天気：晴れ
Well, I’m late… We didn’t end up getting home from karaoke until 3:30 this morning, so I didn’t wake up till 10. I got ready and packed as quickly as possible; I’m bringing the bare minimum. After talking with family, and printing off the hotel booking information and a map, I made my way out to the bus stop. It’s a sunny, but windy day, but I guess that’s much better than rain. It’s the open campus day today, and I say Rebecca and Chelsea off this morning. I remember doing it last semester; it seems so long ago now… Anyway, I’m on the limited express to Tambabashi, onto Kyoto, and then Hikone to meet Alex…
12:28pm 新快速
Now I’m on the special rapid express to Hikone from Kyoto, on the 東海道本線 (Tokaido main line). I should be there in about 45 minutes; I’m coming Alex!!!
5:54pm ホテル
We got to the hotel about 30 minutes ago. We’re staying at the 彦根びわこホテル (Hikone Biwako Hotel), and the room is great; the beds are so comfortable. We’re on the 4th floor, right across from the elevator. In order for the power to work, you have to put the key in a slot just inside the door, which I think is really cool; just like magic… After getting to Hikone, I found a Makkas across the road from the station and ate lunch there, asking Alex to meet me; turns out she was already in the station, sitting in the waiting room. She soon arrived, and we had a bit of a catch up before making our way down the main street towards t
he castle. It was about a 10 minute walk till we hit the end of the street, and we noticed a shrine across the road, so we decided to check it out. It was called 護国神社 (gokoku jinja – lit. “Protect Country Shrine), and it turned out to be a war memorial shrine; the name hinted toward this fact. There were a number of statues, dedicated to the men who fell in war, the women and children, and even the animals (horses, dogs, and pigeon) that were involved in war; it was very beautiful. It was so quiet too; we were the only people there.
We soon made our way over to the castle, past the white-washed walls, over the moat, up stairs, and across bridges. Before entering the keep, we had a look around the grounds, did a bit of souvenir shopping, and took in the stunning view of the city and Lake Biwa. Like Himeji castle, we had to take our shoes off inside the keep, and carry them around in bags. It was quite small in comparison to the other castles I’ve been to (only 3 storeys), but it was still pretty cool. Inside, there were artefacts on display, and oh my gosh the stairs were steep, probably the steepest I’ve had to climb. Alex was a little worried, but we went up and down without any dramas, and were soon out. After t
hat, we made our way around the back of the castle, and down a heap of stairs, before crossing a bridge at 黒門 (kuromon – “black gate”). In the moat below, there was a pair of white swan, presumably a male/female couple. The female was making a nest on the shore, and the male was diligently patrolling the waters; it was a wonderful sight to see. After a bit of a walk, we found ourselves at 玄宮園 (Genkyuen), which was an amazingly beautiful garden; so many great photos. Soon after, we exited the castle and made our way over to here, about a half an hour’s walk once we got on the right track; the map helped a lot. Check-in extremely simple; I just had to write my name and phone number, and pay, and we were set. It looks like they have a great selection of facilities, including a pool and spa, so I might go and check them out later. Right now though, I’m happy to just relax…
9:30pm ホテル
I’m munching on sakura mochi; so yummy! Alex has only just been introduced to the wonders of mochi, and while at first she didn’t like the texture, she’s quickly getting used to it; they sell bags of it in the Lawsons across from the hotel. We’ve just come back from having dinner at a ラメン屋 (Ramen store) called “六本木 (Roppongi) House”, which
is kind of epic as Roppongi is the name of a well known district in Tokyo. Anyway, the ramen was amazing; I got pork, and Alex got tomato. We stayed there and talked for a while, and then we went to Lawsons to pick up some dessert. I tried this strange coconut yoghurt/jelly thing that Ash had been talking about the previous night (coincidently), and it tasted pretty good; though not something I would buy again… Earlier this evening, I decided to go down the 2nd floor and check out the bath, and while the set up was pretty typical, the baths themselves were surprisingly untraditional; they were more like Jacuzzi. The water was coloured green and scented, and water jets were used in two of the tubs. Still, it was very warm, and very relaxing; I didn’t end up staying too long though, as it was also quite boring. Getting back, I lazed around, and read another chapter of Reborn; I’m getting faster! Anyway, we’re probably going to get some sleep soon, as we have a big day planned for tomorrow…
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