Since the heat index was 117 I decided not to go to the festival today. I made some brownies (in an unairconditioned kitchen) to thank Shinsan and Cindy for the help with my bike last night and then went to the nearby supermarket - instead of the one I like better that's a 10 - 15 min. bike ride away. Came home and washed some vegetables and then sat in my airconditioned living room and watched a Korean drama.
Around 3:30 Shinsan and Cindy picked me up and we went to an onsen (hot spring) in nearby Nagahama. They say that soaking in a hot bath will make you feel cooler when you get out. I still don't quite believe that but it was pretty much impossible to feel any warmer so it was fine. The place itself is beautiful. It has different rooms for resting after the baths, tatami floors, beautiful photographs on the walls, wood floors and walls and although pretty small, indoor and outdoor baths.
The process at most onsens is as follows: after putting your shoes in a locker you exchange that key for a bath locker key and then go to the changing room where you strip. That takes some getting used to but once you do it a couple of times it's fine. Before you get into the baths (with other people) you shower thoroughly with the (usually provided) shampoos and soaps. Then you choose your bath and soak. Often each bath has a different kind of water / minerals. You can soak, rinse, etc. as long as you like. This place had indoor and outdoor tubs and one with massage jets.
Afterwards you change and there is usually a room with hairdryers, lotions and such. Then on to a resting/recovery room. This is the room we chose. The view was beautiful but most people were watching the tvs on their seats (the sound came from the headrest of the chair so only you could hear it.
We stopped at this sushi restaurant but decided it was a little too expensive for dinner so we just had appetizers and went someplace else for dinner.
The izakaya (like a pub) where we shared a few dishes.
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