Towards the end of our 2 hour train and 1 hour bus journey I was commenting on how difficult it is Japan to really get away from it all. For the entire journey there was not a gap in sight in the endless housing interleaved with paddy fields. I shouldn't have spoken so soon.
On arriving in Yudanaka tourist information told us to catch another bus for 20 mins then walk for 40 mins to get to our hotel. After a bit of further research we found we could get a taxi and only have to walk for 10 minutes. it must be the back packs as its always the cheapest option offered first by tourist information rather than the easiest.
After a bit of further confusion we managed to get a taxi, a bit difficult to describe where we were going, its next to monkey world, I stopped short of doing a monkey impression. Yes we have come all this way to see some monkeys, but not just any ordinary monkeys, these are monkeys with their own hot tub. As we took some time to relax in the hotels outdoor Onsen, next to a fast flowing river and geyser, we saw a few a few monkeys but none decided to take a dip in the hot tub much to Shelley's relief.
Dinner was another cook your own affair, today with wild duck. For starters a dried fish and crickets coasted in soy sauce. The grasshoppers were ok and I ate pretty much the whole fish. I stopped short of eating the whole thing, head and tail like the Japanese lady sitting next to me.
Towards the end of dinner I went to fetch a second bottle of sake, on returning to the dining room I got a loud round of applause from our fellow Japanese dinners. Who up until now had been very quiet. I'm not quite sure the significance of the second bottle but it was damn good stuff.
Dinner was great and after all the sake I realised why the Japanese eat at very low tables and sleep on futons very low to the ground.
Highlights: Great food and an interesting venue.
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