The good news is that neither of the two log cabins had been booked, so we were able to have one cabin for last night for ¥4000 (approximately $38 Cdn.) Yeah! Most of our belongings were wet, so we quickly put up our clothesline and used every possible space to hang up our wet things. We set up our sleeping mats and sleeping bags, Barry made us a hot drink…. It feels wonderful to be in a dry, warm place.
Barry went to the cooking area to boil some water for coffee. He opened the lid and a snail had taken up residence. He was released and given the opportunity to live another day. After all, the snail could have been breakfast! Despite being undercover all night. Our trikes and seats were still very wet.
Meanwhile, I was busy tidying our cabin and making it look like she we arrived. Our cosy log cabin was perfect for us. As Japanese people sleep and eat close to the floor, the design is very minimalist. With our sleeping mats inflated, our sleeping bags laid out and the comfy chairs at our disposal, we had everything we needed. A good outcome.
The only issue with our cabin is that wee ants live in crevices on the log walls. If a speck of food is dropped, it will become covered in ants in no time. We had to be tidy and vigilant.
This is a Katydid who has climbed on my trike. There are 8,000 different kinds of Katydid and their distinctive features include a leaf like camouflage, long antennae and unique songs. They seem to enjoy recumbent trikes as well.
At Yawatahama we are getting a ferry to Beppu on Kyushu. We will be staying yin the hills, called Hell, due to the plumes of steam in the air from hot springs.
The newer tunnels have a very generous wide sidewalk for pedestrians and cyclists. This is great as we usually can’t ride, away from traffic, in the older tunnels.
It is a fairly common practice for hotels in Japan to offer free beverages to their guests in the evening. It ranges from a wide assortment of alcoholic drinks, soft drinks and tea or coffee.
For us…and particularly Barry, it is a tight squeeze for us to fit at these low tables. I can’t sit with my knees flat or bent and Barry is just too tall. It was a tight squeeze, but worth it.
We went for dinner to a long established Izakaya in Yawatahama, run and hosted by a senior couple. An Izakaya is very small in size and is known for the quality of its food. This Izakaya is known for 2 specialities…champon noodles and Okonomiyaki. We sat in the tatami mat section where we had our own booth with a hot plate.
It takes some time (about 30 minutes) for our choice to be cooked on the hot plate on our table. It is fascinating to watch the process of how they are prepared.
We chose the Mixed Okonomiyaki which includes shrimp, squid, pork,veggies, mustard and mayonnaise, herbs etc. Trust me, it is delicious and the best we have eaten.
Wow. It was an incredible experience to have our food prepared at our table and in a place of such character and longevity. In the truest sense of the word, this Izakaya is a “mom and pop” operation.
