Were stateside now, and attempting to adjust to time zone changes.
But still a few stories left to come from our Japanese Adventure!
But still a few stories left to come from our Japanese Adventure!
On our Must do in Japan list was a fancy Ryokan. We've stayed in a few Ryokans in Japan, lovely old old inns with kind folks running the ship. Delicious authentic homemade food that wasn't exactly a match for our tastebuds. But still on our list, a super fancy one in a gorgeous location. Experiencing the best of the best.
So we take full advantage of the governments funded travel campaign, a 30% discount on our booking and eagerly head to the mountains. Nestled along a bubbling stream, we check in and are greeting by the Welcoming Ceremony. We stand awkwardly by as they bang on a nearby gong and begin telling us all about the Inn.
We're given a tour of the common spaces, then led to our room. They point out the special features, a massage chair, ingredients for fresh tea and the stairs to our very own Onsen!!! We have big plans for the evening, a dip in the Onsen, a break to let our body temperatures cool off, then back into the hot hot water to ease our stresses away.
A few dipping cycles later and it's time to head to dinner. Dinner which first we cross the most beautiful bridge swaying over the stream below. We're greeted and led to our own private room! The Nakai-san begins describing our dinner, pointing out all the details in the menu below. Traditionally dinner is an all evening affair, "Each dish is extravagantly prepared, using plenty of seasonal ingredients all so beautifully presented that it will fill you with admiration for a while"
We settle in, amazed at the beautiful bites laid out in front of us and listen attentively to all the descriptions. We smile and nod and agree with everything. Our Nakai-san catches on to our lack of understanding and begins using smaller words that we understand, so grateful she does as she's starts describing how to tell when our firegrilled meats are ready for consuming. The fish she points out will be ready when the 'water' stops dripping from it's gaping mouth. Upon closer inspection I realize it's not water, it's blood. Poor fishy blood that ever so often drips from the mouth to the ashes below. We knew with these fancy traditional dinners there would be some food challenges as we lovingly call them.
Part of living abroad is embracing the awkward moments that come from not understanding the language or culture or otherwise making a fool of ones self in front of others. Usually we are able to mitigate these situations and after a year of living here they are happening less and less often.
Until tonight. You see the photo above on the left, the bamboo bits carefully balanced over the fire? And notice the photo on the right, where they are no longer balanced just right to slowly warm the contents over the charcoal. During checkin they asked us if we wanted Sake, yes of course- 2 please. This apparently was in addition to the other fun Sakes I preordered when booking our reservation. No problem, one can not have too much sake at dinner.
Our Nakai-san points them out to us along with how to pour into our glasses and careful return the bamboo pitcher to its artfully balanced location. First glass is delicious and tasty and I'm ready to try my hand at pouring my second. Now I know it's gonna be warm so I prepare myself. A successful pour and now it's time to rebalance the bamboo pitcher. Well, all of the sudden our Nakai-san returns with more food! Distracted by her presence and eager to get out of her way I not so carefully attempt to rebalance my bamboo pitcher.
As a child of 2 engineers, married to another, I know things about angles and fulcrums and balancing and momentum. But my brain does not automatically calculate the precise angle at which I need to place the bamboo pitcher in order for it to maintain balance. So as the Nakai-san greets us and begins setting out the next course of our dinner, I quickly place the pitcher in the ashes and move out of her way. Just as gravity begins taking over and pulling my not so carefully balanced pitcher straight onto the fire. I start to reach for it, apologizing profusely. Then realize I should not be reaching my hand towards the blazing hot coals.
Nakai-san is a professional and quickly lifts it up, rebalancing it all while apologizing herself. Clearly this was not a her thing, this was a me thing. Profoundly embarrassed I'm determined not to cause anymore trouble and listen attentively to her description of all the delicious food.
Until tonight. You see the photo above on the left, the bamboo bits carefully balanced over the fire? And notice the photo on the right, where they are no longer balanced just right to slowly warm the contents over the charcoal. During checkin they asked us if we wanted Sake, yes of course- 2 please. This apparently was in addition to the other fun Sakes I preordered when booking our reservation. No problem, one can not have too much sake at dinner.
Our Nakai-san points them out to us along with how to pour into our glasses and careful return the bamboo pitcher to its artfully balanced location. First glass is delicious and tasty and I'm ready to try my hand at pouring my second. Now I know it's gonna be warm so I prepare myself. A successful pour and now it's time to rebalance the bamboo pitcher. Well, all of the sudden our Nakai-san returns with more food! Distracted by her presence and eager to get out of her way I not so carefully attempt to rebalance my bamboo pitcher.
As a child of 2 engineers, married to another, I know things about angles and fulcrums and balancing and momentum. But my brain does not automatically calculate the precise angle at which I need to place the bamboo pitcher in order for it to maintain balance. So as the Nakai-san greets us and begins setting out the next course of our dinner, I quickly place the pitcher in the ashes and move out of her way. Just as gravity begins taking over and pulling my not so carefully balanced pitcher straight onto the fire. I start to reach for it, apologizing profusely. Then realize I should not be reaching my hand towards the blazing hot coals.
Nakai-san is a professional and quickly lifts it up, rebalancing it all while apologizing herself. Clearly this was not a her thing, this was a me thing. Profoundly embarrassed I'm determined not to cause anymore trouble and listen attentively to her description of all the delicious food.
Fast forward to her next visit (and tray of deliciousness) and I promptly knock my chopsticks onto the floor. More apologizing, from both of us. And speculating just how many people she went on to tell the story of the silly foreigners who kept dropping everything at dinner.
Which was fantastic and delish! Each tray full of small dishes beautifully presenting bites of deliciousness. Many unique things, a few food challenges but a wonderfully fantastic dinner at a fancy Ryokan. Where we only slightly or more than slightly embarrassed ourselves.
Which was fantastic and delish! Each tray full of small dishes beautifully presenting bites of deliciousness. Many unique things, a few food challenges but a wonderfully fantastic dinner at a fancy Ryokan. Where we only slightly or more than slightly embarrassed ourselves.
Dessert and breakfast were equally as delicious and the perfect way to start our day. More dips in the Onsen, then time to check out and explore this new to us corner of Nikko National Park.