Tuesday, October 30, 2012
I got up
quite early and the scene outside the window had hardly changed from the
previous night. I was wondering if I would be too early by the 06.10 train and
waited a while in the room. After entrusting my luggage with the hotel owner,
with just my backpack and warm clothing, I walked down to shin-uozu. “deserted”
came to my mind. The stationmasters cabin was locked. Not a soul on the
platform. After some time an elderly gentleman came on to the platform followed
by a younger person. I approached them and enquired “Unazuki onsen? Tickets?” A confused response followed as the train
pulled into the station. The elderly gentleman signalled me into the train. I
got in confused and made my way to the motorman’s cabin and said enquiringly
“Unazuki onsen? Tickets?”
He nodded and
motioned me to the coach. I looked back still confused. Saw a strange looking
machine in the middle and noticed the slot for the currency bills.
I slid a
1000yen bill in and the sounds of coins gave me a transient relief; out came
coins. I counted…ten 100yen coins. Change vending machine?? But then the other
two passengers had not paid either. I took a window seat and enjoyed the
countryside rolling by as the train passed through little villages towards the
mountains.
Numerous small stops for the train but very few passengers at this
time of the day.
I reached Unazuki onsen and asked the driver again about the
ticket. He pointed towards the station building where I found the station
master and paid him for the journey.
7am and it was chilling cold as I walked towards
the station housing the gorge railway. I took a ticket to Keyakidaira; the
booking office staff spoke good English and warned me to take the covered
wagons to beat the cold. I didn't want the reflection of the glass on my
photographs and bravely took the ticket for the open wagon. I had the entire wagon for myself!
As the train
pulled out of the station I got the first glimpse of the shin-yamabiko (bridge that echoes the sound of the train).
A marvelous piece of architecture blending with the landscape but painted bright
red with the background of autumn colors was worth the view. As the train
chugged along the mountainside, I could see the Kurobe river
with the blue
water, the castle-like shin-yanagawara power house.
I had my hearts fill of autumn colours in
this hour’s journey.
The final stop, Keyakidaira; alighted and followed
the other visitors. I was aware of multiple trekking paths from this point and
decided to take one going downstream. As I descended, I noticed a couple at the
footbath.
As I joined them to soak my feet, conversation came spontaneously. No
shenkei geka did the trick? We helped each other with photographs.
They were retired teachers and enjoyed
conversing with me as we walked downstream to Sarutobi (Monkey jumping rock)
where the stream took a Z turn. The gorge is narrow at this stretch, earning its name from a legend that monkeys jumped across the stream here. En route we clicked at the Owl tree.
As we headed back to Keyakidaira, three familiar faces stopped me on my tracks.
They were as surprised to see me as I was to see them. The three kids of the
family I had met yesterday at Uozu. Their father, Mr Hiroki Mihira was also
pleasantly surprised to see me. I told them to pose and clicked and waved
goodbye.
A few steps later, the mother of the children, Mrs Yuka Mihira was
pleased to meet me again and we exchanged email addresses. I caught up with the
teacher couple and started on the trek across the station into the mountains,
through "Hitokui-iwa" (people eating
rock- the pathway was cut through solid rock and the overhanging rock apears as if to swallow people).
As we followed the trail upstream I could see the snow covered Japanese
alps in the distance.
We trekked about 3kilometres upstream to the Babadani onsen
and had a refreshing bath. By half past eleven, we started on our way back to
Keyakidaira station and parted ways there. I strolled through the curio outlets
and lazily took the ticket back to Unazuki Onsen. The trains that we crossed on
the way down were more crowded.
Good that I had started early. I spent some
more time at Unazuki photographing the bridges
and autumn colours, reading
about the old locomotive that was used during the construction of the Kurobe
dam.
I then took a train back to Uozu.
Nothing seems to change in Uozu; feels
like time comes to a standstill at Uozu. I went to the same joint and this time
I didn’t have any trouble getting the curry and rice in separate bowls. I
picked up my baggage from the hotel, thanked him and walked upto the station,
took a local train to Toyama.
