Takayama
Yesterday was another full day, and it turned out completely different from planned.
I left Toyama on the 9am train, winding deeper into the Japanese Alps towards Takayama. Once again, I didn’t really know what to expect when I got there, but the train trip was glorious.
When I got to Takayama, it was just starting to rain. I caught a city bus to the Hida Folk Village, about 10 minutes away. The other option would have been to walk around the historical neighborhood in Takayama, but I figured I would save that for the afternoon when the sun was supposed to come out.
I was interested in seeing the buildings and exhibits, but I was most excited by the full autumn foliage throughout the park.
The houses were interesting too, despite the rain and clouds.
After returning to Takayama, I went looking for a good lunch spot, using the map ratings as my guide, which has steered me well so far. The place I picked had three people waiting in front. I could have kept moving, which would have totally changed my day, but I stayed put. That’s how I met Shota, his mother Hiro and her friend Mine.
We started chatting about the World Series (with the help of the translation app) because Shota was wearing an LA Dodgers hat. I told them how excited my friends and family in Toronto had been about the series. They thought maybe being from San Francisco I’d be happy for LA, but I said I doubted that many people in SF are Dodgers fans.
The restaurant was a one-man operation.
It had only one pre-set option for lunch, which I kind of enjoy because it saves me having to research and decide what to eat.
The owner was 84 years old. My whole lunch only cost 600 yen ($3.89!). I thought they were joking when the told me.
In the meantime, my new friends asked if I would like to join them on a short trip to Hirayu Onsen, about 45 minutes away. They would bring me and my suitcase, we could spend a few hours at the Onsen, and then they’d drop me at my hotel on their way home.
It was kind of a crazy idea. But I had been thinking I wanted to visit one of the mountainside Onsens. I wasn’t that excited about walking around another historical neighborhood. And they seemed like good people. So, I took a risk and said let’s go!
We stopped at a roadside vegetable stand on the way. All the veggies looked so robust. These were Kombucha squash.
The Onsen was amazing. There are separate facilities for men and women. There were about 10 different baths on our side, and a sauna. Of course, no photos, but the baths are basically nestled in the rocks with trees all around.
Getting in a car with strangers was definitely risky and not something I would normally do. At the same time, I have really enjoyed meeting and chatting with Japanese people and everyone I have met has been so nice. It reminded me a little of when I was a student in Russia and some of the amazing connections I made there. I didn’t expect to make these personal connections here. I feel very lucky.
I got to my hotel, a lovely inn a little outside Takayama, by 5pm and said goodbye to my new friends. The hotel, Auberge Hidanomori, is run by a young couple who are former sommeliers. I only had the nonalcoholic choices, which were really tasty, as was the French-style menu they served. It felt weird to use a knife and fork again!
This morning they served a delicious breakfast and then drove me to the station. I’m taking a longish bus ride to my next destination, Matsumoto. Stay tuned…
