Misadventures of Lisa and Trisha: Snow Monkeys

While we were living in Japan Trisha and I would often go on road trips on the weekends. We would enlist some of our other expat friends, fill up the FunCargo (my little Japanese car) and head off.

On one of those trips, Trisha and our friends, Martin, Kuan and V-ken, headed up north to Nagano Prefecture. We stopped to see a variety of things on that trip but the main reason was for us to visit Jigokudani Monkey Park. 

I had read about the monkeys and was so excited to see them in person that I could barely contain myself. Trisha took this picture of me to the left waving my hands in excitement as we walked up the hill to the park.

The entrance building was pretty unassuming and after walking through a small exhibit about the monkeys we exited back outdoors into the park. 

The park itself was completely not what I expected. I thought there would be a path with a fence dividing the people from the monkeys, but instead you can freely walk along the valley with the monkeys running right up beside you.

The monkeys at Jigokudani are Japanese macaques, otherwise known as snow monkeys because they live in habitats with snow. Unfortunately, there was almost no snow on the ground while we were visiting because we were there a little too early in the winter, but it was still an awesome experience.

Near the entrance before descending to the river many of the monkeys were occupied with digging around in the dirt for insects to eat.

We also saw a number of the monkeys grooming each other. It was really charming to watch.

The monkeys had such expressive faces and I loved how the adults' pink faces contrasted with their brown fur.

The little babies were my favorite with their large eyes dwarfing the rest of their faces. They constantly scampered around their mothers and I was lucky to catch a picture of this little guy sitting still for a second. 

The monkeys were running around everywhere and were so used to people that they would run right next to you or just continue on doing what they were doing as you walked by. 

At this point we hadn't walked very far into the park and as we looked down into the valley we saw that the whole riverside was swarming with monkeys. They are a little hard to spot because their fur blends in with the rocks, but there are fourteen monkeys in the picture below.

We headed down to the river to get a closer look and saw the hot springs pools nearby where the monkeys were bathing. The name Jigokudani, which means "Hell Valley" in Japanese stems from the hot springs because people thought that the hot steam and water bubbling to the surface looked like Hell. In winter months the monkeys come to the valley to warm up in the hot water.  

In Japanese culture, relaxing in natural hot springs (onsen) is a very popular activity so it seemed very Japanese of the monkeys that they also would enjoy bathing in the hot springs.

Even in the water, the monkeys continued to groom each other. It was so neat to see and I really could have watched them doing this all day. 

I like how the monkey getting groomed in the photo below is giving the stink eye to the other monkey. 

The monkeys looked so peaceful and serene in the water compared to the way they were scampering around on land.  Watching the monkeys warming up in the hot springs with their reflections in the still water was quite surreal and beautiful to see.

We all were pretty camera happy and had so much fun watching the monkeys go about their business as if we didn't exist. Here's a photo of Martin taking a picture of one of the monkeys.

Of course, we had to catch a few pictures of ourselves next to the bathing monkeys.

Even though we were enamored with the monkeys, they really could have cared less about us being there and would get out of the water right next to us if they so felt like it. Luckily, I scooted out of the way before this little guy splashed me.

Trisha was not so lucky, however. I grabbed this cute picture of Miss Trish (it was Christmas time, hence the antlers and Santa hat) but then one of the monkeys decided he was done with his bath and popped out of the water right next to Trisha.

I caught her reaction right after she got soaked. Priceless photo, I'd say!

Before we knew it, dusk had settled on the valley and in a matter of minutes all of the monkeys slipped into the safety of the forest along the mountainside for the night. What had been a hive of activity moments before was suddenly empty. Our time in the valley was brief, but it was so amazing to see the monkeys up close that it ranks among my favorite experiences in Japan.

To get to Jigokudani Monkey Park, we drove and parked there which was very convenient. If you are taking public transit, you can take the Shinkansen to Nagano followed by a local train to Yudanaka. From Yudanaka station you can then take a bus or taxi up to the Monkey Park. Keep in mind that no matter how you get to the Monkey Park, vehicles cannot get all the way to the top and you will have a 15-30 minute steep walk before you reach the entrance. 

Of course, double check the details before you go, but at the time of this writing Summer hours (April - October) are 8:30am - 5:00pm and Winter hours (November - March) are 9:00am - 4:00pm. In the summer months the monkeys will go off into other areas of the park to forage for food, so it is not a guarantee that you will see monkeys if you visit then. Cost for entrance is ¥500 for adults and ¥250 for children and in my opinion is completely worth it!

