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| author | Robert Günzler <r@gnzler.io> | 2024-11-02 14:24:11 +0100 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Robert Günzler <r@gnzler.io> | 2024-11-02 14:33:27 +0100 |
| commit | 1a10f76dd094c9b51db58d27df514200501cf71d (patch) | |
| tree | e73d2a6cead2010b1368f09043e319334d2a6430 /src/inc | |
| parent | 84d0eeeaf8d0e67f3daa730d777eab80879aa0da (diff) | |
| download | site-1a10f76dd094c9b51db58d27df514200501cf71d.tar.gz | |
update nikko page
Signed-off-by: Robert Günzler <r@gnzler.io>
Diffstat (limited to 'src/inc')
| -rw-r--r-- | src/inc/nikko.htm | 61 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | src/inc/nikko.md | 102 |
2 files changed, 125 insertions, 38 deletions
diff --git a/src/inc/nikko.htm b/src/inc/nikko.htm index 22300fe..12fb456 100644 --- a/src/inc/nikko.htm +++ b/src/inc/nikko.htm @@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ Utsunomiya though, none of that is in sight at all. Quite on the contrary it is pouring down as I leave the station building. Luckily I have my umbrella from the last trip with me, so I quickly orient myself and find the tiny Toyota Rent-A-Car office not far from the station.</p> -<!-- TODO: look at line spacing when using footnotes --> <p>At this point my biggest fear is the interaction with the staff there. I am very much aware that I don’t speak enough Japanese<a href="#fn1" class="footnote-ref" id="fnref1" @@ -85,18 +84,56 @@ spend time around today’s destination: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrines_and_Temples_of_Nikk%C5%8D">Tōshō-gū et al</a></p> <h2 id="exploring-nikkō">exploring nikkō</h2> +<!-- TODO: write until i am on the bus --> +<h2 id="hotel">hotel</h2> +<p>The bus ride to the hotel is a little event in itself. From the main +tourist area around the temple grounds there is quite the elevation +difference to Lake Chuzenji. The narrow road winds itself up into the +mountains as fog envelops the bus. I sit right at the front next to the +driver and am baffled by how much we block the road when taking the +serpentine turns, I dont’ think oncoming traffic (once they even see us +coming) would have anywhere to go.</p> +<p>Up on the lake plateau the fog lifts and I get another sunset over +the water this time. If the bus was already empty when I got on, when I +reach my stop I am the only passenger left. The hotel bus stop consists +of just a sign next to road and a driveway up into the hills.</p> +<p>Since I spent all day sight-seeing I had not had dinner, the first +thing I do after getting into the room was checking out my options for +food. The hotel has a menu, so I order Gyu-don<a href="#fn4" +class="footnote-ref" id="fnref4" role="doc-noteref"><sup>4</sup></a>, +which is supposed to be delivered right into my room.</p> +<p>While waiting for the food, I get changed into hotel attire. I really +like that this is a thing. You really feel like changing pace when +getting out of your own clothes.</p> +<p>Since this is an Onsen hotel, the thing to do after dinner is +obviously the bath. I always like to go late, this is less effective +when going to Sentō in the city, because lots of poeple seem to go after +work or going out, but here it really makes a difference. I have the +place for myself (at least for a bit).</p> +<p>The indoor bath has a huge window out to the forrest but since it’s +dark and the room is lit up, that is not really useful.</p> +<!-- TODO: try to recall more about the bath layout --> +<p>There isn’t really much to do and I have a long day ahead of me +tomorrow, so I decide to just go to bed early.</p> +<p>After getting up, there is obviously breakfast first. The room fee +includes a full course Japanese breakfast, so rice and various side +dishes <!-- TODO: breakfast picture? --></p> +<p>At this point I still don’t know how to get to my planned destination +for today, the Senjogahara wet lands, 10km from the hotel. +<!-- TODO: ??? --></p> +<p>The other problem I am faced with is how to make it back to the +station in time for the train back to Utsunomiya and eventually Tokyo. +At the front desk I get told that the hotel provides a free bus back to +Nikko at 11:00, but that is not helpful, since I have already seen the +sights around there and want to explore the area in the exact opposite +direction.</p> <!-- -- check diary (i think i kept one around that time) -- pouring rain -- wanted rent car -- german international drivers license doesn't work in japan -- ordered japanese translation from starbucks in uchinomiya? -- decided to move on with trains - explored temple grounds in nikko -- last bus to hotel -- ordered dinner into the room - gyudon -- bath looking onto drive way -- simple japanese breakfast +- beer next to the bus stop +x last bus to hotel +x ordered dinner into the room - gyudon +x bath looking onto drive way +x simple japanese breakfast - didn't take free bus to station - senjogahara (lol monogatari) - walked along lake shore @@ -129,5 +166,7 @@ href="#fnref2" class="footnote-back" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p></li> <li id="fn3"><p>https://english.jaf.or.jp/driving-in-japan/drive-in-japan/about-dltas<a href="#fnref3" class="footnote-back" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p></li> +<li id="fn4"><p>a rice bowl topped with braised beef<a href="#fnref4" +class="footnote-back" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p></li> </ol> </section> diff --git a/src/inc/nikko.md b/src/inc/nikko.md index 2312645..f0cf98d 100644 --- a/src/inc/nikko.md +++ b/src/inc/nikko.md @@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ toc: true <!-- TODO: header picture? --> Before leaving home I had gotten myself an international Drivers License, that -gives you a permit to drive in many countries (outside the EU) for up to 3 years. -It only costs 15 EUR in Berlin and I had set the soft goal of driving in Japan -at least once. +gives you a permit to drive in many countries (outside the EU) for up to 3 +years. It only costs 15 EUR in Berlin and I had set the soft goal of driving in +Japan at least once. <aside class="notice"> The international Drivers License, as it will turn out later, was entirely @@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ unnecessary for me. </aside> For my first destination I chose [Nikkō], another common day trip destination -from Tokyo that I had not done and conveniently located along the Tōhoku +from Tokyo that I had not done and conveniently located along the Tōhoku Shinkansen line. My plan was to take the train to Utsunomiya, rent a car from -there and continue towards Nikkō, with the eventual goal being a hotel at the +there and continue towards Nikkō, with the eventual goal being a hotel at the shores of Chuzenji-ko. [Nikkō]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikk%C5%8D @@ -31,25 +31,23 @@ down as I leave the station building. Luckily I have my umbrella from the last trip with me, so I quickly orient myself and find the tiny Toyota Rent-A-Car office not far from the station. -<!