Joren Waterfall and the six hour trip

So Mack had off last week and we've been busy trying to cram in more Japan before his fall deployment. So we signed up for the base tour to Joren waterfall and hot springs - two stops, the first one a supposedly famous waterfall (although having been to Nikko last weekend - highly recommended - this one was a little lame, although still beautiful) followed by a second stop at a hot springs.

Little did I know that the setting for the hot springs would involve a 2 mile hike, over 300 stairs and sweating my butt off. However, once you see the 7 waterfalls (all the same river, and each one more beautiful, and smaller than the last) you arrive at a perfect location for a hot spring. We bathed at the foot of a waterfall folks! Gorgeous, thrilling and freaking hot as you know what! And of course the first thing you want to do after sweating your butt off is get into a 104 degree hot spring - mmm. Actually some of the guys on the tour jumped into the waterfall to cool off first - I stuck my toe it...go me. So anyways we relaxed, soaked and then ate ice cream in an attempt to get our body temperature back to normal.

Then it was time to get back on the bus. Now the ride up had been about 3 hours (for which we woke up at 4 am to leave at 5 from base..ick ick ick), including 1 30min rest stop for breakfast. On the way back however, the bus driver hears that there is traffic on the highway, so he decides to take backroads the whole way. Now, something you need to understand, Japan has the worst traffic system ever, it literally takes 2 1/2 -3 hours to get to our nearby Air Force base, Yokota - which is exactly 40 miles away - yes I'm serious, deadly serious. So, for the bus driver to decide to take backroads, well lets just say all that relaxing in the hot springs didn't last for very long. Now, most of you know I'm not famous for my patience, so I wasn't terribly happy 6 hours - yes 6 hours later - when we finally arrived back at base, our dinner stop having been at a gas station. The saving grace of that of course is that gas stations in Japan serve real food - good food, ranging from fresh sushi and spaghetti to fried chicked and soba noodles (thin buckwheat noodles). Needless to say poor Mack wasnt happy with only a few hours of sleep and having to go back into work on Monday, but he's a trooper!!

Another note about Japanese gas stations - you can pay all your utility bills, buy plane tickets, arrange shipping and hire a geisha (ok so that last one may not be entirely based on fact), in a whole they are the true one stop shop - eat your heart out Walmart.