So with everything warming up just a little too much plan B was put into effect for our last day’s in Hakuba. Operation naked-arse monkey.
We join the bus with our nice tour guide from Australia who obviously has a thing for the monkey’s cause he is really really styling himself to look like one. Our destination is Nagano. First to the Jigokudani Monkey Park then to a local Soju factory and finally Zenko-ji.
After a brief history lesson about the area I go very Japanese and catch up on some sleep. Arriving near Jigokudani we are given some more information about the snow monkeys. The story goes that the inn keeper took sympathy on the monkey’s during a particularly harsh winter (the kind of winter I pray for). He left out some food near the families hot spring bath. The monkeys got into the food and the bath. Monkey’s do not like water but I guess when its -20 and food is nearby why not. Now monkey’s in your bath is not cool. So he built a hot spring bath for them. There also happens to be guy who throws the food into the water when you arrive. I guess on days this warm they would just prefer to remain in the safety of forest. So that’s the story. I’m inclined to say that maybe he saw a business opportunity. But the first story does indeed sounds nice.
Monkey stole the e. Cheeky little money.
Access to the park is via a narrow 2km path hence when you reach the inn you may see a few of these.
I don’t know how they manage to stock the vending machines transporting the goods on these bad boys :) Once past the old inn you climb some more and you are in the park. The monkey’s just sort of go about there monkey business like you are not really there. Monkey business tends to consist of sleeping, eating, grooming, playing and sleeping.
...oh and of course chilling out in the hot springs...
Apparently getting out of the hot water can be dramatic because they have to dry off pretty quick when the weather is really cold, else they can become sick a die.
They are ridiculously cute and it is interesting to watch them go about their lives. Anyway, with time running out it is back down the valley and onto the bus for a visit to Obuse town and the Soju factory for lunch.
The restaurant was great inside the old brewery and the most amazing strawberries (they were huge!) were served at the end.
Jam packed (ba boom tish) with flavour also, not watery or lacking in kick. This region is pretty famous for the Fuji apple. And I’m not talking to kind you have in Australia, we are talking hand turned towards the sun kind of Fuji apples. They are big very so full of energy and flavour. So after lunch we had a wonder around the town and ate apple danish, apple and berry ice cream etc. In the end we even purchased apple flavoured kit-kats!
Tony and I also head down to try some Soju from the cellar door. I never knew there were so many varieties and they all tasted quite different. Not the normal Korean, drink it to kill you kind of thing.
And what could be better after a tasting session? Crickets. Even Kristy has a go at it. So proud.
Turns out that are really nice with beer, kinda like salted peanuts but only crunchy… and insect like.
Anyway, back on the bus for our final destination of the Zenkoji temple. Riding through Nagano itself and it kind of feels like a bit of a ‘just another city’ kind of place. Stinking humid in winter and cold in winter. We arrive at probably the most interesting place, which is the streets surrounding and just inside the temple wall.
It is an amazing collection of buildings but as I wonder around you see little things that catch your eye.
I think in Japan some of the biggest things are all caught up in the little details. Somehow that idea of anything being only she sum of a vast array of little unified parts. I do not know how to explain it, but it makes sense within the context of Japan. As an entertaining end to the tour, have you every wondered how that friend of yours ended up with that phobia of birds?
So we all pile into the bus and head back to Hakuba for our final night out before the regretful pack as the enter the beginning of the end.
All in all it has been a great trip and I decide that tomorrow I will take the long but high-speed way home but catching the Shinkansen from Nagano to Tokyo, then another from Nagano to Osaka. It is going to be a day and night on the road but in some way I really look forward to watching the world pass by.
We join the bus with our nice tour guide from Australia who obviously has a thing for the monkey’s cause he is really really styling himself to look like one. Our destination is Nagano. First to the Jigokudani Monkey Park then to a local Soju factory and finally Zenko-ji.
After a brief history lesson about the area I go very Japanese and catch up on some sleep. Arriving near Jigokudani we are given some more information about the snow monkeys. The story goes that the inn keeper took sympathy on the monkey’s during a particularly harsh winter (the kind of winter I pray for). He left out some food near the families hot spring bath. The monkeys got into the food and the bath. Monkey’s do not like water but I guess when its -20 and food is nearby why not. Now monkey’s in your bath is not cool. So he built a hot spring bath for them. There also happens to be guy who throws the food into the water when you arrive. I guess on days this warm they would just prefer to remain in the safety of forest. So that’s the story. I’m inclined to say that maybe he saw a business opportunity. But the first story does indeed sounds nice.
Monkey stole the e. Cheeky little money.Access to the park is via a narrow 2km path hence when you reach the inn you may see a few of these.
I don’t know how they manage to stock the vending machines transporting the goods on these bad boys :) Once past the old inn you climb some more and you are in the park. The monkey’s just sort of go about there monkey business like you are not really there. Monkey business tends to consist of sleeping, eating, grooming, playing and sleeping.
Apparently getting out of the hot water can be dramatic because they have to dry off pretty quick when the weather is really cold, else they can become sick a die.They are ridiculously cute and it is interesting to watch them go about their lives. Anyway, with time running out it is back down the valley and onto the bus for a visit to Obuse town and the Soju factory for lunch.
The restaurant was great inside the old brewery and the most amazing strawberries (they were huge!) were served at the end.
Jam packed (ba boom tish) with flavour also, not watery or lacking in kick. This region is pretty famous for the Fuji apple. And I’m not talking to kind you have in Australia, we are talking hand turned towards the sun kind of Fuji apples. They are big very so full of energy and flavour. So after lunch we had a wonder around the town and ate apple danish, apple and berry ice cream etc. In the end we even purchased apple flavoured kit-kats!
Tony and I also head down to try some Soju from the cellar door. I never knew there were so many varieties and they all tasted quite different. Not the normal Korean, drink it to kill you kind of thing.
And what could be better after a tasting session? Crickets. Even Kristy has a go at it. So proud.
Turns out that are really nice with beer, kinda like salted peanuts but only crunchy… and insect like.Anyway, back on the bus for our final destination of the Zenkoji temple. Riding through Nagano itself and it kind of feels like a bit of a ‘just another city’ kind of place. Stinking humid in winter and cold in winter. We arrive at probably the most interesting place, which is the streets surrounding and just inside the temple wall.
It is an amazing collection of buildings but as I wonder around you see little things that catch your eye.
I think in Japan some of the biggest things are all caught up in the little details. Somehow that idea of anything being only she sum of a vast array of little unified parts. I do not know how to explain it, but it makes sense within the context of Japan. As an entertaining end to the tour, have you every wondered how that friend of yours ended up with that phobia of birds?Answer.
So we all pile into the bus and head back to Hakuba for our final night out before the regretful pack as the enter the beginning of the end.
All in all it has been a great trip and I decide that tomorrow I will take the long but high-speed way home but catching the Shinkansen from Nagano to Tokyo, then another from Nagano to Osaka. It is going to be a day and night on the road but in some way I really look forward to watching the world pass by.
Good to see taht scooter is still parked in the same spot!