Misadventures of Lisa and Trisha: Shirakawa-go in the Winter

 January of 2009 was my friend, Trisha's, last month in Japan. My time in Japan could easily be broken into three phases: before I knew Trisha, when Trisha and I travelled around everywhere together and after Trisha went back to the US. Needless to say, for her last weekend in town we had to take in some last bits of sightseeing together.

We spent an awesome day on Saturday in Takayama visiting a street festival and some sake breweries. That evening we met up with some friends who were skiing nearby to spend an amazing night at a beautiful ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn which is like a cross between a bed and breakfast and a spa). On Sunday after saying good-bye to our friends, who were heading out skiing again, Trisha and I set off to the little village of Shirakawa-go. I had been there in the fall and it was lovely so I was eager to see it again during the winter.

We chose to take the scenic way for a slightly longer drive and were rewarded with some amazing views of the mountains and the rivers that flowed through the valleys. We pulled over to the side of the road a few times to grab a picture. Incredible!

After a little over an hour, we finally arrived. Shirakawa-go is a small traditional village located in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture in Japan. A world heritage site, it is famous for the architectural style of its buildings known as gassho-zukuri (literally hands together style). This is in reference to the steeply pitched roofs of the houses which are designed to keep snow from accumulating on them in the winter. The village is comprised of over 100 historic gassho-zukuri homes some of which are still inhabited and some which have turned into museums.

We parked on the outskirts of the little village not too far from Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine so we made that our first stop. The shrine is known for the sake that it makes and its festival, Doburoku Matsuri, which is held in October. On the shrine's grounds is the Doburoku Matsuri Festival Hall which shares the history of the festival and offers free samples of Doburoku sake. The festival hall is closed from November through March so Trisha and I didn't have a chance to visit. The peaceful atmosphere of the shrine among the towering cedar trees still made a visit wandering around the shrine grounds more than worthwhile.

Trisha and I proceeded to walk around town enjoying all the beautiful sights and admiring the architecture of the gassho-zukuri construction. Three of the homes (Wada-ke, Kanda-ke and Nagase-ke) have been turned into museums and for a small fee (each one is ¥300 for an adult, ¥150 for a child) you can go in to see what life was like in these traditional homes. I didn't take any indoor pictures on this trip since I had already been inside on my previous trip so I'll have to share them in another post. If you find yourself visiting Shirakawa-go I would definitely recommend going inside at least one of the homes.

With the huge snowdrifts built up everywhere, someone had dug one out in the middle of town to create a cave with Shirakawa-go (白川郷) written along each side of the entrance.  All the Japanese tourists were using it as a photo op and I figured I should play along. 

Not all homes in Shirakawa-go are built in the gassho-zukuri style with the steep roofs. Snow accumulation on those flatter roofs could be a problem and we saw a man actually shoveling his roof.

Each of the old homes was surrounded by small plots of land for farming. The reflections of the buildings in some of the exposed rice paddies was really lovely.

After wandering around town Trisha and I decided to head up to Shirayama Viewpoint. The short, steep walk up to the lookout was definitely worth it to see the views of the valley below. It seemed like it was straight out of a fairytale.

Naturally, with that gorgeous view we would be remiss not to get a few shots of ourselves. It is so surreal looking that it almost looks like we are standing in front of a fake photography backdrop.

No place in Japan is complete without the obligatory warning signs about impending doom and disaster and the viewpoint was no exception so I had to snap a picture before we headed back down into town. 

As we headed back to the car we grabbed a few more photos as we walked through town savouring all of the magnificent views of the snowy roofs.

At this point is where a normal story would end, but this is not a normal story, this is a Trisha and Lisa story. When we got back to the car I went to put in our destination and the Navi remote was missing. Yes, that's right, I said the Navi remote. What? You have never heard of such a thing? I never had before, either.

Let me back up and explain a little bit about my car and roads in Japan. First, Japan's address system is totally different from Western countries. Instead of a building having a number on a street, towns are divided into neighborhoods, blocks within a neighborhood are assigned a number and the buildings within the block are then numbered. The numbering of the buildings, however, doesn't typically correlate with where on the block it is, but instead when it was built. Only major roads have names, and with the Japanese address system it is virtually impossible to drive someplace you are not familiar with unless you have a Navigation system.

