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this other onsen was very pretty and more spacious than the one i went to last night.
wish i could take pictures - the dressing area was decorated with Japanese fan motifs above the mirror stalls and the bath area had a gorgeous view of the gorge (but unfortunately the motorway bridge over the gorge was in plain sight as well).
we also went to try the outdoor pool after we saw 2 ladies return from there. we warmed up and once pass the sliding door, were surprised by the cute wooden boat bath (the width is just right for my legs to stretch to the other side of the boat). the front part of the boat sticks out of the building, but if one went past the bamboo shades to the front, everyone on the motorway can see you quite clearly.
and there was a rock pool bath as well.
taking a dip in winter is nice because i don't feel cold when i'm in the onsen.
that spongy round thing floating in the bowl is actually a pouch of yuba.
when it started snowing, we got super excited. this is the pond outside the main entrance of the hotel.
we passed by a white-blanketed playground on the way to the train station.
oh yes, we went to see the Yakushi-do (薬師堂) yesterday.
i have no photos as they are not allowed but it's a small hall where a serious monk demonstrated the famous 鳴竜 (video here) repeatedly to the passing tourists.
there is a huge dragon painted on the ceiling of the hall, and the monk would hit a wooden bell at a random area, then hit it directly under the head of the dragon. amazingly, the sound of the bell being hit under the dragon head would echo and reverberate clearly through the hall. the monk said it was the cry of the dragon that would bring good luck to visitors.
the mood was slightly spoiled by the sale of dragon-related souvenirs just after this presentation.
today we went to Nikko Futura-san Shrine 日光二荒山神社.
unfortunately, some think it is a wishing fountain and throw coins in, although there is a sign in Japanese and English telling people not to do so.
we drank the water from the spring. i didn't feel any different.
on the way out of Futura-san Shrine, i saw a lady with a suitcase praying at a tree by herself. i thought, wtf.
we went to look at what she was praying to - it was a Sacred Tree for Marriages (縁結び神木) with a place to hang wooden wishing boards that had pink hearts printed on them.
i guess the lady was serious about marriage.
it is notable for the great number of stone/bronze lanterns - 315 in total.
it's actually a mausoleum for the 3rd shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. it is glorious to explore as the further i went, the more i was rewarded, but one had to make the effort to climb up stairs as the sights were not visible from the ground.
after this first gate(仁王門) was a tall flight of stairs.
we went to fill our bottles with the water. it was embarrassing to do, but i enjoyed drinking it.
did the water taste different? yes, kinda like cool & refreshing mineral water.
