Adventure to Takedao

      On the morning of the 31st, I awoke long before the other girls. With the sun up and shining, it looked like a beautiful day.  It was nearly nine by the time the girls were up and we had eaten breakfast. We were trying to decide what to do. Originally we had planned to go to USJ on Wednesday, but since it was getting late and it was Halloween, we decided not to go.  Instead we made an alternative plan: go on an adventure to Takedao! Mom and Dad said they would drive us down to the train station if we could get ready quickly. So we threw our stuff in backpacks and jumped in the car. Unfortunately due to an accident, the road to the train station was very backed up! So instead of having Mom and Dad wait through the traffic, they dropped us off at a nearby bus stop. The bus we wanted to get on was sitting at the bus stop when we pulled up, but we still had to cross the street! We waved goodbye to Mom and Dad. Then the light turned red. The traffic stopped. We ran across. The bus had waited for us! It seemed like somehow the bus driver must have thought that we were wanting to get on. Whatever the reason, it was nice to get on a bus right away! As soon as the three of us were inside the doors closed and we jolted into motion.
         We selected our seats near the back of the bus. Jenny and myself on one side and Tiffy on the seats across the isle. Admiring the views out the window we tried to fully enjoy our long bus-ride. Because of the accident, it took about 40 minutes for the 15 minute trip to the train station. Good thing was that we were together and we enjoyed commenting about the buildings, trees, and fields as we passed them. Finally, we arrived at the station! First stop was the 100 yen shop. We looked around for several minutes. Then we went upstairs to the 5th floor of the building. There was a small dermatology clinic that we heard would pierce ears. We walked in hoping to find out more details. After talking to them for a short bit and getting answers to our questions, we went down to McDonald's and made a plan. We would soon be departing for Takedao. But since in was noon we bought some lunch at McDonald's before heading out.

        After finishing lunch and chatting with a group of friendly old ladies, we went down to the train station, bought our tickets, skipped down the stairs, and then waited on our platform. After about 10 minutes our train arrived. The doors closed and we lurched forward, plunging into a dark tunnel. The tunnel was much longer than I had expected and took perhaps five minutes. The first station was Takedao, so we got off the train and climbed down the stairs. It was a tiny station. In fact it was so tiny that there was no man at the window and the ticket gates only worked one way! To get out of the station, we simply dropped our old tickets in a box and walked out!  Staring at a somewhat cryptic map, we figured out which way we should walk in order to get to the Takedao Onsen (the hot baths in Takedao).  To the right. Along the river. Next to the red bridge.

 Left: the river.  Middle: from inside the tunnel.  Right: Tiffy found a cubbyhole.

         Seemed pretty simple. We turned right and walked beside the beautiful river. The maple leaves were just barely turning colors and added to the beauty. After rounding a corner, we could see the red bridge. Walking through a tunnel, we came out near the bridge. Ahead we saw a nice, well-managed building that might be the Onsen. A friendly middle aged man greeted us from the front desk affirming that we had found it. After finding out how much it would cost, we decided to go. He handed us towels and gave us directions: down the hall, to the right, through the red curtain.

 One of the baths

We spent nearly two hours soaking in the hot water. It was quite enjoyable since no one else was there. It was Tiffy's and Jenny's first time to go to an Onsen so it was a new experience for them. Finally we got tired of sitting in the hot pools, so we made a plan for the rest the afternoon. After getting dressed, we thanked the staff and left.

           We explored the area a little more and found several inns. We also climbed down the rocky bank to have a closer look at the river. Tiffy found a cool crevice under a huge rock! We spent several minutes climbing around the rocks, before having a snack and returning to the train station.

           We got on the train with one last look at the river. Then we sped through the tunnel and back to our train station. We checked the time of the next bus and thankfully it only took the normal fifteen minutes to get back, so we were able to get home before it was completely dark.

        Thus concluded our adventure! Home. With soup, salad, and cookies. Games and family. Warmth and fun. We'll probably return to Takedao sometime again, but right now we're... home!