferret.