Friday 31 October 2014

Winter approaches

29/10/14
The last few days have been a sequence of fantastic scenes,





coastline,



 more autumn colours, 



and scenes of preparation for winter. Fruit and vegies are being dried or smoked,


 (We Think these are persimmons drying!)

and trees are being protected from the snow to come. 


Sun rooms/foyers are erected from polycarbonate panels which are taken down in summer.

These roadside louvers are folded down in summer and erected in winter. They have the effect of directing the wind onto the road to blow away the snow. 



Cabbages have their outer leaves tied up over the head, perhaps to allow them to be safely covered in snow and stay alive, preserving them for eating in winter? 

A few days ago we had a hail storm in the evening, and in the morning there was a light dusting of snow on the mountains for the first time. 


This changing of the seasons is fascinating to me. I have never lived in a place with the four seasons. Wet and dry seasons are more familiar to me. I wonder whether people here feel a sense of anticipation as winter approaches, or do they dread the cold, long days? My language is not good enough to ask.

The next night we headed for the hills, towards a ryokan and rotemburro we had read about in Lonely Planet. When we got above about 500m altitude it started snowing! This is only the third or fourth time in my life I have experienced snow falling! 



Tsuro-no-Yu in Nyuto-Zan Onsen has been in the hospitality business for 400 years! It's mixed gender rotemburro (outdoor onsen) is said to be one that is not to be missed by any intending rotemburro afficionado - that's me! 

 39.80509°N 140.78031°E

For anyone who is shy about mixed Onsens this is the one to try. There are seperate changing areas for men and women, and a discrete area for women to enter the pool. The water is milky white so once submerged nothing is visible. It was quite an experience to be naked in a pool engaged in a spirited and light hearted conversation with two (naked) Japanese men and a woman (and Joe), with snow falling on and around us! 

Staying in a Ryokan (Trafitional Japanese Inn) is also a special Japanese experience. The room has sleeping mats and barley pillows, which are folded away during the day. There is a table with the makings of green tea which occupies the centre of the room during the day. Eating is done seated on cushions on the floor (ow!) and the food is presented in small bowls on individual low tables. This particular ryokan also has sand pit fire places, with coals for cooking some of the dishes, in the middle of the room. Guests are issued with bath robes and jackets which theywear to the bathing pools, and around the corridors. There are the customary sandals which must be changed when you move from one area to another. For example there are sandals for the toilet room only and they must not be worn out into the corridors. Your corridor sandals must not be worn into the bedrooms, or out into the foyer. 

All of these traditions make for a very entertaining stay. I highly recommend his particular one with its rotemburro.







Friday 24 October 2014

Disaster! Good luck. And very good management!

24/10/14
Yesterday we were chasing autumn colours again, and took a minor road into the mountains. But this one turned out to be very minor indeed, very narrow and impossible to turn around. There were steep drop offs to the left and we were feeling quite uncertain. 

And then disaster! The left back wheel slid into a washout on the side of the road, where there was a 15-30m steep slope before the first trees. As the back of the car dropped we had a very adrenalin filled moment before it stopped. I believe my exact words were "(censored)".


We climbed out very carefully (and surprisingly quickly) through the driver's door. The back wheel was deeply in the ditch, and the right front wheel was off the ground. The right back wheel was gripping the road by the corner of its tread less than half a meter from the edge which had already collapsed. The diff was on the ground. 


The first thing we did was use the winch to steady the front by attaching to a tree, and manually tightening it as well as possible. 

We were very afraid that if we tried winching it the back would slide around and both back wheels would be off the ground and the whole vehicle could go over the edge. In any event we couldn't access the winch controller because it was in the downhill side locker. 


The situation we were in was very precarious, with a real risk of the vehicle tipping and rolling down the slope. We were on a very remote track, and hadn't seen another vehicle on this track. It would be a long walk to any people. It was getting dark and the temperature was dropping. We were both shivering. We could not access the camper because it was hanging over the drop off, so we only had the clothes we had in the front of the vehicle. We had no accessable torches or lighter for a fire. And it was bear country. (We had contingency plans for bears but they all involved getting into the vehicle and driving away! 

But did have a satellite distress beacon -our Delorme Inreach device. It had been tracking us as usual, but we decided to use it to get help. This was of course the only time we had ever needed it. So I sent an SOS. 


