Mean Sven

We stayed in a quiet family-ran ryokan near the river with the best hot bath I've had in Japan. The steaming water is filled up once a day; you clean yourself first by taking a shower and then you get into the tub which is sunken into the floor. Its heavenly, such a pleasure at the end of the day when the weather has been bitterly cold. The ryokan provided us with these attractive, multi-layered blue robes; Sven looked pretty good in his though mine swamped me and I ended up carrying the train down the stairs and trying not to trip over.

We also visited an onsen in Matsumoto, which was another first for me. Onsens are natural spring pools with various healing properties, and which are spotted all about Japan. I was completely clueless and had no idea what to do, since there are certain etiquettes and guidelines you should observe. I'd thought that you're supposed to be naked at an onsen, but then I'd seen a TV report where the lady was wearing a swimming costume which led me to believe that perhaps the rules are different depending on where you go. Sven assured me that I am supposed to be starkers, though I'd suspected that he was pulling my leg and causing me much embarrassment when I wandered in in my birthday suite while everyone was chilling in their cossies. Anyway, he went to into the men's section (because onsens are divided) and I checked the ladies section just to make sure he was right (which he was).

The onsen was really lovely and relaxing, but I tend to find excessively hot water too unbearable after a while. So, I happily sat around for a while but then got bored and stuffy, its one of those places that would be better if you could go in a group because then you can just relax and have a chat. That is if you dont mind seeing your friends as God had intended them!