From 1a10f76dd094c9b51db58d27df514200501cf71d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Robert Günzler Date: Sat, 2 Nov 2024 14:24:11 +0100 Subject: update nikko page MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Signed-off-by: Robert Günzler --- src/inc/nikko.htm | 61 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++------ 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.

-

At this point my biggest fear is the interaction with the staff there. I am very much aware that I don’t speak enough JapaneseTōshō-gū et al

exploring nikkō

+ +

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-don4, +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.

+ +

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

+

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. +

+

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.

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. 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. - 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 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 + + +## 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. + + + +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 + + +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. + + +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. + + +