Day 21 (July 29) - Non Eventful Day

 We woke up at the usual time of around 6 AM to help out with breakfast. After breakfast and dishes, we had a 45 minute break before we had to start our morning chores. Unlike the other days, we decided to stay back instead of heading down to town.

Most of the afternoon was spent in the dining room/living room area. I had the chance to catch up on some manga and read some articles. Feeling a bit sleepy, I then proceeded down to our room to take a nap before our evening tasks.

The evening dinner was busier than I was accustomed to, probably because it was the weekend. Other than that, everything went quite smoothly.

It's a good thing since tomorrow (July 30) will be a very eventful day!

We were doing a "super wipe" of the main floor. I wanted to make sure I placed these Demon Slayer Figurines back in the right spots!

Day 20 (July 28) - Bungo Beef, Animals and Sports

 We didn't have to wake up at 6 AM this morning to set up breakfast, so we slept in till around 8 AM. After eating our own breakfast, we rested for a bit before starting to clean up the rooms. We had our snack break at around the same time before heading back to work.

Once we finished our task, we got a ride to the city from our host. We found another restaurant that was known for selling Bungo Beef. We each got our own set. The beef was quite tender, and full of flavor. After finishing up lunch, we went back to walk around the main road; more specifically towards the animal section off to the side. 

We started with a cat cafe. It wasn't as big as the one in Tokyo, but they had a decent selection of cats. Most of them were asleep at this point, but some were moving around the various guests. My girlfriend was able to get a cat to sit on her lap for a while. We spent nearly two hours here before proceeding to the nearby owl zoo. 

There was a large variety of different owls, with some allowing you to pet them. After spending time looking at the different owls, we then walked towards a few souvenir shops nearby to purchase items to take back to Canada. Fortunately, we were able to take the bus back to our hostel again after we were done shopping.

Unlike last evening, there were six meals to prepare for the night. Once we had our dinner, we washed the dishes before taking a quick break before heading to the local community centre with the host and some guests. Every Friday, he takes people from the hostel to play a variety of games at the community centre's gym. For that night, we played tug of war (our team got our butt kicked... I blamed it on my shoes!), soccer, dodge frisbee (like dodge ball) and some sort of game where you had to capture your opponent's base and avoid getting hit by small balls. It was an enjoyable evening, and nothing I would have ever imagined doing in a foreign country. I don't even participate in these community events in Canada. The locals that were also there to play with us were quick and friendly, which you don't often see in the bigger cities of Japan. (I always find the Japanese to be polite, but never super friendly). 

After 90 minutes or so, it was time to head back to the hostel. I was drenched in sweat, so I took a nice relaxing shower and bath before heading back to the living room to enjoy some match pudding to close off the night.

It makes me wonder now why I never tried homestays before. I might have been just lucky to have had a great host who offered many different activities (night tour, Friday sports night, and one more major event that will be blogged about in a few days hopefully).

From the tug-of-war event! We were broken down into three teams for the night. 
 

Day 19 (July 27) - Quiet Day at the Homestay!

 Being a weekday probably meant not too many guests at the hostel. We only had to prepare two breakfast sets for the morning. Once breakfast was set, we had our own breakfast before a short break. For my morning task, I just had to clean the small wash basins that they had in the two onsens. Once my task was completed, it was time for our tea break. Once again, I got the chance to learn more about our host and to talk about different hobbies. 

After the break, it was off to complete other cleaning chores. As for lunch, we headed down to town again to explore. We started at a café by Lake Kinrinko (at the end of the touristy road), with a drink and dessert. Despite being hot, sitting outside was nice to enjoy the scenic view in front of us. Right after the café, we tried to look for a restaurant that sold Bungo beef, which is Oita's Wagyu. (Oita is the prefecture that Yufuin is in). Unfortunately, there was a long lineup for the place we wanted to go, so we opted for an udon lunch instead. Lunch was served quickly and was quite refreshing in the heat. 

