Saturday 13th April
We had the chance of a lie-in, which was very welcome, after which we started to explore a bit more. The main activity for the day, for some, was to go to Hiezan Mountain and look at the newly re-opened botanical gardens.
Breakfast was a first priority, and for some an introduction to onigiri, green triangular affairs of a crisp seaweed leaf wrapped around rice with a meat centre. Oh they were gorgeous. Others had a McDonalds.
Taxis ferries us to Demachiyanag station where we met they others. Jane was there to guide us through the unfamiliar train and ticket system.
We arrived at the nature park having already ascended a fair way, and from there we walked up the trail to the station for the funicular. This took us a long way up, so high our ears popped. At this half-way point was the station for the cable car. Even here the views were spectacular in a bright and sunny morning air. Some took the cable car, others walked up to the botanical gardens. A lovely walk up the trail through the woods to the top of the mountain.
Inside the botanical gardens was a cafe, a perfect spot for lunch, and a beer. It was one of those perfectly relaxing moments, sitting in the sun looking out over the landscape from the top of a mountain with a cold beer and a pork curry, and decent Internet access.
After lunch we went for a walk around the gardens. They had landscaped the gardens to mirror the scenes from impressionist’s paintings, so there were miniature lakes and bridges set next to a preproduction of Monet’s ‘Water Lillys’.
As always it seemed no time had gone before it was time to leave, and again a group of us walked down the trail to the funicular station while others took the cable car, then down the mountain to the bottom and along the trail to the train station.
Back at the main station we had a team meeting. A group of us wanted to go to the Philosophers’ Path to see the last of the cherry blossom, it was falling from the trees so this was probably the last chance, while others set of for food or back to hotels. We set off and caught a bus to the beginning of the path. There was enough of the cherry blossom and of the late afternoon light to see it and appreciate it and get an idea of what it would be like in full bloom.
After that it was back to the area around the hotel and to find somewhere to eat.
There was, of course, only one way to finish the day – a beer. We went to “Sensei’s secret bar”, and half-way through drinks who should appear? Sensei. More beer and chatting and laughing. It was around this time Sensei Riley made another profound observation: sleep is for the dead, beer is for the living.
