Snow Monkeys

Today started with another fantastic meal at the ryokan - boiled fishcakes with fresh wasabi, scrambled eggs, potato salad with gorgeous rainbow radish slices, miso, rice and mushrooms (lots of mushrooms). It snowed overnight so outside it was a winter wonderland of fresh powdery soft snow. We checked out of the ryokan and spent the morning at the snow monkey park. The kids went a bit nuts with excitement. Just before we were due to leave, Henry fell into an icy pond up to his neck. I still don't know exactly what happened and feel a bit sick about how it could have turned out. I suspect he tried to walk on the icy surface, misjudging its thickness !!$#@ Anyway, he managed to scramble his way out, and we took him back to the ryokan where Katsuyoshi and his wife let him have a hot bath in the spring and then made us all coffee and hot lemon drinks. They gave us towels and even some spare gum boots since his waterproof hiking boots were now completely soaking (and due to their waterproof nature not releasing any water from inside !).
After that drama we made our way back down the mountain, retraced our steps to Yudanaka and Nagano (to collect our large suitcases) and then on to our next destination...Read more