-- TODO: look at line spacing when using footnotes --> At this point my biggest fear is the interaction with the staff there. I am very much aware that I don't speak enough Japanese^[hardly any tbh] and they won't be super competent in English^[unless you are lucky, which I will be -today] for us to be much of -any help to each other, should there be issues with my reservation or -documents. +today] for us to be much of any help to each other, should there be issues with +my reservation or documents. So I enter the store and approach the woman at the counter with my phone in hand to show her the reservation code. I was not aware at the time, that Toyota also has a version of their website in English, but because I booked through -the local version the emails I received were all in Japanese as well. -She confirms my booking through her computer and asks me for my passport and +the local version the emails I received were all in Japanese as well. She +confirms my booking through her computer and asks me for my passport and license, so I confidently give her those, including the International license. I know immediately that something is wrong. Her expression of confusion when she sees the admittedly pretty retro looking license says it all: This won't do. -She goes to the back and after some back and forth she returns with another +She goes to the back and after some back and forth she returns with another woman, who I interpret to be her superior. She asks if I have a translation of my drivers license into Japanese. Now it is my turn to be confused. I simply point at the International license she is still holding, but am well aware that @@ -68,11 +66,12 @@ Japanese issued by the JAF[^jaf]. This costs ¥4000 and takes up to 2 weeks [^jaf]: https://english.jaf.or.jp/driving-in-japan/drive-in-japan/about-dltas <aside class="notice"> -I applied to receive a translation on the same day from that Starbucks and -received the notification the next week. It seems that 2 weeks is a very -conservative estimate. A curious details is that you don't receive a PDF, but instead a button to -issue 7ELEVEN "Net Print Service" codes (that are one-time use only), which you -then take to a convenience store and print out on their printer. + I applied to receive a translation on the same day from that Starbucks and + received the notification the next week. It seems that 2 weeks is a very + conservative estimate. A curious details is that you don't receive a PDF, + but instead a button to issue 7ELEVEN "Net Print Service" codes (that are + one-time use only), which you then take to a convenience store and print + out on their printer. </aside> Now that I am dependend on public transport my schedule is a lot more @@ -84,18 +83,67 @@ today's destination: [Tōshō-gū et al] ## exploring nikkō +<!-- TODO: write until i am on the bus --> + +## hotel + +The bus ride to the hotel is a little event in itself. From the main tourist +area around the temple grounds there is quite the elevation difference to Lake +Chuzenji. The narrow road winds itself up into the mountains as fog envelops +the bus. I sit right at the front next to the driver and am baffled by how much +we block the road when taking the serpentine turns, I dont' think oncoming +traffic (once they even see us coming) would have anywhere to go. + +Up on the lake plateau the fog lifts and I get another sunset over the water +this time. If the bus was already empty when I got on, when I reach my stop I +am the only passenger left. The hotel bus stop consists of just a sign next to +road and a driveway up into the hills. + +Since I spent all day sight-seeing I had not had dinner, the first thing I do +after getting into the room was checking out my options for food. The hotel has +a menu, so I order Gyu-don^[a rice bowl topped with braised beef], which is +supposed to be delivered right into my room. + +While waiting for the food, I get changed into hotel attire. I really like that +this is a thing. You really feel like changing pace when getting out of your +own clothes. + +Since this is an Onsen hotel, the thing to do after dinner is obviously the +bath. I always like to go late, this is less effective when going to Sentō in +the city, because lots of poeple seem to go after work or going out, but here +it really makes a difference. I have the place for myself (at least for a bit). + +The indoor bath has a huge window out to the forrest but since it's dark and +the room is lit up, that is not really useful. + +<!-- TODO: try to recall more about the bath layout --> + +There isn't really much to do and I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow, so I +decide to just go to bed early. + +After getting up, there is obviously breakfast first. The room fee includes a +full course Japanese breakfast, so rice and various side dishes +<!-- TODO: breakfast picture? --> + +At this point I still don't know how to get to my planned destination for +today, the Senjogahara wet lands, 10km from the hotel. +<!-- TODO: ??? --> + +The other problem I am faced with is how to make it back to the station in time +for the train back to Utsunomiya and eventually Tokyo. At the front desk I get +told that the hotel provides a free bus back to Nikko at 11:00, but that is not +helpful, since I have already seen the sights around there and want to explore +the area in the exact opposite direction. + + + <!-- -- check diary (i think i kept one around that time) -- pouring rain -- wanted rent car -- german international drivers license doesn't work in japan -- ordered japanese translation from starbucks in uchinomiya? -- decided to move on with trains - explored temple grounds in nikko -- last bus to hotel -- ordered dinner into the room - gyudon -- bath looking onto drive way -- simple japanese breakfast +- beer next to the bus stop +x last bus to hotel +x ordered dinner into the room - gyudon +x bath looking onto drive way +x simple japanese breakfast - didn't take free bus to station - senjogahara (lol monogatari) - walked along lake shore |