Onsen

I got to stay at my first Ryokan on a visit to Toba, on the Pacific coast south of Osaka. The place was completely empty apart from us but I was assured the reason was that it was a Monday and nothing to do with the hotel itself. But that suited me just fine as I was attempting a dip in a Japanese public bath for the first time. The place was traditionally decorated, with flat table and low cushions and Keiko insisted I go the whole hog and wear the traditional Yukata (or "dressing gown"). We ate dinner on a traditional low table and were served a banquet of raw fish, including the in-season Sazae or Turban Shell (I didn't eat it). I gleefully pulled this mollusc from its shell and as it uncoiled slowly before me I couldn't help an Oishii-so!! (looks delicious!!) escaping from my mouth. The rest of the sashimi was actually pretty good, as was the sea-urchin rice. We also visited Arima, a famous onsen in the mountains behind Kobe. This place was done in a 1920's style and had all the feeling of pre-war Japanese enthusiasm for the west. Our hotel had two baths, one regular scalding and the other iron red. I didnt really revel in the second much, but the town was quiet and atmospheric, and being high up, the sakura were still blooming. And while in Kobe we also paid a brief visit to the brand spanking new and completly pointless and very convenient Kobe airport. What a big pile of wasted money. The area already has two airports and the big one isn't even busy half the time. Built on another manmade island, its a perfect example of Japanese bureaucratic waste if there ever was one engineering prowess..