Hey Everybody!
So I'm In Sendai, AGAIN! I was trying to figure out how to be moving along from Morioka, and I supposed I would go to Niigata next, but it turned out that pretty much anywhere I was going (southward) I would have to go to Sendai first, then transfer. So I was thinking, if I have to go to Sendai, I could go back to that guest house I stayed in before, where its cheaper, AND theres free wifi included, so I could email and research, so thats what I did! I was planning on spending tonight in Morioka, then going from there to Niigata in the morning, but I was totally flexible and ended up calling the guest house from a payphone (I guess I should stop by a store for my cell phone and figure it out, it probably would save some money and would be easier) and there was a vacancy, so then I took a late afternoon bus, and here I am! Also, the manager gave me 3+ day discount, since I'm a returning customer! (so its only 2000 yen!)
Now though, I actually have to decide where I want to go to next. I was thinking maybe a travel agency lady could help, but its probably best just being up to me. I was mostly supposing I would to go Niigata. The biggest tourist attraction for Niigata is a very rugged, very scenic island off the coast, but its probably mostly shut down since its now off season. It was mostly just in the right direction. And Also, like I took a ferry from Sendai To Tomakomai/ Hokkaido, there is also a ferry from Sendai to Nagoya. So I could then actually bypass entire central Japan (and I could loop up to Kanazawa, and maybe also Matsumoto, Nagano, and the snow monkeys on my way back, then to Yokohama and Tokyo) and then actually already be in Nagoya, right next to Osaka, in 2 days from right now. Also, I did some research, and there is a ferry that stops at the southern tip of Kyushu and goes to both Okinawa and Tokyo. So if I really wanted to, I could actually travel all the way down to Okinawa, then in about 1 day, travel directly back to Tokyo for maybe $290.
So I suppose I could still go on to Niigata, then Nagano and Matsumoto. (maybe a day trip to Matsumoto)(day trip to see the snow monkeys from Nagano, though it turns out its actually a pretty artificial set up, with the hotspring you can see them in being man made, and park wardens sometimes throw food in there so people can see them in the water. So by now they are sort of wild/tame park animals. But I think it is supposed to be highly recommended, and it is very iconic, but maybe not so actually authentic. and maybe no snow until December or January) Or maybe skip Niigata completely and just go straight to Nagano. Then after that go to Kanazawa then either Nagoya then Osaka, or Osaka and Nagoya on my way back. Also, in southern Japan, on the Sea of Japan side, theres Matsue and a day trip to Izumo, but I also think I'd like to see more of the Inland Sea, and definitely Shikoku. And then I could take a ferry back. Or not.
So thats what I've been thinking about mostly. That, and reading about each place trying to figure out whether or not to even go to some places. I still feel like I don't have enough time to see what I want to see, or if I went somewhere new every 3 days, I'll probably run out of money, and be just like, running non-stop. I'm still having a really really good time. In the future I really think I'd like to travel internationally. Though it's been nice (sort of) knowing the language, which I can't claim for anywhere else besides England and Australia, though also many people around the world speak a little English.
So! What I've been up to: Today, I didn't do much besides talk to information people and ride the bus. Yesterday though, I toured around Morioka. I emailed everybody the night before last. So that night in the evening, I was feeling a little cold, so I decided I'd take a shower and try a soak in the Ofuro. It was really very nice and deep and bigger/ wider than any normal tub I've used in the States. but I figured it out later, and it was a weeee bit too hot for me. Like 105 F hot. So 41 C. So I could like, stand in the tub, or sit up to my neck for literally 1 minute, maaaybe 3, then sit up to my stomach, then stand again, or else my heart would start to pound and I'd feel dizzy. So I actually didn't soak for very long, but it was raining outside, and you could hear it in there, with the steam and the tile and big rocks built around the tub, so it was very nice. In the morning I had the breakfast. I think it was a pretty standard traditional japanese style breakfast, with a piece of maybe smoked fish, some rice and miso soup, some vegetables, and what I originally thought was a pastry, but was actually a rolled and sliced sweetened egg cake-thingy, I can't remember the name, and tea.
So then I actually went over to the train station to see if there was anywhere slightly more budget I could stay, but if it came down to a capsule, I was just going to stay where I was. There was another ryokan actually down the street from where I was, so maybe that would be good. So I had the info/reservation desk call to see if there was vacancy, and to see if there was internet in the room, and they said there was both, but it also sounded like there had been some confusion. Also, I thought they told me the price was 3080, when they really told me 3800, when the one I was currently at cost 3500, so I though, what the heck sounds good, I'll try the new place, and told them to reserve a room. So it turns out that by "in the room" the ryokan meant "has somewhere" and "somewhere" pretty much meant "at their office desk only", but that I could use it. And also, I realized that it was more expensive, and it was also recently completely remodeled/ renovated, so it kind of felt like a brand new, fairly sterile, unfurnished house. Ha, then also, I noticed that the first place was recommended in my book, and I had stayed there for 1200 less than was listed. Sooooo, I pretty much should have stayed where I was. I guess it was an interesting/ learning experience at least, but man, oops, bummer.
So after that, I toured around Morioka. I wandered through the park where the castle was before it was demolished in the Meji restoration. The leave were changing colors and were actually pretty vibrant reds and yellows and oranges and were falling all over the ground. I also saw some other local sights that were good, but the highlight was Wanko-soba. You can google it to get a better idea, it's pretty crazy. You get a single bowl,(plus whatever sides) and a sort of attendant-lady stands right there waiting with a full tray at a time of individual bowls with about a mouthful of soba in each, and as soon and you lower your bowl from eating the last mouthful, she immediately pours the next mouthful in and says dandan! or douzo! or something similar. So its sort of this friendly fun, pseudo competitive, all you can eat blitz of soba. I guess 15 bowls makes up 1 regular bowl of soba, and an average person eats anywhere from 15 to 50 and above. So I ended up eating 144 bowls! and Also, only for people who eat 100+ bowls, I got a small wooden plaque!
So then that night I thought I'd try the ofuro at the new place too. So I washed down and stuff, and this bath-room was pretty unremarkable white tile, but the bath itself was in my opinion very nice. It was cooler, so it felt hot, but I could still soak comfortably, and also, with my head resting on the back edge, up to my neck in the warm water, I could literally fully stretch my legs out, and, the bath was like 4 feet wide. So that was pretty neat.
So I got to bed. In the morning it was actually really hard for me to get up, and it was 9:45 by the time I woke up after sleeping though my alarm, so I packed up my stuff in 10 minutes, then hung out there reading my guide book for a while, while I figured out what I would do next. Which was to go to the station to figure out how to get out of Morioka. Ha, for breakfast, the old lady (the actual owner I believe, but a younger to middle age woman, maybe her daughter, was around to help too) gave me a complimentary hard boiled egg, half a baked yam, a mandarin orange, and some coffee and tea, which was nice.
So yeah, I dunno where I'm going tomorrow! Technically today, since its already after 1am. I might just compare prices for here to Niigata plus Nagano and here to Nagano directly, and like, not do anything fancy with my itinerary. Just hit all the spots I can on the way down, then probably the ferry on the way back up. So I don't know where I'll be tomorrow night. Maybe here again, maybe Niigata, maybe Nagano. So also again, I don't know if I'll have internet! I'm gonna go, so I can try to get up early and get transportation. Love You guys!
