Monday
Day 3
1
Cottage had two stories.
Suze grabbed a room at downstairs due to an easy access to the toilett.
She was overwhelmed with sudden onset unbearable pains.
She put the airconditioning on which was fitted on the living room wall during the night.
Unfortunately warm air didn't go into her room.
Instead it naturally traveled directly upward through open space between the wall and the wooden rail
which propped the upstairs floor edges.
Second floor looked more like an open attic leaving space at the end without the door
at the opening from the stairs.
That's how the heating system worked for both floors in the cottage I speculated.
Upstairs it was nice and warm for us at first but it's gotten too hot and dry during the sleep.
Early morning I made wet towels when I did a toilett trip downdstairs and placed them on the side tables.
It might have been better for Suze.
Eddie and I decided to do a short walk around our accomodation at early morning.
It was a refreshing morning with moderately cold temperature.
Rain stopped.
I was impressed with very calm and beautiful environment where cottages were snuggled.
I heard babbling sound of stream hidden at the back of shrubs across from our cabin but it seemed no access available.
They didn't seem to develop any walking trails around there I presumed unfortunately.
So we settled to go to On Sen before breakfast.
I ventured out into an outdoor tub which was nestled in a well designed natural setting.
I didn't realize then but it was the best ever outdoor tub I've experienced in Hokkaido.
I noted again the stark difference between last night and this morning at the bath house.
It was simply a haven when I was soaked in warm hot spring water last night.
Only thing you felt was havenly warmth enveloping your body in the dark.
It was more than enough last night.
But in the morning the brightly glittering sun made everything look different.
It felt as if the world was expanding around you.
Thankfully when we were back at our cottage I found Suze was in a better mood.
We went to breakfast in relief.
Breakfast was very good.
As usual Suze was more enjoying rice and miso rather than western style food.
I liked any kinds of vegetables with bread and coffee.
Plus tried to taste smalll portion of all kinds of oily fish cooked in Japanese style.
I had this unproved firm belief that fish captured at Hokkaido must be trustworthy.
Suze never understood me eating fish for breakfast but it could only happen in Hokkaido.
I observed Eddie always stacked his favorite food very graciously and neatly in his plate.
It's a good sight to see myself and my loved ones enjoying our own version of feast.
Suze showed her willingness to try ON SEN before we checked out at the hotel to my surprise.
I didn't blame her, she couldn't miss this golden chance.
So a little sacrificingly as a good mum and her good company I decided to go On Sen trip with her again
thinking about last night.
First ever travel to On Sen by herself shouldn't be happening.
I showed her around the place with my previous two experiences and then I striaght led her to outdoor tubs.
No one else was there.
She genuinly enjoyed it there and looked really perked up in no time.
It was a magic On Sen prepared for us.
Before we left a town near the accomodation we visited a phamacy and an outdoor shop.
We bought an additional over the counter meds for Suze and bear bells for our upcoming hikes.
I bought two tops for me and Suze impulsively for the hikes.
The idea buying bear bells made me shudder in my mind.
2
Our original plan today was to hike Tokachidake.
However Suze was still not in a total good shape and neither was I.
So we changed our plan to visit Sounkyo Gorge to appreciate mayple trees like typical tourists.
When we were close on the road leading to the famous gorge we had exclaimed numerous times finding
beautiful autumn foliages from all over the mountains at both sides.
Rain was on and off.
Later we realized mayple trees we saw there were much more impressive than those in actual destination.
Unfortuantely pictures didn't do it justice as well.
Only it's ingrained in our memory of their unique beauty where mountains were subtly and delicately keying up
with cold and wet weather at that moment with us.
Around the rope way were lots of shops and cafes.
But almost half of them were closed.
We walked a slightly slanting upward path looking around the small village
which led us to eventually Kurodake rope way station.
We had a satisfying lunch at a cute cafe and had a rope way ride.
I remember it was extremely cold with strong winds and on-and-off rain.
We enjoyed views on the way up but sudden thick fog covered our sights completely on the way down.
We thought we were lucky at least we had one chance to see the views all over the mountains around there.
3
Now it was time to wrap up tourist's activities.
Tonight and the next day we were going to stay at a Japanese traditional style accomodation 'Ryokan'.
We were looking forward to their multi course two dinners very much.
The place we stayed called Asahidake Yumoto Yukomanso which meant they had been at one of the original sources
of hot spring with a long history.
In fact the hotel building was old(not in a bad way) and the old bathhouse was constructed around the real rocks
which were covered with alive mosses and small unknown plants at the corner inside.
We arrived at our hotel around 4:30pm.
Hotel sent me an email beforehand.
They requested us to arrive there before 5:30pm for the dinner and informed that there was no shops nor towns around them.
I had this impression that they were very organised which I really liked even before I went.
We checked in at the hotel and straight went to our room.
Compared to the room size I felt we had too many bags.
When you opened the front door there was a small foyer separated with a traditional sliding door.
A low and narrow wooden platform with a tiny toilett at the left side and a bathroom at the right was connected with
the door to the room.
We stepped on there after removing our shoes and entered the room which were fitted with woven straw flooring.
We discovered wearing yukata and supplied slippers when going to On Sen and eating meals quite convenient and comforatble.
I found Japanese people very practical.
When we were at On Sen I saw others wearing yukata a bit differently.
I asked one young mum with a girl how to wear yukata at the dressing section after bath.
I realzied we had to wrap the robe closing on the right side and she showed how to wrap the sash around my wait with expertise.
To my taste it was too tight to digest my dinner though.
Japanese people were very polite and cautious in every way.
Our dinner was excellent.
All sorts of bite sized appetizers,fresh sashimi, soup, grilled fish and meat,hot pot as well as rice and miso soup.
Plus a dessert.
It was not an overly huge amount for almost everyone but more like a degustation style meal.
Only problem was me who suffered a stomach inability to digest.
I tried not to eat too much but I had to wait a little longer sitting on the wooden platform outside the room at the foyer
before bed.
When we were back at our room after dinner hotel people already made our beds(futon) on the floor.
We needed extra pillow and Suze called the reception desk but she couldn't communicate with the person on the phone.
Eddie was very fluent in Japanese twenty some years back but his language was rusted without practice.
To his own utter surprise his subconsious mind remembered the word,pillow in Japanes at that urgent(?)moment
and they brouught it us in no time.
It made me think about our own unlimited capability of subconsciousness once again.