Iwate

Scarlett was once again back in Japan and after our Izu trip earlier this year, it seems like it was time to hit the road with Lisa again. The destination for this trip was Iwate. I haven't even heard of it til Scarlett mentioned it and after looking at some photos, I decided to go for it.

We took a bullet train to Morioka where Lisa had reserved a rental car and from there we were off for a 1 hour ride down towards Michinoku Folk Village. The path leading towards the village took us through a forest which immediately led to a drastic change in temperature. It was a very welcome one at that, as it was really hot! We found the folk village to be devoid of people and it was an honor to be able to walk around having it all to ourselves. Scarlett wanted to try out the embroidery so while she was doing her thing, Lisa and I took a walk around the village and tried to catch up on each other's lives. We also tried to play some old children's toys and when Scarlett finished, we went back to the car and stopped by a FamilyMart to grab some food.

It was going to be another hour to get to Geibikei Gorge. It had started to rain and was drizzling on and off but when we got there, the clouds parted way for some sun and just in time too. We got on our boat for a 1 hour and 30 minute cruise down the river. Our boatman pointed out the different sights around the gigantic gorge including some caves, shrines, and boulders. For me though, the main highlight was the school of fish following our boat all throughout. I think it was partly due to the people having fish food and they have been trained to follow the boat after so many years, there were also ducks so it felt like I was in some sort of fairytale, surrounded by nature and animals. At the end of the river was a small wharf where we got off to throw special stones inside a hole in a wall. Legend has it that if it goes in then your wish comes true. Scarlett and I had a go but we didn't get any of ours in.

The way back was just as relaxing, our boatman then started to sing a folk song that had been sung for 99 years now! When we got back, then it started to rain but that wasn't enough to deter us from getting some ice cream. We enjoyed it right in front of the waterfall while the rain poured. A random American with thick glasses started talking to us randomly, making small talk which was pretty weird but okay.

Our last spot of the day was Genbikei Gorge, not to be mistaken with Geibikei which was on the other side. Since we had no more time to visit the Temples of Hiraizumi, this was a great alternative and the correct one as well as golden hour started to cast its radiant glow. We decided to walk around the 30-minute trail where we got sidetracked by mushrooms. Scarlett was a fan apparently, and she even called up her mycologist friend as we started to do some mushroom hunting. After the roundabout, we stopped by the gazebo with an overlook of the river and waterfall, the colors much more dazzling this time around. There were a few feral cats hanging around here as well. When we were done, we saw the family of cats all hanging around, there were about 5 of them which gave me plenty of photography opportunities.

Before heading to our ryokan, Zuisenkyo, we decided to stop by a restaurant that I found called Yamanakaya where they were serving both the famous Morioka Reimen and yakiniku, so in this case, everyone was happy. We had to wait a while before our number got called but once we got settled in, Scarlett and Lisa chowed down on plenty of meat while I tried the reimen and some chicken and squid.

Our ryokan was quite a fancy one too, with nice panoramic views of the gorge. After we checked-in, I hurriedly went to the onsen to find that it was empty. I had the whole place to myself. It had 6 pools and a sauna to boot! Outside was also quite cool so I found myself enjoying and rotating between the outdoor pools more. With my body and mind fully relaxed and rejuvenated, I headed back to our room to catch some sleep.Læs mere