After lunch, it was off to get more dessert. We got cheesecake from a famous bakery and then went back to the matcha ice cream store to grab more. This time, I opted for salted matcha, which was quite good! The bus station was nearby, so we ended up waiting for the 4:45 PM (around this time) bus to take us back to the hostel.

Since there was no one requesting dinner for the night, we just had to wipe the top floor (or in the words of our host: Super Wipe). We got a nice curry dinner for lunch before washing just a few dishes. Since it was a relatively easy day, and we didn't have to wake up early to prepare breakfast tomorrow morning, we opted to play Ticket To Ride before bed.

Volunteering at this homestay was quite a nice change of pace from traveling.

It's not fall yet, but I wonder why we could start seeing red leaves on this tree.
 

Day 18 (July 26) - First Full Day in Yufuin

 After a restful night, despite the heat (we had a fan to help cool us down), we got ready to start volunteering. Our first task was to set up the dining room for the guests. One of the hosts showed us how to position the flatware and plates, while the other host was preparing the dishes to be served. Once we finished with our task, we had breakfast ourselves. 

Dishes took place afterwards. They had two sinks set up, with one for smaller plates while the other one was for pots and pans. After we finished our tasks, we had a 45-minute break before moving on to cleaning rooms. We had to clean the futons and pillows, before moving onto sinks and vacuuming the hostel. At around 10 AM, we had a snack break, in which our hosts brought us wonderful snacks and drinks. It was a good opportunity to talk with our hosts to learn more about them.

Once break time was up, we completed our tasks before it was lunch. I ended up taking a nap for about an hour. Since we had about 4-5 hours before our evening tasks, we headed down the mountain (where the hostel was located) to Yufuin city. Yufuin had one main street with a bunch of tourist attractions. We started by getting some honey ice cream before exploring the streets some more. We stopped by a store that sold specialty nuts, thus purchasing some to take back. We also stopped by a supermarket to stock up on snacks for ourselves. Finally, it was one of the host's birthday so we decided to get him a cake from a bakery.

We took a taxi back to the hostel once again. There was about an hour left before our shift started, so a final rest before it was time to start. Our first task was to sweep the two parking lots they had for their hostel. It was a great way to get some exercise in, and fortunately, from being higher up, wasn't too hot. After sweeping for a while, it was time to go in and set up the plates for dinner. Once again, dinner was served to us, and it was as delicious as yesterday's meal. Once the guests were finished with their food, we washed dishes and cleaned up the kitchen.

Our job was done for the day, but one of our hosts was hosting a night tour of the city and we were able to join him. A number of us clambered into his van as he took us up a mountain. It wasn't the clearest night, but you were able to see some stars at the location we stopped at. It offered a wonderful view of Yufuin city. Once we got our pictures in, it was time to head back to the hostel. As the guests were getting ready for bed, we had a small celebration with the host for his birthday. Once dessert was finished, I soaked in the onsen for a while before preparing for sleep.

A productive day, and a nice change in pace. 

Walking down the mountain during the day to reach Yufuin city. 

Day 17 (July 25) - Off to Yufuin!

 Our last morning in Hiroshima consisted of us waking up early to grab breakfast from the lobby. After grabbing more bread packages than yesterday, since I was quite hungry yesterday, we packed our luggage before heading out to catch the streetcar to Hiroshima Station. 

Unfortunately, we had to catch the Kodama (the slowest Shinkansen for this line since it makes a lot of stops) to Hakata Station in Kyushu. My girlfriend was excited to board the Yufuin no Mori, a scenic train that would take us to our next destination. However, due to heavy rainfall, our train was canceled. There was a lot of chaos among the passengers, and I had no idea what was going on at Hakata. Once again, fortunately, my girlfriend was able to speak to the conductors to get an idea of what we had to do. A nearby family from China was also able to ask her for directions since she's able to speak Mandarin as well!

