We had a 90-minute bus ride through the mountains to our next onsen at Yufuin. As we reached the summit of the pass we were going over, a pre-recorded song began to play on the loud speaker system of the bus. I, of course, couldn't understand the words, but Andrea tells me it is a "mountain song" about how we were going over the top of the mountain and that there was no need to be concerned because our bus driver kept us safe, yada, yada, yada. What a hoot.
We arrived at Yufuin, which actually is a little town surrounded by mountains, the most prominent being Mt. Yufu. We decided to stow our bags at the train station and walk around the town. The streets are full of shop, galleries, restaurants, and places to buy souvenirs. A little like the North Conway of Kyushu without the mountaineering stores. But is was a gorgeous day and it was fun to walk around and take it all in.
Our ryokan is a little on the outskirts of town, with a great view of Mt. Yufu (although the mountains below do not include Mt. Yufu). It has a couple of outdoor baths that take advantage of the views of the mountains and it was relaxing at the end of the day just to soak and soak in the lovely surroundings.
Our server was a 22-year old young woman (Ms. Takeshita) who had grown up in Fukuoka. A bubbly personality and cute as a button. Andrea and I liked her a lot (although Andrea accused me of liking her just a little bit more). The meal, served in our room, was delicious.
The rhythm of the vacation has generally been after dinner maybe taking a bath, but otherwise reading or watching a little mostly Japanese TV (real meaningful for me) and then off to bed early. The ryokans and towns we have been staying in are not real night life places. Fine with me. Very relaxing.
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