Delicacies in Japan

                                  


Hi Everyone... we are almost done our adventure with the camper... and an adventure it has been. We return it on Friday morning. 

I mentioned before that we have travelled some crazy roads. One day we went up a particularly narrow road to the Ninja Museum.  First - don't go! It isn't worth it. We did see Paul do some ninja driving (the road was so narrow that we had to stop as another vehicle was trying to descend the road. We each had to just inch along until we were each passed one another. On one side is the cement gutter and the other a rock wall). Paul also managed to squeeze this beast into a teeny tiny parking spot. Kate says that day was the scariest driving day of her life but the most she showed was a shocked look once in a while. Paul loves driving this camper when the GPS leads us done impossibly narrow streets in the cities too.... 

The toilets here are to behold. We hiked this old (like thousand year or so old) road between Magome and Tsumago villages the other day in the Japanese Alps. This trail was great fun (with lots of bells along the way to warn off bears - we figured it was to call them to dinner). We saw wild monkeys, beautiful fall colours and buildings that have been around since the Romans. The point is that even on this somewhat rustic trail there were still toilets with heated seats! The toilets here are amazing. The rest stops have washrooms that are so clean you could have lunch in them. There are even couches in some facilities. The stalls have a small high chair to stick your young one in while you need to use the facilities. Any mom who understands how hard it is to hold a toddler and use the john at the same time will appreciate this feature. There is a stool rest your feet and a cane holder. Every stall has a sanitizing fluid to wipe off the toilet seat and then there are the buttons.... noise (waterfall is the most popular), spray front or back of the bottom with pressure control of course.... These are in road side stations! Even the first camp ground we stayed in without potable water had a headed toilet seat. So civilized.

Walk from Magome - Tsumago and back ..... 

Monkeys... 

Tsumago... 

We really enjoyed this trek. It felt great to get some hiking in. 

So as we travel, we stop frequently at rest stops. Some of these rest stops include local markets and produce/products. On Sunday, we came upon a local market and everyone was buying these little homemade delicacies. They look delicious (foreshadow there). They are in the shape of a ball, about the size of your palm and covered with a white powder. They come in two or four packs and they were flying off the shelves. I thought I better try. The picture of them had a dark filling and my heart was thinking... sweet and maybe fig? .... so wrong. 

These little guys are the texture of uncooked dough but are kind of grey in colour. The first taste is neutral... neither sweet or sour. Just there. The insides are bean paste by the way, which has a grainy texture and the white powder is not sugar.... the dough is thick, pasty and in all really an acquired taste I believe. One that I cannot invest the time to acquire. I carefully got rid of the piece in my mouth ( was thinking of Tom Hanks in Big, though) and Kate gave away the other one to a very thankful gentleman. 

We traveled to the base of Mt. Fuji yesterday ... in the rain.... and this is Kate and I framing Mount Fuji... do you see it? nope? neither did we.... 

Mt. Fuji

Onsens

We have had the pleasure of going to two Onsens now. They are the traditional public hot baths popular here in Japan. The rules are well laid out for everyone to follow - no clothing, no tattoos, no hair or towels in the water, all bathers must wash before entering... and enjoy. It is a really unique experience. The men and women are separate. In the second Onsen, we visited here in Mt. Fuji had an outdoor and indoor hot pool, tepid pool, carbonated pool, cold pool, jet pool and sleeping pool - ya I know! and sauna. We were in all of them. There are old ladies and young children and it is really a lovely way to clean up... Upstairs, which we visited in our Japanese pajama's included in the price is a relaxing room with recliners and tvs. Very cool. We also did laundry for the first time in Japan today.... $17 a load. But the machine washes and drys clothes in one cycle and adds the detergent for you. We are clean. 

 

Bye for now... sharon.