JR ended up putting all of us on a train to Yufuin. It was a mad dash to the train since we were given only about 3 minutes to find the platform and to board. In the end, there was no need to rush since the train was delayed, which I assumed was also due to the rain. After an hour or so though, we finally arrived at Yufuin station. We took a taxi to our stay for the next week: Yufuin Country Roads Youth Hostel. In exchange for accommodations and meals, we were going to volunteer with chores around the hostel. It was my first time doing a homestay, so I wasn't sure what to expect. When we entered, we didn't see anyone so I awkwardly waited in the foyer while my girlfriend went to go find the host. After she was able to find one of them, they told us the location of our room, which was in the basement near one of the onsens they had on site. The roof was extremely low (I'm around 5'8" and my head brushed the ceiling), and there was no a/c, but the room was large. We placed our stuff and went back upstairs to a living room area to relax. The other host came to introduce himself to me and to welcome back my girlfriend since she's done a couple homestays at this location. We were taken to the kitchen to eat the dinner they prepared for us and for the guests who opted for a meal plan that night.

Dinner was a classic example of Japanese cuisine. Each dish was flavoured well with nothing overpowering one another. Once dinner was finished, we were handed an apron. It was time for our first task: washing the dishes. I had to say, it was pretty straight forward, though learning where to put the plates back after they were dried was challenging due to the vast amount of dishes and plates. Once the dishes were done, we were taught (or retaught) how to check to make sure the kitchen was cleaned and the burners were turned off properly.

First night was easy, which allowed a smooth transition for the week to come!

I believe the warning was lifted for Yufuin. Apparently it was at risk of a landslide. 

Day 16 (July 24) - Okunoshima Again!

 Starting off in Hiroshima meant that we didn’t have to wake up as early to go to our destination for today: Okunoshima. The last time I went was in 2015, when we were staying in Himeji (if I remember correctly). Our hotel in Hiroshima offered a bread and coffee breakfast, so I headed downstairs to grab us some food before we prepared to leave for the day. The selections were all similar: three different selections of bread, so I ended up grabbing a few bags to bring back to our hotel room.

At Hiroshima station, we purchased some ekibento on our way to Tadanoumi station. I got a beef tongue bento, and a curry bun from the nearby bakery within the station. After about an hour or so, we made it to Tadanoumi station. Like the past couple of weeks, the sun was blazing down on us as we made our way to the ferry. I can’t recall to well, but it seems like the ferry port had an upgrade: there was a building now where you can purchase ferry tickets to the island. Also, purchasing food bags to feed the rabbits, and bringing back the food bags ensured a complimentary postcard.

After purchasing our tickets and rabbit food, we waited for the ferry to come pick us up. The ride itself was around 15 minutes. Once we arrived at the island, we took a bus to the hotel, and thus our adventures began on the island. It was very much like the time in 2015, though there seemed to be less rabbits from what I remembered. Also, the rabbits seemed a bit more aggressive, in that some chased other rabbits when you offered them food. After a couple of hours, we went back to the hotel on the island to grab a bite to eat. Once full, we headed back out to explore the island. 

After we had our fill of the island, we went back to the pier to hitch a ride back to Tadanoumi station. It was relatively uneventful on the ferry. As we approached the ferry pier, we traded our empty rabbit food bags for our souvenir postcards before making our way to the JR station. The difficulty with unmanned stations is not knowing which side we needed to be to catch the train back to Hiroshima. Unfortunately, we did end up on the wrong side, but the train conductor was kind enough to wait for us and another tourist to cross the overhead bridge to get to the correct side.

Once we arrived at Mihara station, we transferred onto the shinkansen back to Hiroshima. Dropping off luggage, we proceeded to find an oyster bar/izakaya. I would normally not venture to such a place, but fortunately, my girlfriend was able to speak and read the menu on my behalf. We got a variety of dishes, with the chicken cartilage being my favorite. Once we finished dinner, we headed to the nearby 7-11 so I could grab some chocolate mint ice cream.

Not as many places visited today, but onto the next leg of our journey tomorrow! It'll be my first ever homestay/workaway/volunteering experience in Japan. 

A little bit run down from what I recall back in 2015, but it still gets the message across!

