A ryokan beside the lake

  Nikko, Kanto, Japan
Monday, December 1, 2008

   From Kegon no taki ,we walk back to our "ryokan" ,taking pictures along the way.
The  wind is still so strong that Tang is almost blown away with the wind!
  ( She pretends as if she is about to be blown away.)
The water in the lake is deep blue with little ripples on the surface.
  The mountain as a backdrop make the scene more spectacular.
And the sun set  with glowing rays gradually disappear from view.



This is my first time that I stay at a ryokan .  From my room I can see Chuzenji lake clearly.It is so beautiful and I feel so relaxed-- sipping Japanese green tea while observing the calmness of the water in the lake.   The room is quite large ( comparing to the previous hotels I have stayed in Japan) with a lot of spaces. A cabinet for storing  the "futon"  at one corner. A table with a tea pot and teacups  is in the middle of the room. A television set and a refrigerator are there ,out of sight. Paper partition divide the room and the balcony. So it is convenience yet traditionally  decorated.There are also western- style toilet and shower in another adjacent room . A perfect place to stay overnight!
  " Do we have to set the bedding by ourselves tonight?" I wonder aloud.
  " They surely have to do it for us." my husband replies. 

    At six o'clock in the evening, we go down to the second floor where dinner room is located.  We will have Japanese style dinner tonight. We are greeted by 2 elderly women who have to serve all the 7 tables in the room.  They write  our room number at one table and we go to sit on the floor in that area. Around us other tables has already come. One large table with 10 persons , all dressed in "ukata". We also have our ukata in our room but we think they are for use just in the room. 
 
I like Japanese food, they are arranged to please the eyes and the taste  to please the palate. The food are not spicy at all compare to Thai food, but they contain natural flavour.
We each have a  small hot pot of tofu and vegetables. Shrimp tempura is my daughter's favorite. There are a little bit of this and that on several small plates. Different kinds of tofu has different textures and tastes but they are all delicious.

During our dinner ,other members of this family-run ryokan are preparing our "futons" in our room. When we go back , our soft warm futons are already on the floor.


     " Anyone interested in going to the onsen? " I ask.  No one except me. So I have to urge Tang to go with me to experience the hot spring  on the 2nd floor .
       We change into our ukata , bring along our small white towel (the ryokan provide this for us) and soap. When we enter the hot bath for women only, everybody has to take off the clothes , take a shower on a small stool then go into the hot spring holding only a tiny white towel.I feel so hot at first but gradually adapt to the temperature.
       Oh,  there are no pictures in this area  but I can say that you must once go if you have a chance. It is natural for a Japanese to go to onsen in this freezing weather. It is very relaxing , indeed.