Entries this day: Onsen

Onsen

11:58pm JST Saturday 15 December 2007 (day 13779)

Ami joined me joining Maruan, Kyoko, Dan, and Yumi (the face of Kobe) joining Joel and Hannah (his 1 year old daughter) in Chofu for an onsen and varieties of chinese stir fry for chowtime afterward. Really great to chat with Dan (1/2 of my roommates on PB 52) and Maruan (1/2 of my confidants on the same voyage) and fun to watch Yumi and Kyoko go goo goo for the baby. Rie も once she got there.

Maruan said he's going to write a book about his travels ("that's a brilliant idea..." he said when I told him I was writing a novel this month. He'll start soon and go for 30 days, during which time I will hound him for progress.

The onsen was nice; relatively inexpensive for the number of pools available, though the place wasn't that big overall. There was a small freezing pool which Maruan enjoyed quite well (into which I was loathe to go, but he pressured me into it), and a small freezing room into which he was almost unwilling to go, but I pressured him into it. The small room thermometer said 1 degree C on the outside, but I am sure it was inaccurate; it didn't really feel cold inside at all.

I most enjoyed the hot pool and the sauna, though I'm pretty sure I've been in "far" hotter pools and saunas, though I don't remember temperatures for sure. I told them about Kusatsu, which I know for sure was hella hotter than these pools. I could barely get in to that water, and some of the springs were roped off because the water was scalding (someone (named Rob (this Rob, right here)) who shall (not) go unnamed) climbed over the ropes and stuck his toe in for a brief moment that offered 30 minutes of pain.

Anyway, we all went to meet Maiko (except for Joel who had to get Hannah back home (by bicycle)) who gave us a cardboard Christmas boot full of snacky goodies, and to whom Rie forgot to return a couple of DVDs.