Second, because I am cheap, I decided to lease the most inexpensive vehicle I could when I was living in Japan which turned out to be a used 2002 Toyota Funcargo. The Navi that had been put in the car was quite old and you input the destination through a remote. I've never seen a remote controlled Navi before and I've never seen one since. On the plus side, since the place that I leased my vehicle through specialized in leasing to ex-pats my Navi remote was in English.

Anyway, back to the story, Trisha and I were really stuck. Without the Navi remote we couldn't put in an address and we were pretty sure we would get lost going back. We searched all around the car to see if it had fallen out nearby with no luck. We definitely had the remote when we left Takayama, because we had input the directions to Shirakawa-go. Although we had stopped a few times along our route to take photos, because of the cold we mostly just rolled down the window to take our shots and only got out of the car one time. That spot had to be where we lost the remote. Luckily, Trisha remembered that there was an orange construction crane for some reason near the place we had stopped. 

We back tracked our way out of town keeping our eyes peeled for the orange crane. After over half an hour of scanning the roadside we finally spotted it and pulled over. We did a bit of searching and there it was, half buried in the snow.

I was so relieved to have found it that the momentous recovery had to be documented with a photo holding the remote in front of the crane. To be honest we were really lucky and I have no idea how we would have found that same exact spot if it hadn't been for the crane. I'm also super lucky that Trisha remembered that the crane was where we got out of the car. Miss Trish is awesome like that!

We used the remote to put in our destination and we were on the road again. Of course, we made a few stops along the way for more pictures, but after our little incident we prudently made sure to check that the remote was in the car at all times.

If you are interested, check out some more of my travel misadventures with Trisha here: Overnight to the Rice Fields of Banaue,  Getting a Ride to the Beijing Opera, The Great ATM Debacle, Japanese Pottery Fun in Seto

Spray Paint Makeover & Japanese Pottery Fun in Seto

I've been trying to find just the right thing to put on the back of my toilet in my bathroom since it looks a little empty and plain. When I spotted this little chalice for two dollars at the Ann Arbor Reuse Center I knew it was a diamond in the rough.

The gold paint with the speckled red finish on the interior was absolutely hideous, but it had a cute shape and with a few coats of teal spray paint it was the perfect vessel to house a few shells and sit on the back of my toilet. I never stop being amazed at the power of a little spray paint. 

As a fun aside, I made the little bowl sitting next to the chalice when I was living in Japan. Not too far away from where I lived is a small town called, Seto, which has been famous for its pottery for centuries. In fact the generic word for ceramics in Japanese is setomono (瀬戸物) which literally means Seto objects. I signed up with my friend, Trisha, to go to one of the pottery studios, Kasen, to learn about traditional pottery in Seto and try our hand at making some of our own pieces.  

The owner of the studio, Hiroshige Kato, is a twelfth generation potter using clay from the same place as his forefathers 400 years ago. He showed us the spot where he digs for clay as well as how his kilns work and the traditional glazes used in Seto.

Back inside the studio Kato-sensei taught us how to knead the clay and then form bowls and plates on the potter's wheel. After the introduction we had an hour to play around making our on creations. Trisha was a little overly ambitious on the wheel and when her clay got a little off center had a few bowl collapses. She decided to keep one of her collapsed pieces anyway deeming it art and as a result Kato-sensei started calling her "Special Artist." Trisha decided the nickname was a badge of honor and we had lots of fun joking about it.

The whole experience was an awesome time and a really great deal, too. The cost was ¥2000 (about $20 at the time) for the class and then ¥500 (about $5 at the time) for each piece that you decided you wanted to have fired. In the end I decided to have seven of my bowls fired and picked out different glazes for them. After a few weeks the bowls were available to pick up at the studio. I love having my pieces around my home because in addition to being pretty they remind of the fun time Trisha and I had making them.

If you ever find yourself in Aichi prefecture in Japan I would highly recommend arranging to take a class at Kasen. The price structure is a little different than when I did it and the exchange rate has also changed, but it is still very reasonable and it is a really great chance to have a hands on experience making Japanese pottery.

Have you recently spray painted anything totransform it? Have you ever tried your hand at throwing pots? Did it turn out well or did you make some "Special Artist" pieces? 

Misadventures of Lisa & Trisha: Overnight to the Rice Fields of Banaue

"What are you doing the weekend of January 16th?" Trisha asked one day at lunch. "I'm trying to figure out my plans for my last few weeks in Japan before heading back to the US."

