I Dream of Onsen

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

I slept pretty horribly the night before the bike trip. I woke up about every half hour (and there wasn't actually much time to sleep, so it was pretty terrible. I was nervous about getting my bike up to Kinomoto alone and to the station and about everything working out. I shouldn't have been, but I was.

I finally got up when my alarm went off and got my things together. Doodled around one last bit on the internet before needing to rush off. I met Brian outside, who was also heading out for the trip. I hadn't known he was going. I exclaimed over his small bag and he told me what he was bringing. He also offered to carry my bike for me – him being significanly bigger and stronger than myself – in exchange for me carrying his bag to the station. I ran inside while he started off and dumped out a bunch MORE stuff – including all my rain gear and my jeans – there would be no looking pretty on this trip – and stuffed everything into my small “crew” drawstring backpack.

I then headed outside, grabbed Brian's bag and attempted to catch up to him. The guy had a huge stride and I didn't catch up to him until the station. There, I bought my ticket and tried to act as naturally as possible, as I stood next to my wrapped bike-shaped package as Brian went to buy water. From there, right under the watch of the station master (at the closest gate to the station master as that was the widest) we brought the bike through and I carried it down the stairs and onto the platform, then later the train. Holding it was awkward and I had one thing bite so far into my skin that I thought it would scar, it hurt so much. It was purple.

On the train, we got many odd looks, but no comments. The train was fairly empty, as it was quite early, so we rode fairly quietly, being joined by a few other ALTs along the way, although none with bikes. I started to pick up that most people had chosen to rent bikes. Oh.

In Nagahama, we met up with Josh, who is a biking fiend. He and his Japanese girlfriend were biking from Nagahama up with the first group. We continued up to our starting location in Kinomoto. Once there, we met up with Travis, who offered to carry my bike down the steps for me. At this point, Brian was already holding my bags, so I took those back from him, despite enjoying the displays of chivalry all around.

By the time we showed up, everyone was already supposed to be there. This, obviously, was not how it worked. People stumbled in for the next two hours, which really was okay because we had to wait for the groups starting at earlier locations to bike up to us. Apparently the wind was awful, so they were much slower than they should have been. I bought a water bottle, as I'd forgotten mine in all of the rush. Some of the boys tooled around on their bicycles while I and another girl laid down on the concrete to nap. Really, in my mind, I'd be biking plenty soon enough, but it was still morning, and that meant it was bedtime. I didn't manage to sleep, which made me sad.

I borrowed a wrench from another guy and put my bike together. I didn't have much room, so I tied the plastic bag with my tupperware of food to the front of my bike, where it rested moderately well (at this point.)

Eventually, the rest of the folks showed up. There was a lot of milling around and some group photos were taken. Maps were handed out with everyone's contact information in case someone got lost. Then, we hopped onto bikes and headed down to the nearest combini for snacks and a break. There, I bought a fudgicle for breakfast – my toast, I had realised, was still in my microwave at home -- and was quite happy. I got a few comments for having a fudgicle for breakfast, but I think they were all just jealous of my independent nature.

Then we hopped on bikes and started out. As luck would have it, the first section north of Kinomoto had some of the worst hills around. Like... terrible. Perhaps the worst of the trip. And that was within five minutes of starting. I was NOT a happy camper as I barely made it up the hills. Many people were walking their bikes. As we finally made the top, we passed through a tunnel in the mountain and stopped and took pictures of the lake as a cover for catching our breaths. And, we all stared, a little annoyed at the little boy who came barreling effortlessly out of the tunnel.

Luckily, then it was time to do down the hills. Having ridden my bike down The Hill at college fast enough that had a cop ever had been speedtrapping it when I went down I'd get fined, I have little fear of riding fast. So, while most of the group I had been with braked, I soared down and eventually matched pace with a second year guy.

We chatted as we biked together, leaving the rest of the group in our dust. I didn't know where I was going, so I figured I'd best keep up with him. His name was Daniel and he had done the bike ride the previous year. We had a lot in common. He'd lived in New York (where I was born) and Montana (where my father is from, in Bozeman, so we talked about the Baxter) and had lived in Wisconsin for twelve years. So, we cruised along quite happily.

Eventually, we stopped and met up with another group, who had stopped at a combini. We tried to work out with them (from the very confusing map) whether we were supposed to turn here or not. The group eventually decided we were to turn. I didn't know, as I'd lost my map (and would find it much later in the bottom of my bag in a crumpled mess.) Daniel wanted to stop in at the combini, so I stayed and waited while the rest of the group took off.