After 

Day 15 (July 23) - Kobe Beef and Onsen Town!

 It started off scorching hot at around 9 AM as we headed towards Shin-Osaka station. It was our last day at Shin Osaka Washington Hotel, so we checked out and left our luggage at the hotel. Our destination for the day though was Kobe. The train ride was relatively short. Our first destination in Kobe was a Starbucks in the Kitano region. From what I read, Kitano is known for their traditional western-style buildings. The Starbucks was nestled by some hills, making it very American-like (despite not being to the US that often). We got a ourselves a drink and ventured upstairs to enjoy ourselves, surrounded by the vintage artifacts. After we were finished, we headed out and onto lunch.

I first went to Kobe back in 2015; the main purpose was to eat Kobe Beef. We found the same restaurant, and fortunately, like last time, we didn't need a reservation. It was quite busy, so we were sitting beside another couple. We got one A5 Kobe beef and one A5 Wagyu (which was about 30% cheaper than the Kobe). From what I recall, the Kobe beef was the same price as it was back in 2015! The meal was extremely similar in terms of the dishes served, which made me reminisce as I ate. Since they were quite busy, it didn't feel like we had a full hour with the chef, but it was as good as the first time I had it. Honestly, I enjoyed the A5 Wagyu more than the Kobe beef... probably because it was cheaper as well! 

After our bellies were full, we headed off to a bus station nearby to purchase tickets to Arima Onsen. It was only a 30 minute bus ride, in which I was able to doze off a bit. Arima Onsen is said to be the oldest onsen town in Japan. From what I recall, it's hot spring water is carbonated, with two main types of water: Gold and Silver. The Gold hot spring water was brown in color, due to the iron present, while the silver hot spring was clear. As we got off the bus, we headed towards the windy narrow paths to explore the town. We made a brief stop at a foot onsen bath to soak our feet. Once relaxed, we headed to explore some more. We stopped at the top of the path at a park to enjoy some snacks we purchased. It was quiet, save for the cicadas buzzing around us. There was even a spot where you could drink the carbonated spring water. After spending some time, we headed back down towards the Gold Onsen to soak for a while. Before we made it down, we saw a Shiba Inu cafe (well more of a small cafe that had 3 Shibas). It was the perfect excuse to take a break from the heat. The drinks here were good and one of the waitresses spoke flawless English. If I were to guess, based on her using casual terms like "boba", she was probably raised in North America -- which is a first for me to experience since I rarely talked to strangers in Japan and most people that I talked to had basic English. Once we completed our drinks, we headed back down towards the Gold Onsen. 

Due to it's touristy nature, there were a lot of people within this onsen (in comparison to the one in Yamanashi). After a quick soak, we got out, got some Arima Cider (more like carbonated water), and sat in their relaxation room for a while. Fully relaxed, we headed back out of the town to stop by the small river to soak in (no pun intended) the scenery. 

Our next location was the premium outlet mall in Kobe. We took a train that led us to a quiet part of Kobe. The bus station was on top of a hill, it only took a few minutes for us to climb the stairs to wait for the bus. The bus ride was relatively short, and we were on our way to shop at Kobe Sanda Premium Outlets. It reminded me of the one in Vegas with all the outdoor shops. We ventured for a while, but seeing nothing of value, ended up purchasing nothing. We did get some Gindaco Takoyaki at the corner of the outdoor outlet mall before heading back to Kobe station to take a train back to Osaka.

We arrived back in Osaka to grab our luggage from the hotel. Our final destination for our long day was Hiroshima. The train ride was about two hours, meaning that we didn't arrive till around 10 PM at night. Not sure how long it would take for the bus to come, we waited to catch a taxi. There was a long line of people waiting for a taxi, but fortunately, it only took 5-10 minutes for us to finally get a ride. Our hotel in Hiroshima was relatively modern-looking, in comparison to our last two hotels.

An extremely long day with a bunch of travel, but as always, a fulfilling one. Off to another 2015 location tomorrow!

The river/stream in Arima Onsen!