Distance Walked - 12km
After a "Western" breakfast, which had two skinny frankfurts (from a can?) rather than bacon but fresh, plain (!) bread with butter, we set off again in the bus. This took us oout of the volcano and down again to rejoin the Nakasendo Way at Yabuhara.
Here we climbed over the Torii Toge pass and down to Narai. This is apparently the toughest pass on the Nakasendo. However, as it was only an ascent of 200m over a distance of 2km we thought it easy after yesterday's two efforts. I was very glad it was an easy day as I felt like I had a sinus infection coming on and was decidedly queasy.
Narai is another picture postcard pretty post town, with all the phone and electricity wires buried and most of the buildings on the long (700m) main street still built in the traditional style. There were mainly noodle places for lunch but I didn't feel very hungry. I settled for some street food. Rice flour balls on a stick with a teriyaki sauce (horrid except for the sauce) and rice flour buns stuffed with eggplant (OK) and red bean paste (yum). I spent the rest of our time there browsing in the shops. I'd like to buy some souvenirs but it was all either made out of wood or was food. I didn't fancy trying to get either in through Customs.
After lunch we took a series of trains to our destination for the night. First a local train, then a local express, then a shinkansen. I sletp for most of the longest (2nd) train trip - about 1 hour. After a visit to a comfortable loo before catching the shinkansen I felt a lot better.
Our town for the night is another post town but it is a major tourist trap and not in the traditional sense. It was heaving with tourists as it is Golden Week now. The streets are full of fancy shops and restaurants with all different sorts of cuisines. There are lots of bridal places too. Apparently it is a popular place to get married. We are definitely not in a village in rural Japan anymore.
Our inn for tonight is the same mix of modern and traditional. It is a big, two storey building. The couples have traditional rooms but us singles have Western rooms. My room is a twin room with frilly French provincial furniture. There is an onsen and we are supplied with yakuta but most of the hotel guests are in their street clothes and we were allowed to wear our shoes up to our rooms. The floor is carpeted rather than tatami mats. We have our own ensuite bathrooms but I used the onsen.
Dinner was a multi-course feast served very quickly. I have a copy of the menu. It included fugu - poisonous puffer fish. Tough and tastless. I guess it gets eaten for bragging rights.
Tomorrow is our last day. I will actually be sorry to say goodbye to everyone but glad to be going home.
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