Hello from Kamikochi!
It is currently our second day staying inKkamikochi, which is kind of located in the northern part of Honshu (main island of japan). Kamikochi is located in the mountainous interior of japan and looks much different from any of the other areas we’ve visited so far. On arrival I almost forgot we were in japan because we are surrounded by mountains and trees instead of buildings and busy streets. The scenery of kamikochi probably is not what comes to mind when one thinks of japan, but in fact the majority of japan is mountainous and sparsely populated, as is Kamikochi.
Our first day here was warm and mostly sunny, and there were tourists everywhere hiking and snapping pictures. Most of us went on a 2-3 hour hike along the crystal clear Azusa river and we were very pleased to see lots of monkeys that we missed out on while on Miyajima Island! For dinner we were served fresh fish and vegetables…and I mean fresh. The main dish was a river fish that had been salted and cooked over a fire, but what was alarming was that the whole fish was still intact, head and all!
Today the weather was very different from yesterday. It rained all night and continued to sprinkle throughout the day, but everyone hiked for at least a couple of hours. Personally I didn’t mind the rain because it brought out a totally new view of Kamikochi. Instead of boasting in the sunlight, the mountains now appear mysterious behind a veil of clouds and fog. The river is more murky today and the trails are dark and secluded.
On the hike today Christina and I attempted to follow a path which is supposed to lead to one of the many peaks, but after about a mile and a half of hiking we were halted by left over snow from winter and had to turn back around. Near the end of our 4 hour hike we encountered the first monkeys we had seen all day! Most of the monkeys were feeding, ignoring our attempts to record them, except for one little monkey that got it in his head to charge at us! He charged several times, screeching and bearing his teeth, and when we tried to run away he ran after us for a little bit until he decided we weren’t a threat. And yes, I got it on video. What a great way to end a nice day of hiking!
Enjoy the blog entries and soon to be video blogs!
-Logan Swarts
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Hello from Marshalltown IA! Good to hear more from you! I googled 'Kamikochi Island Japan' & got to see some photos that supported Logan's comments. Wartburg's blog was #3 on the sites that popped up!!!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your final days in japan!
As I write this, it is your last full day in Japan, you're back in Tokyo, you're going to a Sumo Tournament today, and when we get up tomorrow (Friday, Iowa time), you'll be going to bed for the last time in Japan. I hope all of you have had a fabulous time, learned something about yourselves, and have found you've been transformed in some way. We'll see you at the airport in Cedar Rapids on Saturday, one hour after you "leave" Tokyo . Safe journey!
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