Nikko revisited

We went back to Nikko again this weekend, or more specifically up to Chuzen-ji lake above Nikko to get up in the cool temperatures and back out on the trails. Instead of braving the 45 minutes of switch backs twice daily. We spent an enormous sum, which will remain untold, to stay at hotel up at the lake. (the price did include breakfast) The hotel was, as we expected actually fairly shabby and staid despite the price, but the location was beautiful. As we sat on the dock of the lake at sun set, and sounds from a near by campsite carried across the water - the price still seemed bonkers - but quite possibly entirely worth it.

Most of our time at Chuzen-ji was spent walking - the hiking there continues to pleasantly surprise, and finally I think we saw the area, if not at its best, at a time that does it justice. (A far cry from our first trip with Kerry when we mainly saw the inside of an outdoor toilet) Fall is unquestionably considered the best time to visit the area and then apparently traffic chaos reigns as thousands descend on the town (atop 45 minutes of switchbacks) to admire the autumn leaves. But in the meantime, as the collective conscious of the nation has decided this is not the time to go to Chuzen-ji we were treated again to relatively (and I stress relative for those of you who live in the great American west) relatively sparsely populated trails. High on my list of pluses for the area, right behind sparse trails and proximity to Tokyo, is, or rather was, a lack of bears. Five or so years ago I was not even aware that I am terrified of bears. But there you have it, one Readers Digest article too many, (the one about the guy in Alaska) and while half my family casually coexists with our Urisidae brothers, I am terrified. As some sort of test of character, or was it devotion ... We honeymooned in the Canadian Rockies. Where aside from thwarting all romance with 11 layers of clothing, I spent much of the time gripped by The Fear - scanning the horizon for furry brown ears, exhausted by the need to constantly make our presence know with noise (making noise is not one of O's strong points) So the assumption that our little weekend get away is bear free is something I repeatedly reflected on with comfort and joy. I chalked the bear bells of fellow hikers up to a Japanese fondness for being extremely well outfitted. (bear bells are just that, bells you hang of your backpack, so that they hopefully hear you coming and amble off) Some times ignorance is bliss, and we are not just ignorant we are more or less illiterate. But the writing was on the wall, and the trees, there's bears in them there hills.