We are up at 8am in sun ready for an adventure to Japan's famed first capital. It takes 3 trains to get there, the local JP (free to us with our JP passs) and served seats on the 1hour fast train to the nearest large station, then a local 45 minute run (like London underground trains) to Nikko. Our hotel is right opposite the station and within 20 minutes, at 3pm, our room is available. We are much higher, it is much cooler and we are regretting that the down jackets we brought for cooler weather are left in Tokyo!
Its $200+ for the night in a so/so hotel but the buffet breakfast is big and good and the room is warm and cosy.
The sun we were promised is hiding. We can't really see the mountains surrounding the town. We walk up the main street which has a lot of touristy restaurants and shops, closed and a lot of rather seedy run down looking houses in between. there are many many shops selling candies and cakes, it seems to be a speciality of the area and this time of year. Chestnuts feature everywhere, as does wood carved touristy items.
We walk up to the local noodle shop recommended by the hotel and Lonely Planet, a sort of greasy spoon, but warm and cosy and steamy, and busy. The dumplings are to die for, although they don't serve a dipping sauce, we make one up from soy, vinegar and child on the table. They don't speak English but their menu is in English so you point to the same thing on the Japanese side of the menu, and you're rolling. The bowls of ramen noodles are huge, Ted's with taste pork and mine with vegetables. We can't finish but we are warmed up and cosy before we leave.
After we get home, I soak in the bath (a big one for a change that I can lie in) and Ted goes out to find sake. Back at the hotel, we find an English station (CNN) on the TV, catch the news and are in bed by 10.
We wake to a cool cloudy, raw, cold day! We put on everything we have brought, and eventually I have to give Ted my cashmere scarf/wrap to warm him up. I have my gloves, his are back in Tokyo!
We pick up a daily bus pass to visit all the sites. There is a famous lake and hiking up the mountain, where on good days you can see Fuji, but it's not going to work today!
There are many many tourist buses in town and some very high end hotels, so lots of tours and especially big tours of school children, learning about their country's history. It's impressive the way the Japanese take their kids to all these important historical places.
First we go to famous Rinnoji Temple, over which a total building has been erected to renovate the temple. We think a lot of this work is being done prior to 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Inside we see the huge 3 gold, yup its gold, covered buddhas and its interesting to watch the renovation work being done. The beautiful patina on the dark red lacquer takes something like 40 different stages to perfect. No photos everywhere so I have no record of any of this, part from in our heads. You also have to remove shoes everywhere so Ted is challenged tying his laces everywhere! I have my flying slippers tucked into my camera bag so its easy to ski them on and off, as I don't want to be in my socks.
The famous new Treasure House museum is closed today!!
We walk up the mountain/hill to the famous Togeshu Shrine, home of the first shogun, leader of a 250 year old dynasty. The main temples complex of many other temples is a mass of gorgeous carvings, thousands of bronze/stone lanterns, intricate painted wood screens (3 monkeys, sleeping cat, sleeping dragon, crying dragon, roaring dragon.) It's a haven of tourist mementoes, the monks here are skilled merchants selling everything to get you to heaven and enlightened on the way!I buy a lucky charm for my purse and a bell to go with my bell from Llasa in Tibet, but it doesn't sound so sweet.
Monks demonstrate in one temple how you bang two metal sticks together to create a sound but it only echoes a certain way if you do it under the painting of the roaring dragon. Go figure!
Up the hill we continue to climb to the Futurasan Shrine and famous Taiy-In, the burial site of the 3rd Shogun. We walk through the avenues of massive cedars planted hundreds of years ago, but its all rather dull without sun.
There are no colours to the trees yet, it is coming soon, but its not quite cool enough overnight to start the maples.
I am glad I have brought my merino wool hoodie, wool cardigan and rain jacket. But by 3:30 we are chilled and bus/walk back to town for hot soup (soy milk, broth and local specialty yuba (soy skin.) Then back to the noodle shop for gyoza, edamame beans and return to our cosy room at the hotel. And bed exhausted at 11pm.
Its $200+ for the night in a so/so hotel but the buffet breakfast is big and good and the room is warm and cosy.
The sun we were promised is hiding. We can't really see the mountains surrounding the town. We walk up the main street which has a lot of touristy restaurants and shops, closed and a lot of rather seedy run down looking houses in between. there are many many shops selling candies and cakes, it seems to be a speciality of the area and this time of year. Chestnuts feature everywhere, as does wood carved touristy items.
We walk up to the local noodle shop recommended by the hotel and Lonely Planet, a sort of greasy spoon, but warm and cosy and steamy, and busy. The dumplings are to die for, although they don't serve a dipping sauce, we make one up from soy, vinegar and child on the table. They don't speak English but their menu is in English so you point to the same thing on the Japanese side of the menu, and you're rolling. The bowls of ramen noodles are huge, Ted's with taste pork and mine with vegetables. We can't finish but we are warmed up and cosy before we leave.
After we get home, I soak in the bath (a big one for a change that I can lie in) and Ted goes out to find sake. Back at the hotel, we find an English station (CNN) on the TV, catch the news and are in bed by 10.
We wake to a cool cloudy, raw, cold day! We put on everything we have brought, and eventually I have to give Ted my cashmere scarf/wrap to warm him up. I have my gloves, his are back in Tokyo!
We pick up a daily bus pass to visit all the sites. There is a famous lake and hiking up the mountain, where on good days you can see Fuji, but it's not going to work today!
There are many many tourist buses in town and some very high end hotels, so lots of tours and especially big tours of school children, learning about their country's history. It's impressive the way the Japanese take their kids to all these important historical places.
First we go to famous Rinnoji Temple, over which a total building has been erected to renovate the temple. We think a lot of this work is being done prior to 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Inside we see the huge 3 gold, yup its gold, covered buddhas and its interesting to watch the renovation work being done. The beautiful patina on the dark red lacquer takes something like 40 different stages to perfect. No photos everywhere so I have no record of any of this, part from in our heads. You also have to remove shoes everywhere so Ted is challenged tying his laces everywhere! I have my flying slippers tucked into my camera bag so its easy to ski them on and off, as I don't want to be in my socks.
The famous new Treasure House museum is closed today!!
We walk up the mountain/hill to the famous Togeshu Shrine, home of the first shogun, leader of a 250 year old dynasty. The main temples complex of many other temples is a mass of gorgeous carvings, thousands of bronze/stone lanterns, intricate painted wood screens (3 monkeys, sleeping cat, sleeping dragon, crying dragon, roaring dragon.) It's a haven of tourist mementoes, the monks here are skilled merchants selling everything to get you to heaven and enlightened on the way!I buy a lucky charm for my purse and a bell to go with my bell from Llasa in Tibet, but it doesn't sound so sweet.
Monks demonstrate in one temple how you bang two metal sticks together to create a sound but it only echoes a certain way if you do it under the painting of the roaring dragon. Go figure!
Up the hill we continue to climb to the Futurasan Shrine and famous Taiy-In, the burial site of the 3rd Shogun. We walk through the avenues of massive cedars planted hundreds of years ago, but its all rather dull without sun.
There are no colours to the trees yet, it is coming soon, but its not quite cool enough overnight to start the maples.
I am glad I have brought my merino wool hoodie, wool cardigan and rain jacket. But by 3:30 we are chilled and bus/walk back to town for hot soup (soy milk, broth and local specialty yuba (soy skin.) Then back to the noodle shop for gyoza, edamame beans and return to our cosy room at the hotel. And bed exhausted at 11pm.
No comments:
Post a Comment