I apologise for the title.
So we went to Mie prefecture for a weekend to relax and celebrate our first year of wedded bliss. We had a great time, I fully reccomend staying in a Ryokan at least once, it’s so much more comfortable than a hotel, although this is very much reflected in the price. The food was immense and it was wonderful to have it brought to my room by a lackey.
As for the hot spring baths, personally I’ll leave it, weirdly the biggest problem for me is the heat, I think being used to cold climates makes me useless in a hot bath situation. I can stomach around 3 minutes of immersion in hot water before I feel sick. Changing baths to the outdoor bath which I thought might be cooler was no help either, if anything the confusion of a cold head and warm nether regions just made me dizzy. So there we have it, the frigid northlands of England have rendered me with an achilles heel to hot baths.
The biggest plus point on the whole trip was seeing Akame 48 waterfalls, （赤目四十八滝）which was one of the most stunning things I’ve ever seen, certainly the most amazing natural formation I’ve ever seen, the pictures don’t really convey the amazingness of it all, but here they are:
On the second day we went to see Ueno castle, home of the ninjas, I was mostly unimpressed, after one has been to Himeji castle other castles just stop being impressive, ninjas or no.
“Onsen Ryokou”
It’s my first one since coming here. I’m headed out to a scenic area of neighbouring Mie-Ken 三重県 to relax at an expensive onsen resort for a night weekend in celebration of our first anniversary. It has to be said that I’m not really a big fan of onsen’s, firstly I find getting naked with a bunch of strangers really weird, secondly (and most importantly) I’m 100% certain that kids piss in the water – and possibly old men – and even if they didn’t there will still be a lot of old man runoff in that water.
People always respond with “Yeah, but it’s no different to going swimming right?” .
Two things:
1) Yes it is. As vile as chlorine is it at least kills germs
2) I don’t go swimming. Ever.
So given that, I have refused to be a regular participant in Japanese bath tradition.
However, this upperclass resort boasts not only amazing facilities but also for those who are willing to pay for it, a private onsen, so in your face world. Private onsen here I come. And possibly regular onsen depending on how amazing it is (it is rumoured to be absurdly special).
I apparently have hayfever too, which is balls as my eyes are red and itchy – I never got hayfever in the UK but for some reason Japanese vegetation hates me right in the face.
