Takayama

A little weekend trip away, Sven and I got sick of Nagoya and decided to do a bit of exploring in the north-eastern mountainous region. Takayama lies two and a half hours away from Nagoya; the train ride up was beautifully scenic, winding around the mountains and passing little Japanese villages. We were originally going to head to a national park and only have a brief stay in Takayama but on closer consultation with our Lonely Planet, we realised that the national park closes for several months from mid-November. Damnit, we were a week or so late! Anyway, Takayama was charming and just about the right size for a short weekend trip. The best bit was staying in a temple overnight, where we slept Japanese-style ie. on the floor and with very few bedding. The temple was really rustic, but it was just so homely and full of character. It was a lot colder in Takayama, I was still shivering under five layers but it was good weather for a spot of 'hiking', which turned out to be a short walk in the park and not taxing at all. Things are always lost in translation....