To bathe or not to bathe?
Trip Start
Aug 25, 2006
1
7
17
Trip End
Sep 10, 2006
Kobe, Japan
Thursday, August 31, 2006
After breakfast, we debated whether to visit the communal outdoor bath, since it was women's bathing time. Walking around naked in front of a bunch of strangers was not really something I was looking forward to, but onsen baths are very common in Japan and Kirsten and I decided that we would regret it if we didn't at least go and try it. So, all three of us put on the provided yukata (kimono-like robes), and went through the curtain and up the path to the bath house. Once inside, we placed the yukata in baskets and had only the small provided towels to hide behind - they were about a foot wide and maybe 3 feet long, so they didn't cover all that much. We washed quickly at the taps and then went to the outdoor bath. The water here was a reddish color due to all the minerals. It was relaxing once we got in, but again, too hot to stay in for very long.
After completing our ryokan experience and checking out, we took the bus back to Shin-Kobe station, where we stored our luggage, and prepared to spend the day sightseeing in Kobe. We hopped on a sightseeing trolley and first went to Kobe's Chinatown, which wasn't really all that different from any other Chinatown in the world (fake designer goods, cheap toys and souvenirs, etc.). We then visited the Kobe earthquake memorial, which is a tribute to the over 6,000 people who died in the January 17, 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake. It is kind of eerie as they have preserved a section of the harbor just as it was after the earthquake - you can see the cracked concrete and the streetlamps leaning crazily at an angle. Creepy.
We got back on the trolley and headed further down the harbor to what was sort of a mall, but more an outdoor collection of upscale shops, called Mosaic - sort of like Seaport Village in San Diego or South Street Seaport in New York. We shopped for a while and had a small snack, after which we noticed a huge commotion in front of one of the stores we'd passed earlier. Teenagers were massing around the doors and windows, taking pictures with their cell phones, and squealing. Mayumi took a look and informed us that it a popular Japanese tv show was filming there, and that the kids were taking pictures of the two hosts. Unfortunately I don't remember the name of the show or the stars.
For some reason, Kirsten and I were both dragging all day, so we were glad at this point to head back to the train station to catch the train to Fukuyama. Mayumi's dad met us at the station in Fukuyama, where it had started to rain, and we went to bed almost immediately after arriving at her house.
