Nara Trip

Hello! I meant to write this a couple days ago, but stuff happens. Anyway, last week my family went camping for three days at Nara, a couple hours drive from Osaka. For everyone who was wondering, no, it wasn't exactly camping, which I was having a hard time imagining. We were in a pretty nice two-story cabin, in a complex with other cabins, but it was made out of logs and had a nice woody scent, so I guess that's enough to qualify it as "camping." And there was a grill on the porch, so we could make some traditional "camping food" from the large camping recipe book. Still, it was very fun and soo beautiful. We were up in the mountains, so everywhere I looked there were wonderful views. I'm having difficulties uploading pictures onto here, but I'll see what I can do. I may just put them onto Facebook, so if you're friends with me you can see them.

Our cabin was set on this beautiful mountain river/stream, which was clear and cold and a pretty blue shade from a distance. We spent a couple hours there every day, swimming and trying but failing to catch fish. It was very fun and good bonding time with my host sisters. One day after leaving the river thoroughly chilled, I was finally able to appreciate the genius of the Japanese bathing system, since it was too hot in Osaka to take a bath (right now thankfully it has been raining so these past couple days have been much cooler). In the bathroom there is a deep bath with a cover that retains heat well, next to a showering station with a stool and shower hose at about waist height. First you efficiently wash, then are free to relax in the hot bath without having to worry about cleaning and getting the water all dirty. At home, usually even if I want a bath, I'm too lazy to wait for it to fill up, but here it's usually already filled and waiting, so there's no reason not to soak. Yes, everyone uses the same water, but it's really not that bad because everyone is freshly washed.

Anyway, back to Nara. One morning we went on a hike. They told me the trail was 2.4km one way, and that the whole hike should take a couple hours. I thought, "Wow, a couple hours to walk three miles? They must be really slow." Then they all brought little towels for sweat and these candies for replenishing salt. Again, overkill, I thought. Turns out the 2.4km was straight up a mountain, and we were all soon drenched with sweat. Even so, the woods we went through were lovely and the view when we got to the top was breathtaking. But next time we went out, I followed their example and brought a little towel.

The first night after dinner, I was dying to play cards, because for me, camping simply requires cards. So I was very happy when they brought them out! This family is great. I learned some new games and found they play BS but call it "dauto" (doubt), so that was interesting.

On our last morning (which was confusing because they had told me we were staying another night, so when my sisters packed up their stuff I'm glad I followed suit), after swimming in the river and taking 3 minute public showers, we visited some nearby caves. There were mostly just lots of little stalactites, and a little shrine with some animal bones that were apparently a thousand years old? But I don't know if I understood that correctly. But when we came out of the caves we had this wonderful snack at the little lodge outside. It was these clearish sweet jelly cubes, dusted with I think a powdered peanut mixture, that we ate with toothpicks. Sooo good.

After that we returned to Osaka, which I determined from the GPS since I still thought we were possibly staying somewhere else, and it was sad to leave the mountains and return to the bustle and heat of Osaka. But I'm sure I'll grow to love it here!