Saturday rally

When my new Japanese foster family invited me on a hiking trip, chich was supposed to end in an onsen (温泉, hot springs) and an alcohol including dinner, I said “yes” straightaway. I may not be a massive fan of hiking as a sport, but I kind of like walking, and if we add a goal to this walking, especially as nice a goal as food and onsen, could I really refuse?

As it turned out at the meeting point – and which was totally to be expected – I was the only non-Japanese face in the whole group. Not that I’m complaining, I totally get that when you’re so visibly different, people will stare at you, the same stuff happens in Poland where I come from, and as the Japanese managed to learn how to do the staring slightly more discreetly, I really don’t feel like I have a reason to complain. Besides, the kids were probably the most moved by my participation (again, totally normal thing) and most of them soon started to play among each other anyway, with the exception of one 8-year-old girl who was just curious enough to come up to me and start a conversation. And at the end of the day this situation forced me to use Japanese only, which, after all, is what I’m here for, right?

The trip was about 10 kilometres (approx. 6 miles). For people with kids, the elderly or simply somewhat unfit people there was a stop about half-way through, and from there people could choose to bus-ride the rest of the journey. If I remember correctly, there was only one mother of two who did that, all the rest bravely marched on up and down the hills. Below is a map of the trip that we were given, I hope you can see it clearly. If not: start’s at the top.

Although the 10km was not massively difficult to walk, especially at the reasonable pace that we were going at, an onsen is definitely a lot better after some physical activities than just like that. Because everyone bathes in there naked (and, of course, men and women are in separate baths), the picture is from the Internet, but I do think that it does reflect just how gorgeous the place was. Simply soaking in hot water and feeling how all the aches disappear is a great feeling, but to have a view of the nature and the hum of a waterfall to that – ultimate relaxation guaranteed!

Lobby.
Travel.Rakuten.co.jp

Onsen.
KanazawaRyokanHotel.com

Then there was time for the aforementioned dinner. As I was told by my foster parents  and by some of the other Japanese who were with us, we were in for a truly luxurious Japanese-style experience, that is very traditional food served by ladies in kimonos and eating while seated on the floor. (Let me add that we were given some backrests and I wasn’t the only one who did not sit in the true Japanese style, I’ve seen people sitting cross-legged, with their knees up to their chests, whatever was comfortable).

We definitely knew it’d be luxurious once we saw the menu. The entire meal was made up of twelve courses. Yes, twelve. Sure, they weren’t big servings, and personally I didn’t like everything, though I sure tried everything first before making up my mind, but even then I came back home full. And even I have to admit that everything was of superb quality.

With so many courses I think only the most hardcore Instagrammers would take pictures of everything – I was too hungry to even think of photographing even a few dishes. Bu the hotel’s website (because both the onsen and the mal were at a hotel) came to resque and although what we ate was different to the stuff pictured, you can get a good sense of how it was presented and what were the quantities.

Takitei.co.jp

Probably the most peculiar thing that ended up on my plate was momiji cheese, cut into the shape of a maple leaf. I am not entirely sure whether that taste was actually maple leaves, or if it was some sort of food colouring that wasn’t entirely tasteless, but knowing the Japanese and that they do make food out of momiji, I think it was the former. In either case it definitely tasted like cheese, just with a subtle, slightly sweet hint of something else.

Momiji cheese.
Abekama.co.jp

But my new favourite dish was dobin mushi (土瓶蒸し), an autumn soup served in tiny pots and heating right in front of us; the main ingredients there were mushrooms and hamo fish (鱧), conger eel for us, and before eating it was seasoned with freshly squeezed lime juice. I tell you, it was absolutely divine! The lime and the mushroomy-fishy tastes complimented each other perfectly, the soup quickly warmed me from the inside, and all that without leaving an overpowering fish aftertaste in your mouth. And hamo itself was really to my taste, a delicate white fish that melted in my mouth. I hope that despite warnings that it was really luxury food I will manage to find it somewhere once again, preferably in a bigger pot.

Dobin mushi.
nori18leo.cocolog-nifty.com

And after that we were driven home in a bus – the bus driver was even kind enough to drop me off right in front of my dorm, so I didn’t have to walk in the rain. But to avoid finishing this post with “and then I went to bed”, let me share a rather peculiar advertisement for the upcoming university festival (which, from what I gather, will be a lot like Freshers’ Fair/Week):

Open? // Come to the Kanazawa University Festival!
I do not see how that advert would pass anywhere in Europe!