Onsen indulgence
I’m kicking myself for not taking my camera out to the steaming baths in our hotel, Oodaru Spa Amagisou. Megumi warned us there was no place next to the baths to place our things so we only took our towels and bathrobes.
It must’ve been five degrees out, but the more we soaked in the hot water, the less cold it felt even in just a bikini and a thin flannel robe. Mr. D was keen on a Japanese experience but was skeptical as to how much he’d enjoy taking baths. Let me just say, he was always the last one out and looked surprised when we were going to move on to the next one.
One unforgettable onsen was a fertility cave. The air was humid and warm, unlike the cool outdoor ones, and the water was so hot it took me a few minutes to relax. Also, there was a fertility statue – a smiley old woman who put her arms round a large stone penis. We couldn’t stop laughing and I wish I could’ve taken a picture.
In three hours, we soaked in 12 baths. Another incident that tickled was an old man who refused to wear his swimmers in the public onsens. His son or relative tried in vain to cover him up but the ol’ geezer kept swiping away his towel. In fact, he hobbled into the bath Mr.D and I were in – close to the stone I was sitting on. I had to look away and splashed my way to my kangaroo’s side. His utter lack of self-consciousness was too funny.
After a dip in the indoor bath, we gathered in Scott and Megumi’s room for our dinner spread. Woweee…that’s just the first course.
Check out the shipful of sashimi. It looks as good as it tastes. Going in and out of onsens sure work up a healthy appetite.
That’s my idea of a great spa. Forget beauty treatments and massages. By the way, my skin felt super smooth after this trip.
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