I head towards my Ryokan and step inside. Its empty. I linger unsure of what to do when a petite elderly lady shuffles out. She bows and welcomes me in further, pointing to some slippers at my feet. A neat row of them awaits guests. I’ve barely had time to swap when she scoops my damp shoes up into a hatch. She turns, beckons me to follow and leads me down a wooden corridor. She pauses to indicate the onsen and says later before we continue on. She delivers me to a room, shows me round and places the key in my hand. I set my rucksack down and feel the softness of the blue futon. I step into the balcony and sit in front of the heater. Its warmth envelops me and I happily remain there gazing outside. The garden below is laden with snow, the naturally warm pond is the only thing unburied. As it steams gently.
I dip my feet in the onsen and its scalding. I can’t stay submerged for long and resort to perching on the edge allowing my legs to dangle inside.
I bow to my hostess and utter my thanks in Japanese. Her son drops me outside the path leading to the park. It's a snowy passageway, the fallen snow has been swept to the edges. I lead myself deeper into the forest. The tall trees dark against the whiteness. I’m the only person walking this trail.
I reach a few buildings which surround a geyser where piles of snow have collected around the edge. I pass several cars buried by the white stuff, one has a door open feebly. Reaching the entrance I pay 500 Yen which is about 3£. Entering the monkey forest, little signs of primates begin to appear.
There are 160 red faced macaques somewhere in here. I tread further and begin to see pawprints revealing their presence. These tracks grow in numbers until quite suddenly a small monkey creeps into view. It shuffles along picking at the ground, fruit is dotted there. Their fingers are dexterous and select the pieces delicately. They peer up viewing me as a source of food. They are inquisitive and analytical, observing me. I return the gaze kindly before moving on. I follow the Yokoyagawa river as it flows down the small valley. It’s cold but pockets of warmth hit me every so often. Upon entering into the heart of the monkeys territory, they begin to spill out. Two monkeys scamper along the icicle covered railing completely oblivious to my presence. Their minds at play and thinking of nothing else. They spring effortlessly and pounce with their battle cries.
Walking on I reach the reason why the monkeys chose this place as their home so high up on the mountainside. It’s full of natural hot springs, where the monkeys lie submerged. The heat makes them sedate to the hordes of tourists that pass through everyday. They pose for the cameras and soak up the oos and the ahs without batting an eyelid.
I dip my fingers in the water and it’s just as hot as my onsen last night. How the monkeys just sit there amazes me. A tour guide walks by pointing out various features of the land and describes the monkeys' lifestyles in great detail. I latch on casually listening in on the monkeys feeding habits, breeding rituals and way of life. I hover around the large water hole and watch a mother and baby doze in the heat. They are completely at one with the world - a friend later comments on my photos saying that they’ve achieved Nirvana. I feel calmness from being in their presence. The baby sighs
Dormant crops whizzed past the window as the train I'm sitting in picks up pace. Snow lies neatly on the mountain tops and grows downwards the closer I get to Yudanaka. I can feel the chill creeping through the window.
I head towards my Ryokan and step inside. Its empty. I linger unsure of what to do when a petite elderly lady shuffles out. She bows and welcomes me in further, pointing to some slippers at my feet. A neat row of them awaits guests. I’ve barely had time to swap when she scoops my damp shoes up into a hatch. She turns, beckons me to follow and leads me down a wooden corridor. She pauses to indicate the onsen and says later before we continue on. She delivers me to a room, shows me round and places the key in my hand. I set my rucksack down and feel the softness of the blue futon. I step into the balcony and sit in front of the heater. Its warmth envelops me and I happily remain there gazing outside. The garden below is laden with snow, the naturally warm pond is the only thing unburied. As it steams gently.
I dip my feet in the onsen and its scalding. I can’t stay submerged for long and resort to perching on the edge allowing my legs to dangle inside.
I bow to my hostess and utter my thanks in Japanese. Her son drops me outside the path leading to the park. It's a snowy passageway, the fallen snow has been swept to the edges. I lead myself deeper into the forest. The tall trees dark against the whiteness. I’m the only person walking this trail.
I reach a few buildings which surround a geyser where piles of snow have collected around the edge. I pass several cars buried by the white stuff, one has a door open feebly. Reaching the entrance I pay 500 Yen which is about 3£. Entering the monkey forest, little signs of primates begin to appear.
There are 160 red faced macaques somewhere in here. I tread further and begin to see pawprints revealing their presence. These tracks grow in numbers until quite suddenly a small monkey creeps into view. It shuffles along picking at the ground, fruit is dotted there. Their fingers are dexterous and select the pieces delicately. They peer up viewing me as a source of food. They are inquisitive and analytical, observing me. I return the gaze kindly before moving on. I follow the Yokoyagawa river as it flows down the small valley. It’s cold but pockets of warmth hit me every so often. Upon entering into the heart of the monkeys territory, they begin to spill out. Two monkeys scamper along the icicle covered railing completely oblivious to my presence. Their minds at play and thinking of nothing else. They spring effortlessly and pounce with their battle cries.
Walking on I reach the reason why the monkeys chose this place as their home so high up on the mountainside. It’s full of natural hot springs, where the monkeys lie submerged. The heat makes them sedate to the hordes of tourists that pass through everyday. They pose for the cameras and soak up the oos and the ahs without batting an eyelid.
I dip my fingers in the water and it’s just as hot as my onsen last night. How the monkeys just sit there amazes me. A tour guide walks by pointing out various features of the land and describes the monkeys' lifestyles in great detail. I latch on casually listening in on the monkeys feeding habits, breeding rituals and way of life. I hover around the large water hole and watch a mother and baby doze in the heat. They are completely at one with the world - a friend later comments on my photos saying that they’ve achieved Nirvana. I feel calmness from being in their presence. The baby sighs
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