My Gifu trip

Finally got Blogger to work again. Something wrong with the post editor.

Golden Week was a bit of a mix. The first thing to understand is that I spent a good deal of it on painkillers. I had gone to the gym on Friday and done something very stupid. Won't go into details of what I did, but it resulted in upper back pains and a massive headache. At first I thought it was related to an already existing pinched nerve in the other end of my back but it wasn't. It was so intense I couldn't swollow properly.

After pumping myself full of chems I actually started to enjoy the time off. Didn't end up seeing that art show (it was a too otaku for me). The highlight of last week was my trip to Takayama and Shirokawa in the Gifu prefecture. I've got some pictures up on the travel map (the link's actually above the map, not on it).

If you like old, pre-industrial style towns, I highly recommend Shirokawa. A few hours there is fine, or if you're really into this kind of thing you can stay over one night. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site which, unlike many other old-style towns, does a good job at avoiding cheese. This is due to the fact that the town is still used for its original purpose by the locals: rice farming. This isn't to say that there is a lot of farming going on or that it isn't there at least in part for show, but the place does have an authentic feel to it. The thatched-roof houses (which are used to define the town's status with UNESCO) are nifty, being massive, utilitarian, and highly flamable. Almost every structure in the village have thatched rooves, including some storage sheds. Kuri learned a valuable wife skill while we were there: how to make soba from scratch. I will be expecting much from her in the future.

Takayama is also pretty cool. The most noteworthy part of the city is a stretch of the Old Town, which features houses and stores from 400+ years ago. Now this part is a true tourist trap. From frozen pineapple snacks to rickshaw tours, there is no store too crowded, no souvineer to cheesy, no price too inflated to be withheld. Tourists flow through the streets like the water in the open ditches to each side it (one of which Kuriko fell into, by the way). It was actually kind of cool and I highly recommend it. Note that one sake store features a self-serve sampling counter.

I think the hotel was the other highlight. I had never been to a Japanese-style hotel before. You've got to take off your shoes at the lobby and most people walk around in socks or bare feet. Most of the flooring is tatami mat and you sleep on the ground on a large futon (which is great for your back, especially for those of us who had neck problems at the time). Onsen is located on the roof, where you have a beautiful viewof the city (and the city has a beautiful view of you - naked). Dinner is provided with the room, and so is breakfast. Most of the time, this would imply a very bad meal you wouldn't even want to show up for. Not so at this place. Five course dinner, everything made in the local style. Would probably cost ¥3000 per person in Tokyo. If you want to make yourself jealous of me, I took a few pictures of the food.

But alas, it's back to work now. Today wasn't so bad for a first day back but I was dragging significantly. *Yawn* Got to get up early because I slacked on my phone calls today.