Backpacking

At the train station in Mishima I couldn't believe my luck as I saw two Geisha girls, fully made up with white faces, shuffling past me in the corridor between tracks! A second rare Japanese sight of the day! It would be a strange clash of new and old to see a Geisha sitting on a Japanese bullet train, but that was there they had come from. The bullet trains are something else. They make German ICEs look pretty normal, really. They bomb along at up to 300 kph, as smooth as you like...

Day 5: 4th February The Temple of Doom

Takayama, Japan

Got to Takayama late last night - it was already dark. I also hadn't been able to get through to the hostel to reserve a bed, despite ringing from every train station I changed at on my journey. Luckily, at Takayama someone answered. Eventually I got my point over in English that I wanted a room for the night. I walked to the other end of the town to the hostel, trying not to fall over, because Takayama had had several feet of snow and it was very slippery.

The hostel I was on my way to was also a temple, so it would be a unique experience.

The hostel I was on my way to was also a temple, so it would be a unique experience. When I finally got there, after initally trying to enter someone's house, I got the right building, went in, took my shoes off and pressed the visitor's buzzer. The old man who ran the hostel arrived, and seemed a bit irritated at my presence. I must admit, it was pretty disgraceful of me to want to give him lots of money in