We eventually met back up with them, in a steep, hilly neighborhood. Apparently we took the most direct way up. It was a murderous incline, but a pretty scene. We all joined as one group and took off. We tooled around a bit through town and out of sight of the lake. Eventually, we asked directions of a local, to make sure we were going the right way. He took us under wing and acted as our own little tour guide, checking back to make sure we were following him.

At an intersection, he directed that we could go either way, but said one was prettier. We thanked him, and took off. The girl leading our group came to an abrupt stop about half a mile later. Just in sight was the Lake, only, we were now aimed to go back down the east side, from which we'd just come. We quickly turned around and took the “less beautiful” route and made it to the west side.

It was quite pretty. We stopped at one point and took some pictures near a lovely little rocky beachfront. Daniel, being tall, was not fitting on his little bike terribly well, so he put his backpack on the back carrier and used that as his new seat. He was riding now at more of an incline, but at least he could stretch his legs out. My bike is also too small for me, and this ride made me HATE that fact.

We met up with everyone for lunch at a Heiwado on the western side of the lake. Most people bought food there. I'd missed the memo that we would have more than combini for food or I wouldn't have been lugging my own around. I boguht $3 in chocolate. Then, I told my group not to leave without me (it really was no worry, as people too a very leisurely lunch) and rushed off into the floors of Heiwado to see if there was anywhere selling backpacks. As luck would have it, there was!

I had been doing this trip with my crew bag. It's a drawstring backpack, rather small, and the chords were digging into my shoulders. I didn't have a backpack in Japan and it would be practical for travel, so I decided now was the time to invest. They were also on sale for 20% off. I could have gotten one for cheaper, but I went for a good mid-range one with good size and straps to support heavy loads. I narrowed it down to two, then the saleslady gave me her advice and I took it.

I handed over the money, she cut the tags off the bag, and I left wearing it.

It was a wonderful, wonderful investment, giving me more carrying room and still the load felt lighter by the better weight distribution. I'll also use it when I bike around on my own, when I travel, and when going to away schools if I have lots of stuff to lug around.

I got a lot of comments about bringing my own food, and bringing so much of it. It make me quite embarrassed. I did enjoy my chocolate and I drank a lot of water. One of the other girls had bought a HUGE thing of bottled water and wasn't going to finish it, so I forced myself to drink probably two or more liters of it. It was important for me to stay hydrated.

I had brought sunscreen with myself and passed it around to some people who asked.

People wandered down to the beach and the boys (and me) were skipping stones. My stones always skipped,but the boys were throwing for maximum skips. I favored small ones. I did, however, find a great stone after sitting with the girls and passed it along to a grateful guy, who went and failed to skip it. Someone said they saw a centipede, which made me quite nervous about sitting in the sand, but I never saw one the whole trip.

We biked onward. We passed a park with a lot of red flowers. There were three people painting them and upwards of 20 walking around with cameras photographing them (even with fancy tripods.) We joked that these were probably some special, famous, rare flower we were unceremoniously blowing off.

We got twisted around a bit in a small town were the bike path we were on vanished. We didn't want to go bike on the expressway (for obvious reasons, although others were.) We heard singing, so we biked over toward a community center building where students were putting on a play. We gathered, the ten or so of us in the group and watched the scene – a big song and dance number – then politely clapped. I don't know if anyone actually noticed us watching. If they did, they didn't react. I did notice one girl who went behind a screen (right next to a window to change. I don't think she realised that put her into view of the rest of us outside. But, a mention later and it seems I was the only one to actually notice her changing. Not even the boys noticed the girl clad in a bra. I don't get it.

We wound a bit through town keeping on some side streets and going through some smaller neighborhoods where people were definitely not used to seeing Gaijins. In one neighborhood we saw a waterwheel, but I can't bike and photograph at the same time, so I have no picture of it.

We eventually made it back to the lakeshore and following my request actually biked on the paved quay next to the water. It was beautiful for the half-mile it lasted.

We met up with Andrew and company at a floating shrine. It's not THAT floating shrine, the national landmark and treasure, but it's still pretty. Lots of people came through and we all took pictures.

We then headed off toward the BB Dylan pension, a Bed and Breakfast named for Bob Dylan, as the owners are huge fans. Most of the group stayed there, but the overflow (including me) was at the BSC Pension about an hour down the road.

When we pulled up, people were getting ready to go to the onsen. I had spent most of the day with the onsen sketched in my mind as the only thing getting me through the sixty miles of biking. However, when I asked around none of the girls staying at my pension were also going to the onsen. I didn't want to bike it alone in the dark, especially as I didn't know where it was, so I was quite worried. I hung back a while as everyone checked in to see if anyone else from the BSC was also going. I finally received word that a guy named Marcus was also going to the onsen from the BSC. I was quite relieved to hear this.