I got up
quite early and the scene outside the window had hardly changed from the
previous night. I was wondering if I would be too early by the 06.10 train and
waited a while in the room. After entrusting my luggage with the hotel owner,
with just my backpack and warm clothing, I walked down to shin-uozu. “deserted”
came to my mind. The stationmasters cabin was locked. Not a soul on the
platform. After some time an elderly gentleman came on to the platform followed
by a younger person. I approached them and enquired “Unazuki onsen? Tickets?” A confused response followed as the train
pulled into the station. The elderly gentleman signalled me into the train. I
got in confused and made my way to the motorman’s cabin and said enquiringly
“Unazuki onsen? Tickets?”
He nodded and
motioned me to the coach. I looked back still confused. Saw a strange looking
machine in the middle and noticed the slot for the currency bills.
I slid a
1000yen bill in and the sounds of coins gave me a transient relief; out came
coins. I counted…ten 100yen coins. Change vending machine?? But then the other
two passengers had not paid either. I took a window seat and enjoyed the
countryside rolling by as the train passed through little villages towards the
mountains.
Numerous small stops for the train but very few passengers at this
time of the day.
I reached Unazuki onsen and asked the driver again about the
ticket. He pointed towards the station building where I found the station
master and paid him for the journey.
7am and it was chilling cold as I walked towards
the station housing the gorge railway. I took a ticket to Keyakidaira; the
booking office staff spoke good English and warned me to take the covered
wagons to beat the cold. I didn't want the reflection of the glass on my
photographs and bravely took the ticket for the open wagon. I had the entire wagon for myself!
As the train
pulled out of the station I got the first glimpse of the shin-yamabiko (bridge that echoes the sound of the train).
A marvelous piece of architecture blending with the landscape but painted bright
red with the background of autumn colors was worth the view. As the train
chugged along the mountainside, I could see the Kurobe river
with the blue
water, the castle-like shin-yanagawara power house.
I had my hearts fill of autumn colours in
this hour’s journey.
The final stop, Keyakidaira; alighted and followed
the other visitors. I was aware of multiple trekking paths from this point and
decided to take one going downstream. As I descended, I noticed a couple at the
footbath.
As I joined them to soak my feet, conversation came spontaneously. No
shenkei geka did the trick? We helped each other with photographs.
They were retired teachers and enjoyed
conversing with me as we walked downstream to Sarutobi (Monkey jumping rock)
where the stream took a Z turn. The gorge is narrow at this stretch, earning its name from a legend that monkeys jumped across the stream here. En route we clicked at the Owl tree.
As we headed back to Keyakidaira, three familiar faces stopped me on my tracks.
They were as surprised to see me as I was to see them. The three kids of the
family I had met yesterday at Uozu. Their father, Mr Hiroki Mihira was also
pleasantly surprised to see me. I told them to pose and clicked and waved
goodbye.
A few steps later, the mother of the children, Mrs Yuka Mihira was
pleased to meet me again and we exchanged email addresses. I caught up with the
teacher couple and started on the trek across the station into the mountains,
through "Hitokui-iwa" (people eating
rock- the pathway was cut through solid rock and the overhanging rock apears as if to swallow people).
As we followed the trail upstream I could see the snow covered Japanese
alps in the distance.
We trekked about 3kilometres upstream to the Babadani onsen
and had a refreshing bath. By half past eleven, we started on our way back to
Keyakidaira station and parted ways there. I strolled through the curio outlets
and lazily took the ticket back to Unazuki Onsen. The trains that we crossed on
the way down were more crowded.
Good that I had started early. I spent some
more time at Unazuki photographing the bridges
and autumn colours, reading
about the old locomotive that was used during the construction of the Kurobe
dam.
I then took a train back to Uozu.
Nothing seems to change in Uozu; feels
like time comes to a standstill at Uozu. I went to the same joint and this time
I didn’t have any trouble getting the curry and rice in separate bowls. I
picked up my baggage from the hotel, thanked him and walked upto the station,
took a local train to Toyama.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNice Writings and photos.
ReplyDeleteWere the leaves in full Autumn colors at the end of October?