Yofuin
11 Jun 2005
We booked two nights in a youth hostel, guided again by the Hiking in Japan guidebook. We thought sleeping in a youth hostel would be a nice way to meet other travellers. Usually there is a communal room, where you meet your fellow travellers to exchange experiences and tips. We leave straight after work on Friday and find the youth hostel pretty easily. It is located in a beautiful spot in the mountains with a beautiful view on Yufuin. They do have a shared living roomm, but we are the only guests…. We make use of it anyway, it is much more comfortable to enjoy your drink and read a book on a couch than it is lying on your futon on the floor.
The futon, a traditional Japanese bed, is a thin matrass, which you first put on the floor, with on top of it another thin matrasse. Put a sheet around it and your bed is made. Since this is a youth hostel, you have to make your own bed. It can be that we switched the top with the bottom matrass, but we saw/felt no difference and slept like a baby.
We set the alarm for 8am, we wanted to go on a long hike. We forgot to ask what time breakfast would be ready, but thought it normal that breakfast would be served until 9am…. In the bright early morning, at 7am, there is a knock on the door: breakfast is served! We thought we were early birds, but obviously not early enough!With the rain ticking against the window, we enjoyed breakfast. By the time breakfast was finished, it came pouring down. We postponed our walk and went back to our futon, for an early siesta.
Around noon it is dry again and we put our boots on. There is no point going into the mountains, that would be to slippery and wet. We walk to the village and are pleasantly surprised to see a kind of art area, with galleries and modern restaurants. In the center of Yufuin we again are surprised, it is a very touristy village with shops, restaurants and a lot of people.
We were told that this is the season of the fire flies. So in the evening we go back to watch the spectacle. Indeed, a lot of fire flies and a lot of Japanese people trying to photograph them with flash cameras, hilarious.
On Sunday we are allowed to sleep in, and the knock on the door for breakfast is at 7.30. Yesterday other guests had arrived, so it was quite lively at breakfast. Since they are afraid to speak English, things were a bit uncomfortable. The lady next to Lenette gathers all her courage to say, Hi, I am a Yehova’s Witness. Mmmm, what to say to that? Unfortunately those were the only few words she spoke in English, so that’s how far the conversation went.
After breakfast and putting away our futon, we packed everything in the car and went to the start of the hike. The weather has turned and it was nice and sunny and the walk was great.
The futon, a traditional Japanese bed, is a thin matrass, which you first put on the floor, with on top of it another thin matrasse. Put a sheet around it and your bed is made. Since this is a youth hostel, you have to make your own bed. It can be that we switched the top with the bottom matrass, but we saw/felt no difference and slept like a baby.
We set the alarm for 8am, we wanted to go on a long hike. We forgot to ask what time breakfast would be ready, but thought it normal that breakfast would be served until 9am…. In the bright early morning, at 7am, there is a knock on the door: breakfast is served! We thought we were early birds, but obviously not early enough!With the rain ticking against the window, we enjoyed breakfast. By the time breakfast was finished, it came pouring down. We postponed our walk and went back to our futon, for an early siesta.
Around noon it is dry again and we put our boots on. There is no point going into the mountains, that would be to slippery and wet. We walk to the village and are pleasantly surprised to see a kind of art area, with galleries and modern restaurants. In the center of Yufuin we again are surprised, it is a very touristy village with shops, restaurants and a lot of people.
We were told that this is the season of the fire flies. So in the evening we go back to watch the spectacle. Indeed, a lot of fire flies and a lot of Japanese people trying to photograph them with flash cameras, hilarious.
On Sunday we are allowed to sleep in, and the knock on the door for breakfast is at 7.30. Yesterday other guests had arrived, so it was quite lively at breakfast. Since they are afraid to speak English, things were a bit uncomfortable. The lady next to Lenette gathers all her courage to say, Hi, I am a Yehova’s Witness. Mmmm, what to say to that? Unfortunately those were the only few words she spoke in English, so that’s how far the conversation went.
After breakfast and putting away our futon, we packed everything in the car and went to the start of the hike. The weather has turned and it was nice and sunny and the walk was great.