Hot springs!

Deep in the mountain and in a hot spring hotel with no internet.

For those who don't know what a Japanese hot spring is...
Also known as Onsen, the Japanese word for hot springs. It's a public bathing area that contains natural hot water with a lot of minerals, it is believed to have healing powers.
I don't know about the healing powers but let me tell you, it was bloody relaxing.

Problem! You have to be naked when going into the Onsen. I'm confident but going into the Onsen with other women naked plus step-mum... I just can't.  Thank god this hotel was small so the hot spring wasn't in high demand all the time, I waited till late to try it out.

Rules! You must take a shower before going into the onsen and take a shower afterwards.

Except all that, it was bloody relaxing, that water is amazing.

Here's me after the hot springs :)

Day 3 Nagoya & Kawanehon-cho

Beautiful day seeing the famous Nagoya Castle and its palaces, eating a lot and then heading up a mountain.

You might recognise it as the Japanese castle with the green roof, either way it is defiantly something to go to Nagoya for. It's pretty impressive inside and out.
The view you get from the top floor of the castle can look out onto the city for miles, obviously won't be as impressive as a bird's eye view of Tokyo on the Sky Tree but it's really beautiful to see that the castle still remains in a modern city.

It seems we also came at the right time, there was some kind of plant competition going on and I got to see some amazing bonsai trees with flowers!

After a busy morning and afternoon seeing Nagoya, I had some more green tea ice cream and headed off to Kawanehon-cho, which is up the mountain. Took 4 hours to get there and up those horrible curvy upwards road.

Kawanehon-cho located in the middle of nowhere is a little village full of hot springs for locals and occasionally tourists to enjoy.

The little hot springs hotel that I stayed in called Miyama was traditional and full of locals, so local that no one spoke any english but it was lovely and homely. The food provided was never ending and so yummy. All the foods cooked was local produce which made it even better. With no internet, it is so peaceful and quiet. It's definitely a place you would head off to to relax and forget about your busy life.

Day 2 in Japan

Today have been a very full day.
Went to a town dedicated to deer called Nara, fed them, got chased by a lot of them for food and saw a beautiful temple.

Had a really good tofu lunch and went to ninja village in Koka.

Right now I'm at Nagoya and will be exploring the town tomorrow but I can smell the food from the hotel and I'm hungry!

Temples temples temples

So many temples everywhere in Kyoto.
The Fushimi Inari was the best I have seen, it's combination of traditional and beautiful, and the best is, not many tourists seem to be crowding around it like all the others.

The famous row of shrines seem to stretch for miles and up the mountain and more. If I had enough time, I definitely would have walked up the mountain.

The temple itself were impressive, red everywhere and a combination of the red leaves just makes the photographs even more beautiful. Thankfully it wasn't raining as well :)

I threw in some money at every temple I went to, not sure what I was wishing for but all went to a good cause I hope. For every coin you throw in you must shake the ribbon that's attached to the bell, it's one of their traditions.
I'm loving the traditions here.

I think I could stay in Japan for a while, Kyoto might be too quiet for me so lets hope Tokyo is everything I want it to be!