His Royal Orangeness Karl Willem at the Shigetsu Ryokan in Asakusa.
After a 12-hour flight where I had to endure two really bad movies (actually, Eight Below was a tearjerker of a dog film only if you take away the parts with humans in it. The flight was disappointingly too smooth, very little turbulence so I could not sleep), a comedy of errors trying to buy train and metro tickets, and the fact that everyone thought I was Japanese (the steward did not even want to give me an embarkation card because it was only for 'foreigners') it was a relief to finally find the Ryokan in Tokyo and crash into the tatami mat after an Italian dinner. (Ok, it was my traveling companion, Hil's, choice to eat at an Italian restaurant in one of the oldest entertainment districts of Tokyo but to atone for this sin I had fettucine with crab meat.)
Japan is extremely clean, the people very polite, and there is still a strong adherence to ceremony and tradition. The ryokan maid repeated many times that we should always take off our shoes and advised us to wear the Yukata.
Since I've turned Japanese and everyone is speaking to me in Niponggo (despite trying my darndest to get dark in Spain which was not really going to happen since I spent most afternoons drinking fino under the shade of the many Andalucian bodegas), I might as well hone my acting skills so my modus operandi is pretending I am a Japanese-American who is back in Japan to discover my roots. I put on an east coast twang and asked everyone if they knew where I could get fried chicken and McDonald's. This mangling of the Queen's English annoyed Hil who righfully kept her distance, being the posh boarding school-educated girl that she is.
What's up with the Japanese and extremely hot water? I barely dipped for more than 5 seconds in the traditional bath and my balls were hard boiled. Thank the sungod I was alone that morning because I belatedly discovered that I was in the women's communal bath! The ryokan has separate baths for men and women and they apparently interchange the designations everyday. I was there the night before and hadn't realised the switch the following day. I wonder if they would have sliced my little pipi with a katana had someone witnessed my faux pas.
The Shinkansen trip to Nagano was uneventful. I managed to order coffee from the trolley girl by the universal language of turo-turo (point-point). The humidity is oppressively in the high 80s. I need my pint of Asahi and Kirin beer while watching the Samurai Blues play in the world cup....
HRO Karl Willem is mildly amused as The Nashman does his Ringgu impression. I should do some ghost hunting while I'm here.
The women's communal bath....or is it the men's? This was where I was supposed to dip my saggy balls in the morning but I was in the other room with a view instead.
HRO Karl Willem contemplates in one of the pocket gardens in the Ryokan.
I had dried fish and rice for breakfast! Wahoo. Hil, being the Nordic un-intrepid explorer opted for the western breakfast.
HRO Karl Willem and Chav the Bear, who is being adopted by The Nashman's old old ex flame from another lifetime (we will be seeing her at the end of the week), take their first bullet train ride from Tokyo to Nagano.
The four intrepid travellers on the Shinkansen.
HRO Karl Willem arrives in Nagano. We hope to meet the snow monkeys and take a dip with them in the hot springs.
HRO Karl Willem and The Nashman out for a late evening walk to a temple.
And now for some bound to be classic "Lost in Translation" pictures of our trip to the land of the Rising Sun...
How to operate the shower...........
An umbrella for your fugly dog, from the Shinkansen magazine.
Yum. I'm very adventurous with my choice of food. As long as it's ethically sourced and a fair price was paid to the farmers, I will eat anything.
I. Kid. You. Not. For 400 yen, the internet cafe next to where I'm stayin in Nagano offers not only free drinks but a free shower as well! I guess you need to take the shower after browsing all those filthy websites...You could even get a massage while you are at it.....
Are we supposed to cross the road and congregate in the middle?
The headboard of my bed in Nagano. How 70s cool is this! Glad to see that not everything is a touch screen. Those push button knobs are so Bioman/Shaider. Time space warp, ngayun din....