Day 63 in Japan - Rafting in Shikoku

Woke up at about 6:30 am crumpled up in the back of the minivan, and there was no getting back to sleep. I switched to the other car, and we did a conbini breakfast run (and I learned that the conbini we went to is called SunKus, not SunBus, as I had been calling it). The conbini was about a 20 minute drive away (thank you again, Simon!), along the mighty Yoshino River, which we would be paddling along later in the day.

The view we woke up to this morning. Life is terrible.

Yoshino river in all it's glory - the water was SO clean!

We grabbed our food (and importantly, COFFEE!) and headed back to wake up the others, because it was time to head over to Happy Raft to get ready for our day of rafting. We sorted out money, dumped our bags and valuables, and then got our wetsuits, lifejackets, helmets and paddles.

The gang trying to figure out change and getting ready to get changed.

Wetsuits that were actually dry before we out them on! Luxury.

We jumped into a few minivans that carried us to the river entry area, then jumped into rafts in groups of 6-7. I think there were probably about 50 people rafting all up with us today. It was a brilliant day, and it's hard to describe the lovely feeling of floating down the clean and cool water of the Yoshino river, surrounded by white-green rocks with GIANT mountains stretching up into the sky on either side of you. We ran into a bunch of fisherman as we paddled along, and there were a few houses here and there as well. I can't imagine how lovely it would be to live in an area like this. We did about 5 decent rapid bits - apparently they were Grade 4 or 5 or something, but I don't even know what that means, so I don't know why I wrote that.

Happy Rafters! (I'm at the front of the boat) Our guide, Andy,
only had one day left until retirement... or going to Canada or something.

Right near the Happy Raft camp.

We had a great lunch (all-you-can-eat bagels), and then had an afternoon with a few more rapids, floating along the river, making a double raft stack and generally stuffing around in the water. It was brilliant! I jumped off what seemed to be a HUGE rock with Jodie (probably only about 3-4 meters - like the little rock at Jamberoo), and tried to take a little green rock home but lost it like 30 seconds after I picked it up. On the bus back, I talked to two lovely Japanese ladies from Osaka - a write for a food magazine, and a freelance photographer.

Simon, king of rafting!

Rob, Fiona and Adina waiting outside the Happy Raft building.

After rafting, we were all a bit chilly from the water and the sudden change in weather (yes it was just 3 days ago that I was sweating in the 30+ degree weather), so it was decided that we were going to an ONSEN! MY FIRST ONSEN! And I was shitting myself! I was so nervous about getting naked in front of 5 girls (who were all pretty damn good-looking, just to add to my nervousness), let alone the whole change room full of Japanese women blow-drying their daughters hair that awaited us when we walked in. I was with Jodie and Fiona when we went in, and none of us had ever onsen-ed before. We had no idea if we were doing the right thing, so we just closed our eyes, took a bit breath, stripped off, lamented the tiny size of the "modesty towel", and got into the water. Long story short - it was lovely. Super relaxing, nice and warm and even thought I didn't ever forget about the nakedness like everyone said that I would, it wasn't awkward. We soaked in the indoors pool, the outdoors pool and dipped our feet in the freezing cold pool when it got too hot.

Afterwards, we went up the mountains to find our hotel. And up. And up. And up. And up. The road was just wide enough for the huge vans and it was really dark, and little bit scary to be honest. I admired out poor drivers even more. But when we finally got to the place, it was ABSOLUTELY worth it! It was called Leben, and it was like a swiss ski chalet up in the mountains. The lady who ran it had cows (one milk cow and the rest beef), which supplied us with a barbeque and CHEESE SHE HAD MADE HERSELF! That's right - we ate real cheese. In Japan. It was gouda (that's an unintentional pun, but I just made myself laugh - it really was gouda). We had a great night of eating, talking, watching Japanese TV and feeling sleepy and warm under the big doonas. When we got to bed, I slept really, really solidly (and had cheese dreams).

Our night in Switzerland - the place smelled like wood. It was absolutely great.

Food Highlight of the Day: There is so much choice! Much needed breafast coffee-in-a-can, all you can eat bagels, yakiniku with meat fresh from a cow... but I'm definitely going to go with the lovely Leben gouda cheese. You can actually see some of the cheeses in the photo of Leben above - they are maturing on a shelf above the kitchen.