"I'm planning on going to Manila," I replied. "Do you want to go?"

"What is there to do there?"

"Lots of fun stuff."

"Okay, I'm in. You've never steered me wrong before," Trisha said and then paused. "By the way, where's Manila?"

With that conversation the seeds were sown for Trisha's and my weekend adventure to the Philippines. We booked nonstop flights from Nagoya to Manila with frequent flier miles and set about planning our trip. Both of us really wanted to visit the rice terraces around Banaue in Ifugao Province (what can I say, we are suckers for World Heritage sights) but there was one catch; they were a six and a half drive away from Manila. With limited time, we didn't want to waste daylight hours driving but our flight got in too late for us to take an overnight bus.

Trisha and I are not the type of ladies to be deterred so I did a little investigating and found a car company that would be willing to pick us up at the airport and drive us overnight to Banaue for 10,000 PHP (about 200 USD). It was a bit of a splurge for us but since we had free flights and the rest of the trip was pretty inexpensive we decided to go for it.

With one small backpack each, we landed in Manila just before midnight, went through immigration, exchanged some money and headed out of the airport. It was a madhouse outside with throngs of people swarming around trying to get the tourists fresh off the plane to hire them for transportation. I typically like to travel by the seat of my pants but with the late night chaos this was one time I was glad I had booked in advance.

We found our driver holding a sign with my name on it and after a short walk to his car we were on the road heading north. Trisha and I settled into the back seat and tried our best to catch some sleep. There is a good reason why the drive takes so long despite not being very far as the crow flies and the windy, mountain roads did not make for a restful night. On several occasions I woke up as the car seemed to be heading off a cliff or into the mountain only to have the driver turn just in time to stay on the road.

We arrived bleary eyed in Banaue bright and early in the morning. Our driver dropped us off in front of the Tourist Information Center which was a tiny, one room building painted a cheerful red and green in contrast to the drab, drizzling morning. After a little negotiation we were able to hire a jeepney for a few dollars to take us to Batad Saddle so we could visit Batad. Jeepneys were originally made from surplus Jeeps left in the Philippines by the Americans after World War II and are known for having flashy decoration. The jeepneys in town were all fun to look at but we thought our jeepney with its flamboyant red and yellow grill was particularly awesome.

As we set off from town we had a good look at how precariously perched the buildings were along the mountainside. It was as if the concrete buildings were growing out of the mountains. We also go to see some rice terraces along the way that used earthen walls. The road was very rough and on several occasions the driver had to stop so his friend could jump out of the jeepney and move rocks out of the way or place some boards they had with them over particularly deep potholes. We were bouncing around so much that at points Trisha and I couldn't even talk to each other. We would start to say something, hit a bump causing us to bite our tongues and then just break out laughing about the situation. 

An hour and a half of a bumpy, jerky ride later we arrived rattled but intact at Batad Saddle which is the end of the road and the beginning of the hike to Batad. Apparently during the rainy season, landslides can take out parts of the road so were lucky to make all the way to Batad Saddle by vehicle. At Batad Saddle we hired a local man to take us down into Batad Village to show us around and we set off.

As we began our descent we could catch glimpses of the rice terraces until finally the view of the valley opened up in front of us. I know it is cliche to say, but no words or pictures can really describe it. The mountains were impossibly steep with rice terraces clinging to their sides and the little village of Batad nestled below. It was gorgeous and seemed like something out of a picture book.

The village was a mixture of buildings with thatched and corrugated metal roofs. I loved the splashes of colors that the brightly painted tin roofs made against the green and brown backdrop of the mountains.

Just like the rice terraces, the buidlings were built on levels so exploring the village meant lots of walking up and down. It was interesting to wander around and the highlight was getting to watch an older woman doing some weaving with a backstrap loom. Our guide translated for us as she explained what she was doing. 

Leaving the village we had a chance to see more of the rice terraces close up. Rice farming along the steep slopes has remained virtually the same for two thousand years. Batad is special because unlike the other earthen walled terraces in the area, Batad's are made of stone. We saw several of the locals working on tending the walls to keep them in good order. 

We hiked out of the valley a bit and headed to Tappiyah Falls. Set back in a secluded alcove and tumbling down into a brilliant turquoise pool, the falls were really magical and definitely worth the effort to see.

