onsen

on my last night of homestay Kikawa-sensei suggested we go to an onsen - a tradtional japanese hot spring. they area all over japan. hot water is leaking out everywhere.

the mihara onsen is nothing like i imagined - which was a remote pond on a mountain top. It was like a casino!! four storeys high with separate baths for men and women. in the change room are scores of wrinkly old ladies just cruising around in the buff. i was self conscious at first, my western proportions could not have been more other.

The bathing area is divided into a dozen or so different pools. some are the onsen themselves - brown cola water bubbling into tiled pools at around 40 degrees. I sat in these for a bit and then treid the novelty pools where you can get various bubble massages and even one where electric current is passed through the water making your muscles seize up so you become temporarily paralyzed - fingers crumpled against your chest. weird but good!

we wallowed for about an hour and then went back down to the public seating area in our gowns. there are giant tvs quitely playing japanese soapies and rows upon rows of lazy boy chairs. babies on mommies chests and old men are dotted about - all uit ge pas, its so peaceful. so thats what we did too. it was dim lit and air conditioned and heavenly.

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