Sayanoyu

I had a free day on Saturday as I waited for my flight back from Japan. During the week, I asked around the office for some ideas of things to do.

A friend of mine came up with a great suggestion. He told me that there was an Onsen (hot springs) only 30 minutes from the office. It is called Sayanoyu.

I had to take a train and subway to get there, but I did arrive in about 40 minutes. I really liked it. There were several kinds of pools. Here is my quick summary:

• Cold Pool: Think temperature of a mountain spring fed by snow melt...
• Indoor Hot Pool: Think temperature of simmering water
• Sauna: 68deg C which was 154deg F. I couldn't breathe in that room and left fairly quickly
• Jaccuzi Pool: Just what it sounds like
• Jaccuzi Pool with cold headrest: Jaccuzi with metal round headrests that are very cold. I liked the combination.
• Outdoor Hot Pool: Simmering water with a view of the garden
• Medicine Pool: Once I got past the murky water, I liked it.
• Tea Cups: Small tubs just big enough for one person to sit in.
• Hobbit Hole: This was my favorite. It was a room that you get to by going through two hobbit size doors. Inside there was a basin of salt that you rub on yourself. The room was dark with only a small window. It had two chimneys pouring out steam. The salt and the steam had the fragrance of Old Bay Seasoning. That is the seasoning you use in Maryland when you are steaming crab. I sat in the room for a while thinking about steamed crabs and smelling the salts. Then, I started to feel like a steamed crab and decided to go out into the sunlight again.
  

I really liked this place. It was well worth the trip. Below is a picture I took of their garden.

Fly Fishing

I've decided to take up fly fishing. My uncle is a master fly fisherman; the kind of guy who ties all his own flies.

He just sent me a nice fly box with a bunch of trout and salmon flies. I wish it was spring, and I could try them out.

More from Japan

It has been a busy fall. So, my blogging has suffered. But, time to catch up.

During my last trip to Japan, I stayed in a traditional Japanese hotel. The picture above was my room. You can see that it was very simple but comfortable.

Below is a picture I took of a temple in Matsuyama. I have always liked how these roofs are made.

Breakfast at Grandmas

I went to Denver this week for a meeting. It is rare that I go there. And in fact, I think I've only been there on business twice in the last 8 years. But, I visited my parents and my wife's grandmother.

My wife's grandmother is a real good cook. She can do just about anything with a cast iron skillet. I had breakfast at her house and was full until dinner.

Dinner Adventures

While I was in Matsuyama, I had a variation of the "boil an egg in a paper cup" trick I learned in Boy Scouts. In this version, the paper was folded nicely with some broth in the bottom. The waitress came by and lit the burner. She told us to put the sliced meat in first and then the vegetables. In a few minutes, we had a nice soup. And, the paper never caught on fire.


Of course, what would dinner be without a fish to look at. Unfortunately, this one was looking back at me.

Matsuyama

I went to Matsuyama this week for some meetings. I arrived and dropped off my bag at the hotel. On my way to the train station, I passed a wedding party in the middle of getting their picture taken.

I had to snap a photo myself.

Bento

I arrived in Tokyo last night and went over to Queen's Isaten, a local super market. The store is located inside the Shinagawa train station and has a great selection of "Bento" lunch boxes.

I wandered around and decided on the one above. It was great.