Last few days + Shiragawago

Last days are fast going on unfortunately. I have started cleaning and packing a bit in preparation for the tuesday when I'm checking out. I tried to get to the Mount Fuji but alas first day I hadn't checked in advance so was actually bit too late by about 30 minutes for last bus. Grumble grumble(and also had trouble finding bus station). Next morning I tried again but again trouble finding where to exchange ticket I had reserved so failed again. Bummer. Last 3 days there just ain't suitable time spot for trip so no Fuji mountain viewing this trip. Big bummer but no can do.

On the first attempt I had actually managed to hop on wrong train that went to opposite direction. On next station I heard doors closing for the opposite track and seeing it was opposite I figured it will go to the direction I just came. Nope! Continued on very same direction. ARGH! What's the point of that anyway? They had 2 trains almost at same time heading toward same direction.

At second station I again jumped out and wanting to be sure I asked middle aged women if the train they were waiting would take me to Shibuya. Yes was answer and then she started out real talk chatter and as we were both going to same direction spent the trip chatting this and that, me in Japanese, she in English. Guess she wanted chance to practise English herself!

On Shibuya it actually took quite a while for her to finally say goodbye's. And I thought Tokyo people are all very busy :D This one was in no hurry to anywhere and neither was I so had very nice time talking just this and that.

Today had another meeting(and almost certainly last one seeing I have no meetings planned and there's only so few days left). Also after failing to find bus in time I went to Yoyogi park one last time. On my way found out some festival called "May Day central festival"(and May Day is I think reference to month rather than MAYDAY! WE NEED HELP!). Very similar to what we have in my home town during summer, except in "bit" larger scale. Lots of food stands, lots of kids eating cotton candy. And some dance performance for kids. Have to say felt sorry for the poor girls doing the dancing(well maybe some were males. The one who did speaking was definitely a female though). 20 odd degrees temperature, blazing sun, no wind, these odd not-so-cool looking clothes...Oh boy!

But kids were enjoying the show by the look of it.

Evening I spent mostly just cleaning up the room and packing. Lots of packing and lots of cleaning. During JR pass didn't spend much time at home and when I was was so tired that I wasn't exactly doing lots of cleaning so there was lots of spare junk at my room. Now much more cleaner so at least I get to enjoy clean room for the last 2 days.

Then bit of my trip to Shiragawago.

Tuesday 23^th of April and last week in Japan started. Second last day of my JR pass as well. Today I had decided to take trip to place called Shiragawago which is noted for it's old styled buildings(UNESCO declared them world heritage). These are bit unique even in Japan as they were only found on these parts of Japan even in olden days. These days only 3 villages are left with these and I would visit one of them.

Figuring time table that would be doable required bit of thinking and early rising. Particularly because I wanted to avoid Shibuya if at all possible(those morning rush hours are killers) so I aimed to go to Shin-Yokohama without by passing Shibuya. But this took time so had to be on first station 6:51. From Shin-Yokohama it was to Nagoya with Shinkansen from which I switched to another JR line for regular train trip to Takayama. Shinkansen took 90 minutes or so, regular train 150 minutes. Bleargh. From Takayama I bought round-trip bus ticket to the Shiragawago(4300 yen. So far priciest ticket I have bought). This took another 50 minutes and then I was at the destination.

Thing #1 that struct me was sakuras. SAKURAS! Still got to see them. What hit me next was that it was surprisingly chilly here. Guess being on western side of main island and within mountains chill the air a bit. Third surprise was when I saw snow on the ground! Okay not much but no wonder it was chilly! Had to double check if that indeed was snow. Well it was snow or very cold fake snow :D

So first I walked through the village marveling at the old styled buildings(which btw aren't just historical relics all of them. People actually seem to live here! At least I presume satelite tv receivers aren't just for show! Would be bit odd for that). Seems there was souvenir shop at the every corner. Bought some candies for little brothers and niece plus some post cards. Unfortunately my baggage space is getting seriously cramped so I could not buy some of the things I would have wanted. And then there were items that were definitely out of package league even if it was first day. Small scale model of these old style buildings would be cool souvenir but those would pretty much have to be posted to Finland. Small scale version might be but still big.

I also found out one building where you could enter(150 yen) so got to see interior as well. Smell at the top was very much like summer houses in Finland. The same scent of tree. Also had some odd art pieces inside.

Then it was time for lunch(curry and rice. Cheap. Bus ticket was pretty expensive so had to save bit here). And then back to walk. Went off the path so to speak heading where was nobody on sight and found the largest concentration of what looks like regular homes. Then I went for sight seeing spot which reguired some climbing up(maybe 30, 40 meters) but view from there was quite nice so well worth the climb! After Daimonji this was walk in the park.

Back on my way to village got another evidence that there's regular people living here. Bunch of elementary school kids! They yelled cheerily ”konnichiwa”(Good day) to people repairing roof of one building and then spotting me happily shouted ”hello!” to my direction as well. Hah that's not that common here that kids are greeting me that happily. But not part of any sightseeing group I think as the group started to split at every corner until there was just one girl who met with older women and ended up going to building when I heard the kid yell again full of energy ”tadaima!”(used by Japanese people when coming to home again).

I continued walking and found some sort of shrine again. There was also some traditional music of flute, drum and men humming which I listened for a while but could not locate source. Maybe nearby building but wasn't feeling like entering on my own seeing I saw nothing to indicate entering is okay.

I had reserved myself quite a bit of time but place was smaller than I expected so had annoyingly lot of time to wait for bus. When I left the waiting room my WALLET dropped from my pocket but luckily women spotted it and rushed to pick it up and chased me(I was listening music via earphones so didn't hear any shouting) returning the wallet to me. Phew!

Then it was trip back to home in reverse except this time I went to Shibuya and from there to home. Bit cheaper thanks to JR pass than the route I took on morning. Only hitch to the trip was that Hikari shinkansen I took had no socket from which to charge my dvd player that ran out of juice just as we left the Nagoya. ARGH!