day 2 of ridiculous happenings!
Today I woke up early again and hit one of the local mountains (really local, the ones that I gaze at every day on my way to school). I went with 2 teachers from Sakuragaoka, and it was LOADS of fun! We took a side trail thinking it lead to another peak, then realized that the steady downward direction of the trail would eventually lead us back to Murakami. We found the car again with a little bit of pondering, but not before seeing a caterpillar that looked like it had 2 heads and a molting daddy-long-legs. WOO! A fantastic day!
But wait, there's more! We also drove out to Miomote dam and wandered around the recreational area around the man-made lake. It was pretty sweet because the river has a couple of islands in it, and those islands are accessible via a very long floating bridge. Think hundreds of kerosene jugs filled with air and strung together, and you've got about the right idea. There was one anchored bit in the middle, but walking on inflated plastic jugs was way more fun. I saw some leeches, a snake, and old Japanese people huffing and puffing up a hill. SUCCESS!
But wait, there's STILL more! After that I came home and made myself some lunch, then headed out for some adventures with Jess and Katrina. We drove up the coast, aiming for Sasagawanagare (funny how all of us have been there multiple times, but how none of us had ever seen it on a clear day!!) and made some pit stops along the way. First we stopped at the Salamander shrine, which was awesome because there were these beautiful purple flowers and a couple of tiger lilllies blooming on the bare rock next to the shrine. ALSO on the rocks were nesting seagulls who were none too happy that we were so close to their babes-to-be. Their nests were sort of sandy shallow spots where there were less rocks and more shelter from plants. It was way cool. The eggs themselves were sort of grey-sand colored and had speckles on them. They were hard to see at first, but once I saw one I started seeing them all over. Katrina got swooped.
Next we had a photo-op with some ridiculous road signage (a scared looking car getting beaten up by an angry looking wave), and also got some shutter-time with a giant wooden penis. It even had a couple of bouys hanging in nets below it to serve as balls. Oh, Japan.
After THAT we hit up Sasagawanagare. It's SO pretty in the sunlight, and it's even nicer when you can poke around without getting lashed by windy, bitter cold wetness.
Then after that we took the scenic route home and found a road that just ended in the middle of the mountains. It was pretty hilarious because all along we were hazarding guesses as to where the road might actually take us. Yamagata? The Twighlight Zone? Nowhere? As always, the best choice is always C. We managed to find our way to Asahi, then to Himalaya for some awesome curry. We got gifted an amazing coconut nan for dessert this time, perhaps because we brought along yet another new foreigner.
Finally, we came back to Katrina's house and watched Aladdin. Woo!! I need another weekend to rest up after this weekend's craziness!! I guess that's what happens when the sun is shining... we go all out!!
But wait, there's more! We also drove out to Miomote dam and wandered around the recreational area around the man-made lake. It was pretty sweet because the river has a couple of islands in it, and those islands are accessible via a very long floating bridge. Think hundreds of kerosene jugs filled with air and strung together, and you've got about the right idea. There was one anchored bit in the middle, but walking on inflated plastic jugs was way more fun. I saw some leeches, a snake, and old Japanese people huffing and puffing up a hill. SUCCESS!
But wait, there's STILL more! After that I came home and made myself some lunch, then headed out for some adventures with Jess and Katrina. We drove up the coast, aiming for Sasagawanagare (funny how all of us have been there multiple times, but how none of us had ever seen it on a clear day!!) and made some pit stops along the way. First we stopped at the Salamander shrine, which was awesome because there were these beautiful purple flowers and a couple of tiger lilllies blooming on the bare rock next to the shrine. ALSO on the rocks were nesting seagulls who were none too happy that we were so close to their babes-to-be. Their nests were sort of sandy shallow spots where there were less rocks and more shelter from plants. It was way cool. The eggs themselves were sort of grey-sand colored and had speckles on them. They were hard to see at first, but once I saw one I started seeing them all over. Katrina got swooped.
Next we had a photo-op with some ridiculous road signage (a scared looking car getting beaten up by an angry looking wave), and also got some shutter-time with a giant wooden penis. It even had a couple of bouys hanging in nets below it to serve as balls. Oh, Japan.
After THAT we hit up Sasagawanagare. It's SO pretty in the sunlight, and it's even nicer when you can poke around without getting lashed by windy, bitter cold wetness.
Then after that we took the scenic route home and found a road that just ended in the middle of the mountains. It was pretty hilarious because all along we were hazarding guesses as to where the road might actually take us. Yamagata? The Twighlight Zone? Nowhere? As always, the best choice is always C. We managed to find our way to Asahi, then to Himalaya for some awesome curry. We got gifted an amazing coconut nan for dessert this time, perhaps because we brought along yet another new foreigner.
Finally, we came back to Katrina's house and watched Aladdin. Woo!! I need another weekend to rest up after this weekend's craziness!! I guess that's what happens when the sun is shining... we go all out!!