Heading back to the village we were starving and stopped at a little place for some food. We also couldn't resist buying some carvings and textiles to bring home. Rested a bit, Trisha and I started our hike back out of the valley up to Batad Saddle.

When we got to Batad Saddle we were pretty tired and sweaty as we got back on our jeepney. Being late in the day it had become a bit chilly and with the open windows of the jeepney it wasn't long before we were freezing. Despite being cold we toughed it out to head out to the Banaue Viewpoint which provided spectacular views of some mud walled rice terraces.

As we arrived back in Banaue it was getting dark and we were starving. We had some time to kill before catching the overnight bus back to Manila so we headed over to a hotel to eat dinner. It was nice to rest and warm up and before we knew it was time to climb aboard the bus. We had opted for the nicer bus (which was pink and still a steal with a fare less than ten dollars) and being exhausted we had no trouble falling asleep. Next stop Manila (six and a half hours later, that is)! 

If you are interested, check out my other adventures with Trisha here: The Great ATM Debacle, Getting a Ride to the Beijing Opera

Misadventures of Lisa & Trisha: Getting a Ride to the Beijing Opera

In November 2008 while while my friend Trisha and I were both living in Japan we decided to take a few days off of work and visit Beijing, China.  

One of the things that we wanted to see was the Beijing Opera so when we checked into our hostel in the evening and saw a great deal for transportation and tickets we decided to book it for the next day.

We spent our first day in Beijing being amazed by the vastness of the buildings and intricacies of the detailed carvings at the Forbidden City.  After spending the remainder of our day soaking in the history of Tiananmen Square and marveling at the beauty of the Temple of Heaven we headed back to the hostel with a little bit of time to kill prior to headed to the opera.  We grabbed a drink at the hostel bar and chatted about our day until it was time to get picked up.

I had to use the restroom so Trisha headed to the lobby with our booking tickets and I met her there after going to the bathroom. When I got there she was standing with a Chinese guide who was holding the booking tickets and said "OK, let's go," once he saw me.  We followed him a for a few winding blocks until we reached an old, beat up car. He opened the back door and without saying a word slid into the back seat with us. The car drove off and the two guys in the front and our guide started chatting away in Mandarin.

It all seemed a little odd so and I wondered what had transpired between Trisha and our guide while I was in the bathroom. "So, what is the plan?" I asked Trisha. "I have no idea," she repiled, "He came into the lobby and said 'Beijing Opera?', I said 'Yes,' he said, 'Tickets?', I gave them to him and then you appeared. I don't know anything more than you."

At this point I thought maybe it was time to interupt the conversation between the three guys and ask our guide a little bit about the opera. He explained in English that it was about a twenty minute drive to the opera house and that he would need to pick up the opera tickets at will call for us once we got there. Satisfied, Trisha and I enjoyed the rest of the amusing ride listening to the Mandarin banter between the guys and cracking up that our paid ride was in a vehicle with a transmission that was contstantly slipping and where we were packed in like sardines.

Upon arrival at the opera house the driver dropped us and the guide off at the front and drove away. Unfortunately, I had to use the restroom again and left Trisha in the lobby while the guide went to the ticket window for our tickets. I returned to see a dazed Trisha holding two opera tickets in one hand and twenty yuán in the other. "OK, I go now," said the guide. "Wait, when are you picking us up?" I asked. He proceeded to explain that the twenty yuán was for us to take a taxi home and he was leaving. I argued for a little bit that we had paid for a ride both ways and how could we be assured that twenty yuán would cover the ride home. He was adamant that it was more than enough and there wasn't much that Trisha and I could do so we headed into the auditorium.

After finding our seats and laughing about our strange, adventurous ride Trisha and I noticed a posting up front saying that we could watch the performers applying their stage make-up in the next room.  We were really early and had nearly an hour until curtain so we thought it would be fun to check out.

Watching the performers put on their make-up was fascinating. For the actors portraying most of the humans, they started with a base with an orangish hue and then brushed red accents around their eyes before finishing with dark eyeliner around the eyes. Since all parts in Beijing Opera are played by men it was interesting to watch the transformation into a beautiful woman by some of the men. I particularly enjoyed the make-up of the Jing, which have very elaborate patterned make-up in bold colors.