Within a short time (minutes only) our SOS had been acknowledged and we were asked for details of our emergency. After a return text message we were told that Division 1 of Japanese police had been notified, and that they were contacting local police, and then that local police had our position and would respond. We may have the dubious distinction of being the first EC owners to use an SOS satellite beacon! 

It took more than an hour for the police to arrive, but we later realised that that was the driving time from their station to our site. So in fact it was a swift response. The three policemen questioned us, took lots of photos, searched the accessable parts of the vehicle (for drugs?), and kept asking us if we were military! They communicated with us via an interpreter on the phone. (Their phones had reception but we don't have a phone in Japan due to some Japanese regulation. )

They said they could not do anything about stabilising the rear of the vehicle and that we would return in the morning. They offered us couches in the police station for the night, and a very restless and worry filled night ensued! 

In the morning an English speaking police officer took us under his wing. He contacted a "vehicle rescue company". After checking that we had enough money to pay them the tow truck arrived. It was much smaller and lighter than our EC so we were not too optimistic that it could do the job. 


By the time we arrived on site we felt sick with anticipation of what we might find -perhaps the vehicle suspended by the winch half away down the slope? However she was still in the same position when we did arrive. The police immediately scrambled along the bank and emptied our left back locker, locating the winch controller. The tow truck operator rigged his winch via a tree onto the strong point shackled on our tow bar. He then operated both winches together preventing the tail from swinging down the slope.  It was slowly and skilfully done and soon Matilda had all four wheels on the road! I felt like kissing that small man and actually blew him a kiss which had the effect of driving him away! 


The rescue cost us $400 for the tow truck and nothing for the police. They are public servants we were told! Fabulous! 

The effect on us was to make us considerably more cautious about taking some of the narrow bush tracks in Japan! We felt like staying around urban areas for awhile. So after an afternoon catching up on sleep we went to a resturaunt with live shamisen music. This is traditional Japanese music played on a three stringed instrument. 


We had a lovely evening and slept in the car park nearby, thus allowing Joe to have a sake to settle his nerves. (There is 0 alcohol permitted in drivers in Japan so he can't drink if we have to drive on.) It was the restorative evening that we needed!  











Feels like winter, looks like Autumn

23/10/14
We have finished with the Shimokita peninsula and are travelling Southwards. In this area is the Rokkashu Reprocessing plant, a controversial plant for reprocessing and recycling nuclear waste materials. 


 They have a good visitors centre with explanations of the process. It appears that a large portion of the low level nuclear waste can be recycled by taking out the plutonium and the uranium. This leaves a small amount of high level radioactive waste. They have not yet done anymore than process some test materials, but they plan to bury the high level waste 300m deep in bed rock in an area that is stable geographically. 

Lake Towada was the next stop, recommended by our friend Nakamura for its beauty at this time of year. And it didn't disappoint either! There is a long river side walk in the approaches to the lake, but we weren't the only ones there to see it. There were hundreds of people walking and photographing the colours and the river. But it was still inspirational. 






That night we awoke to our first frost of the trip. It was 0.5 degrees C in the morning! Thank goodness for the heater! 







Monday 20 October 2014

Yagen Valley

20/10/14

After leaving the mountain we were enjoying the autumn colours so much we decided to take the long road through the mountains rather than heading for the Coast. We literally stumbled upon (not mentioned in Lonely Planet) this gem of a camping area! It is a large camping area near an onsen and nearly empty at this time of year. The cost is ~$5 per person per day.

 41.38245°N 141.07320°E

 We made use of the laundry and covered areas to organise our equipment and generally tidy up. We tried out the mosquito netting awning we had had made in Brisbane. We had to estimate some measurements from photographs, and we got some measurement done by Mark and Susan at Earthcruiser. It is a simple netting box (no floor) to be hung from the awning rails. It has a opening for the rear locker, and one for the camper door -to pass things out through rather than to walk through, but this position did not work out correctly. 

For Earthcruiser owners, if you want one made I recommend Mr Dong at Dong Leisure. 
 ( 0421 515 424 )
dongphd@yahoo.com.au 
29 Pannard st
Darra Qld 4076
Australia
He is a Vietnamese long term Australian resident working from his home. He does quality work, and I'm sure that if you took your vehicle to him you would have a very suitable mosquito proof enclosure. 

