Total Relaxation

It was the perfect ending to our host city visit.  We reconvened after our our family visits and drove an hour from the coastal city of Yokkaichi through the mountains of Mie prefecture to Sikanoyu Hot Spring Resort.  As we wound through the curvy roads we could see the natural spring water trickling down the mountain.  When we arrived at the ryokan (traditional Japanese inn), Japanese women dressed in traditional wear greeted us at the entrance.  They escorted each of us to our rooms and presented us with our own slippers to change into while they prepared green tea.

We enjoyed tea in our room (I roomed with two teachers who have turned out to be my close friends here- Vishali from Baltimore and Ioanna from Chicago) and then prepared to meet the group for dinner.  Fortunately the women staff of the hotel helped us properly tie our yakatas  before presenting ourselves at the formal dinner. 

 This (right) was the scene we found upon arriving to 

dinner.  I couldn't believe how beautiful the room and food appeared. We enjoyed a long traditional Japanese dinner- women continued to bring out food for us. It lasted an hour and a half!  Though the staples of the meal were fish and rice, we enjoyed other delicassies such as venison, kobe beef, and shark fin soup.  

We concluded with "Gochiso sama" (Thank you for the food I ate), and changed into our less formal yukatas that were waiting for us in our rooms.  After relaxing in the outdoor hot spring baths, the fifteen members of our group decided to end our week-long city visit with a night of karaoke at the resort karaoke lounge. It was a hoot!  A perfect ending to our break-out trip.

After another wonderful (yet smaller) meal the next morning for breakfast, we rode up the mountain to a shrine and explored the natural beauty of our surroundings.  It was surreal.  

We checked out of the ryokan and rode an hour and a half to Nagoya where we caught the bullet train back to Tokyo.  It felt like returning home when I returned to my hotel room at the Grand Prince Akasaka!  In need of a low-key night, I took the subway back to the yoga studio in Meguro where I practiced the other week.  After a light dinner, it was back to the hotel for some much-needed rest.