Day 8 - Worth Every Penny

Total walking: 10km (6.2 miles) Total elevation gain: 236m (774ft)

Breakfast this morning was as extensive as dinner had been the night before. Since breakfast was in the ryokan, Lisa dressed in her yukata again. Good choice as breakfast was traditional both in offering and in the way it's served. First, there was white bait and grated daikon, alongside rice and pickled. The toppings, then came miso soup, and fish grilled on individual braziers. There was tamago, egg, omelette, and tea alongside plain cooked vegetables. Then came marinated vegetables in a clear broth. Finally, we were given plain yogurt and strawberry jam.

Departing our lovely ryokan accommodation, we boarded a dedicated vehicle, which we retained throughout the day. Our walk today was along a section of the Honzaka-kaido, a 60km (37.2 mile) diversion route off the main Tokaido. This road was better known as the Hime-kaido, or Princess Way, as it was used by women avoiding the barrier station at Arai, which was infamous for its strict inspections of female travellers. It also allowed the circumvention of the dangerous crossing between Maisaka and Arai, post towns sited on either side of the inlet between Hamana-ko and the Pacific Ocean.

Our walk went up and over the Inasa-toge, a pass, through citrus orchards and natural forests. The pathway here was also the one taken by the elephants gifted to the emperor. The elephants made sure on the western edge of Japan and needed to be transported over land to Tokyo. The rocky descent down the other side was among cedar forests. We took lunch at the top of the pass nibbling on a picnic lunch. We picked up at a family Mart earlier in the day. Jon had two types of salad, one green, the other pasta along with an egg sandwich while Lisa had an onigiri and fruit sando (cream and fruit between two slices of white bread with the crust is cut off).

Re-boarding our vehicle for the last stage of our journey to Yuya Onsen, a delightful village in a pleasant riverside setting, we took a twenty min drive through some of the many tunnels Japan dug through their mountains. We left the bus early to take a short stroll to stretch our legs along the Ure River.

Lisa is in love with our ryokan (hotel). Top 5 accommodation, hands down, might even be first. The room is cedar lined and enormous. We not only have our own private bath, but it includes a private onsen, a wooden tub filled with hot mineral water. The best part is that both the onsen and a small seating area overlook the Ure waterfall. Although there is a public on send available in the ryokan, the outdoor option, for women, isn't available until tomorrow morning. So Lisa and the women we've been traveling with plan to enjoy the scenery and one last morning together tomorrow.

Tonight was our final meal together. It was another multiple course offering with dishes appearing one after another. We began with sashimi, marinated bamboo shoots and mountain vegetables, alongside pickled daikon radish. Then came the whole fish baked in salt and followed by miso soup, udon noodles with miso topping, Shabu-Shabu with vegetables that we cooked ourselves in a thick broth, rice steamed with mountain vegetables, clear broth, and cooked edamame inside a sweet jelly topped with powdered soybean.

We're sad to be leaving our little travel group. As Jillian put it today, it's surprising that a week ago we'd never known each other. One of the great joys of travel is how often do you get to have encounters like we have in the last few days. In addition to our amazing tour companions we've also met so many people living their everyday lives. We walked through people's back gardens and stopped to take pictures of the bushes growing in their yard. John, our tour guide, has been diligently examining every border hedge between here and Tokyo planning out what he's going to do in his own yard when he returns home tomorrow.

We're also sad to be leaving rural Japan. After the hustle and bustle of Tokyo and what's to come in the tourist Mecca of Kyoto, this experience has been a calm, relaxing slice of heaven. No matter how many feet of elevation or steep 30° inclines over wet rocks, we've had to climb. It's been an absolute pleasure to share this experience with these people in this place.