We haven't needed the mozzy enclosure yet this trip but sure wished we had it last time. There were biting flies as well as mozzies. 

At the end of the day we went to the "Kappa-no-Yu" onsen. The Kappa is a river imp who plays tricks on people and helps them when they need it. He is a bird/man imp. 


The onsen was stunning. It is built of stone, on the edge of a sparking flowing stream, and looks onto vivd autumn coloured vegetation. A soak in the hot steaming water in that environment certainly was an experience not to be missed. 



After dinner we roasted chestnuts (which are in season here) over an open fire until we got too cold . It went down to 2 degrees C during the night. 

In fact we liked it in Yagen valley so much we stayed a second day! There is a "promenade" along the Yagen River, through old growth forrest (according to Wikipaedia). At this time of year it is in glorious colour. The walk is 3km each way. This was the most spectacular walk I think I have ever experienced. There was breathtaking beauty at every turn. Between the river, the colours and the large old oak trees it was bliss all the way. This beats the cherry blossom season  without question. 





We have come across monkeys (red faced "snow monkeys", mackaks) a few times in the last couple of days. At one camping spot they came down the track towards us, noticed us and took to the trees where they shook the branches, grunted and glared at us. Yesterday they were calling in the trees near the camp ground and the manager recommended "caution". We look forward to seeing the famous snow monkeys in the onsen further south on Honshu. 



Ozorezan- bodaiji, and the observatory.

,19/10/14
Continuing on around the coast, a truely lovelly drive....




We come to a mountain called Ozorezan. This is also called "the place of dread and fear" "hells gates" "arid and foreboding" according to Lonely Planet. This is one time Lonely Planet seems to have got it completely wrong. It is a volcanic area with many fumaroles and a sulphur smell. There is also a lake with a white beach. This is where an ancient monk had a dream and was told to spread Budhism here. He built a temple, and a monument to a deity which cares for children. 



People come here to mourn lost children, leaving small statues. They leave stones to help the spirit to complete its penance on the way to the spirit world. 


There is also a free Onsen inside the temple grounds. 

There certainly some hellish aspects to this place but according to the brochure it is a place of comfort and redemption - a place to remember your lost child and help them on their way. 

Nearby there is an "observatory".


This appears to be a military listening post. There is also a viewing platform. The view is very expansive but smoggy. 


Half way up the mountain to the observatory we came across this small hut.
41.30065°N 141.11197°E

The sign says "This area is for everyone to enjoy. Please help to keep it beautiful." Inside there is a wood heater/stove, lots of firewood and simple furnishings. We lit the stove, cooked dinner and enjoyed a great evening in the warmth. We slept in the vehicle. About 8.30 pm someone came tell us we had to go because he had to lock the gate at the bottom of the road. We explained that we had already had some sake (there is 0 limit for alcohol in drivers in Japan) and that we wouldn't want to leave before gate opening in the morning (0830) and he said OK! So we spent the rest of the night undisturbed by traffic or people. 









Friday 17 October 2014

Oma and Shimokita peninsula

JjjMmmm 17/10/14
Oma is a smallish town in a very remote part of Honshu, the northern most tip of the island.


On the day of our visit there the wind was blowing very hard, and seas were whipped up and spray was being blown off the top of the waves. 


Even the seagulls were grounded. 



There was no doubt that this is a tuna fishing area.


And this one is for Doug -

 That is Joe.... :(

Some of the locals fish the kelp out of the ocean on windy days like this! 


In fact while we're at the tip a rain squall started and sleet was visible -snow which didn't hit the ground but stung on your face. 

Continuing down the west coast we came across some stunning coastal views, difficult to capture in photos.  


This is wave mitigation in action. There are concrete blocks just at water level. Even with this heavy sea the area behind the blocks is calm. The waves just seem to disappear amongst the blocks. 



 No not a Muslim woman! This is a selfie of me in my wind/cold protection gear! 

The day ended with a fabulous camping spot, sheltered from the wind. We found this by taking a dirt track next to a bridge. It is a most opposite the "Lake House". 

41.27317°N 140.88518°E