Kurokawa Onsen

Our stay at the Yamamizuki was really nice.  At first, we were not terribly impressed with Kurokawa Onsen.  We arrived at the bus stop and were deposited into what seemed like nowhere.  There didn't really seem to be a town anywhere.  And there sort of wasn't.  It turns out that Kurokawa Onsen is really a collection of many ryokans, all of which take advantage of the hot springs and offer peace, tranquility, etc. etc.  The area itself is pretty reminiscent of any mountain setting - you could imagine being in the mountains in North Georgia or North Carolina (with which I have some familiarity).  And spring had not yet come to the area.  The evergreens in the area were cedar trees, which obviously isn't the same as in North Carolina, and the deciduous trees had not yet begun to leaf.

The Yamamizuki was tucked away along a stream.  Although it is only 20 or so years old, it was built with timber that had been reclaimed from structures many, many years older.  It had a nice feel.  The dinner, served in our room, was one of the better ones that we've had.  A few pictures on that below:

In the morning, the sky was completely clear and the air was delicious.  I went for a walk to explore the surroundings.  Not much going on on "ryokan row,"  but it was nice to be out and see the landscape.  Here are a few pictures from my walk.  The first is of the next ryokan up the road; the second just a snapshot of the mountains off in the distance.  The last is the sign that I came up to and I believe it relates to a walking trail in the area.  Since I hadn't the foggiest idea what it said, I decided to just turn around and head back the way I came.

The other thing about the Yamamizuki was the outdoor bath.  It was amazing.  Set along the little river, right next to a waterfall, it was by far the most picturesque rotenburo (outside bath) was have yet seen on our trip.  Sitting in steaming hot water, watching the waterfall and the river run by.  It doesn't get much better.

We left the Yamamizuki to catch an 11:26 bus to Yufuin.  They took our picture as we left.

And one more thing, lest you think that Yamamizuki is not thoroughly modern, take a look at what was waiting for us in our room:

This nifty little machine ground the fresh roasted beans and made a pretty darn god cup of coffee.  A real oasis for a coffee addict in a desert of green tea drinkers.