Trisha and I had been watching the make-up process for a few minutes when some additional actors entered the room. "Oh, my goodness, Trisha, that guy is the front passenger from our car," I surprisedly said. "And that guy was the driver!" Trisha replied. All of a sudden everything made sense. The performers in the opera must get a discount on tickets and since they are heading to the opera house anyway they can probably make a little profit even with offering the tickets for such a great price. All they needed was a friend with some English skills to help with the pick-up and getting the tickets they had reserved at will call. It also explained why we arrived so early; the performers had to get ready for the show.

After watching the rest of the actors, we headed back to our seats to enjoy the show. The opera was simply amazing. The style of music is very different from what we were used to with Western music but it was mesmorizing. There were English translations projected on screens to the side of the stage but we were so wrapped up in the performances we didn't look at them much. In addition to the talented singing, amazing acrobatics were also incorporated into the performances. One act was a female aria with the actor creating lovely scenes with waving ribbons. It was an amazing evening and Trisha and I were sad to see the show come to a close.

Trisha and I headed out to the street reflecting on the amazing performances we just saw and as we hailed our taxi we laughingly wondered how many other people were driven to the opera that night by two members of the chorus. In the end, it also turned out that the guide was indeed correct; the taxi ride cost less than twenty yuán.

 

Misadventures of Lisa & Trisha: The Great ATM Debacle

Going to the To-ji Flea Market this past weekend made me reminisce about the first time that I went there.  I had been living in Japan for a little over a month and it was cherry blossom season.  Over lunch one day, Trisha, another ex-pat, and I decided we should go check out the blossoms in Kyoto that upcoming weekend.  I already had plans on Saturday but Trisha wanted to go for the whole weekend, so I met Trisha early Sunday morning at Kyoto Station.

I had read about the flea market at To-ji that is held on the first Sunday of the month and since it was happening that day and To-ji is not too far from Kyoto Station we decided to start our day there.  We had an awesome time looking through all the fun items and finding treasures.  We happened upon a lady selling a wide selection of beautiful scrolls and Trisha found one that she loved.  It was expensive, however, and Trisha had already used most of her cash to pay for her hotel room the night before so we set off to find an ATM.

We asked directions to the nearest bank, but despite trying a few times, Trisha's bank card didn't work. There was another bank right across the street so she tried there with still no luck.  She then tried an ATM in a convenience store but got denied there as well.  As it turns out, her bank had a holiday that day and in Japan that means you cannot access your money in any way, including ATM withdrawls.  Being Americans, Trisha and I were completely caught off guard because ATMs are always available in the US. Since my bank was the same as Trisha's I was stuck in the same situation of not being able to withdraw any money.

I had headed off to Kyoto without much cash planning on taking some money out when I got there so  between the two of us we had only about ¥3000 ($30 at the time).  In the US that wouldn't be a big deal since you can use a credit card for just about anything.  Cash is king in Japan, however, and you can't use credit cards in a lot of places.  Luckily, we could buy our shinkansen train tickets home using a credit card but we had to make do with cash for everything else.  With entrance fees for our planned stops running ¥300-¥500 each we were on a tight budget for the day and buying anything else at To-ji market was out of the question.

We went back to scroll stand to explain that Trisha would not be able to buy the scroll after all.  The lady seemed to indicate that Trisha could still have the scroll. "What is she saying?" Trisha asked me.  "I think she is saying that if you give her your address she'll send it to you and you can pay then," I replied, "but I could totally be misunderstanding her."  Trisha figured it was worth a shot and after writing down her address we were on our way. 

For the rest of the day we scrimped by walking everywhere and eating a lunch of America Dogs (Japanese for corn dogs) from a convenience store.  We went to Nijo-jo castle to wander through its famous cherry tree groves and then headed to Maruyama Park (free!) to see its huge famous weeping cherry tree.  Maruyama Park also turned out to be great for people watching with thousands there for hanami (blossom watching) parties with food and drinks spread out on blankets beneath the trees. We splurged on a yatai (food stall) snack at the park and headed up the hill to Kiyomizu-dera.  The sun was low in the sky at this point and we had picture perfect views of the sunset over Kyoto and the temple ringed by blossoming cherry trees.  It had turned out to be a great day despite our morning mishap and we headed back home happy but ready to get some money out first thing on Monday.

A few days later Trisha's scroll showed up in the mail as promised and this time she was armed with the cash to pay for it.  As for me, from that point on I always made sure to have plenty of cash on hand because you never know when a bank holiday can creep up on you and catch you unawares.