We biked to the onsen. By now, my legs had had a bit of time to rest and the entire route was up hill. I nearly died. I had to keep up with the group because it was dark and I didn't know where I was going, but I eventually worked my way down to my lowest gear and still could barely stay vertical on the hills. It make me want to cry my legs hurt so badly, but I couldn't stop and walk my bike or I'd lose everyone.

We eventually made it to the onsen. We parked our bikes and (I) stumbled in. We put our shoes in a locker, and took the locker key to the counter. There, we used the vending machine to buy our tickets (I bought onsen and modesty towel, as I'd brought my own bath towel) and then turned to the counter and turned them in for a locker key (they took my shoe locker key) and a small towel.

We then separated girls and boys and went into locker rooms to strip. There, were stuffed our bags into the lockers designated by our keys, then put the bands around our ankles or wrists. Then, we walked naked, like everyone else, out into the onsen.

It was quite an experience, although I think I was raised in a liberal enough area to not be shocked by it. There were perhaps 30 naked Japanese women. We first went to one side, where we sat on short stools before individual vanities and used soaps to wash our hair, conditioner, and body wash to completely clean ourselves. We each had our own individual hand-held shower head, too. It was nice.

Then, once completely clean, we headed toward the indoor bath. Here, we soaked in the hot water (about 104) before heading outside to an equally hot tub in the cooler night air. I got to chatting with a few Japanese women and even got to know some of the ALTs better, or at least got names, which is always fun when you're meeting each other for the first time naked.

Eventually, we headed back inside and soaked in a cooler bath, although I wish it were cooler yet, then rinsed off again, and headed back to the locker rooms to change again. I managed to forget my modesty towel here, sadly, although I couldn't really have lugged a wet towel around. It was nonetheless an unfortunate oversight.

I managed to work a comb through my hair and felt human and almost pretty again after being dressed in practical and not flattering clothes all day.

We went to a small tatami room in the pension and most of the group ordered dinner. There was nothing for me (and believe it or not, they were out of RICE!) so I ate my stir fry, again, getting quite sick of it. The brown rice wasn't agreeing with me. On Japanese television, we watched a tv show that seemed to all be about adorable animals, like kittens and baby otters. Really, it was like YouTube videos on TV, only as a show. I had some chocolate.

Many of us stretched out exhausted on the floors, looking like a bunch of dead gaijin.

Then they were closing, so it was time for us to leave. Marcus and I met up. It turns out that there were a bunch of boys also from the BSC, but they had riden down already and had taken a taxi. They had just called another taxi, so I asked them to take my bag, which they gladly did. I was quite worried about the ride, given the state of my legs on the way over.

It was a pretty dark ride, although Marcus was a pleasant biking companion. He knows Ottawa-sensei very well (and is the only other ALT Ottawa-sensei has worked with) so we talked a bit there. The hills were torture, but my legs held up and we made it to the pension in decent time.

Once there, the boys led me upstairs. I saw their room, where they were setting out a thin pad and thin sleeping bags. They asked me to see what the girls' room had, especially if they had pillows. I was then shown the girls' room. It was about four times bigger than the boys' room. It would eventually turn out that the four girls had a room, and the boys had two rooms each ¼ that size. They also had four boys crammed into one of those, and three in the other. We had plenty of room.

As I was arriving, there were a few other girls there. I set down my bag and pulled out my futon stuff and set up my bed for the evening. The other girls were leaving to shower. And I was alone. And I decided that I wasn't going to just sit alone in the room, so I wandered hesitantly back to the boys' room, where I was invited in and got to report about the girls' set up.

Their shock was evident long before I finished listing that the girls' had pads, futons, sleeping bags, blankets, and comforters, but, like the boys, no pillows. I was invited to join them in drinking, but stated quite honestly that if I had any alcohol, I'd probably drop asleep instantly, so we stayed up talking. It was quite nice. A few boys returned from a combini run and one walked in saying, “We have a visitor! Of the female variety!” After having felt like a grungy, sweaty mess all day, this is when I finally felt human again. It was a really nice evening and good conversation. I even joined an expedition that went off to raid the supply closet. The boys got all the necessities the girls already had from there, and we all got pillows as well. The pillows were more like giant beanbags with pillow cases. But, quite comfey.

As the boys settled in to bed, I tip-toed back to my room and discovered all the girls already asleep. I grabbed my bag, slipped out again and went to the bathrooms across the parking lot, washed up, and slipped back in and to bed.