Hachigamine Park, Asa Zoo, and Sandankyo Gorge

We had a very exciting week!

 Drew had Monday off for Columbus Day, so we took him to Hachigamine Park.  We went straight to the roller slide, of course.  It was just as thrilling as last time to be able to operate the tram up to the top by ourselves.

 Though we were a little nervous to push the wrong buttons or appear like we didn't know what we were doing, because this time we had a Japanese audience.  

 We let them go down the slide first (Douzo!) and forced the kids to look at the view from the top of the mountain until we couldn't hear the rollers spinning anymore.  

 It was harder for some than others.  Rafe kept drifting unconsciously towards the slide entrance.

 I guess from his height the view was not so spectacular.  I was holding too many things to lift him up to a better vantage point.

 The kids wanted to go first by themselves, but the effect of increased mass on velocity on a frictionless downward incline cannot be denied.  We usually ended up in a big happy train that paused only when my hips would get squished to the side of the slide on the curves.  My baby weight makes for a very effective break!

 After the roller slide it was the bumper cars.  I was exhaustively clear as we walked over to them that each child would only get TWO TURNS in the cars, and we were all in agreement until the two turns were up, and then there was much weeping and wailing. 

So we hurried over to the dinosaurs for a little distraction.  On the walk there we passed lots of Japanese extended family parties (it was a Japanese holiday as well), and we looked with interest at what they were barbecuing on the picnic pavilion grills (cabbage leaves and yakiniku meat).  

 We had our own little "picnic" at the top of the hill of so many carrots and apples.  We're following the InsanityMax:30 nutrition plan, and it is an embarrassing increase in our vegetable intake.  

 The dinosaurs at the park were certainly not tempted by our fresh veg when they had an endless supply of children to munch on.  

 After the dinosaurs it was the Ferris wheel.  Vivi had found a magic feather on the ground which allowed them to fly.  It wasn't quite strong enough a talisman to keep her from looking a little nervous at the top though.  

 Her nervousness was understandable  To look out the window and see Mommy waaaaayyyyyy down there feeding Annie her lunch was bound to be a little unsettling.  

 After the Ferris wheel we headed to a cool wooden park where the kids played their hearts out and were very easy to keep track of in the sea of black haired children.  We stayed until Rafe filled his rain boots with pee, then we called it a day!

 On Friday I got to go with the kids on the youchien field trip to the Asa Zoo in Hiroshima.  I think it must've been free admission day for elementary aged children and younger, because the whole zoo was full of school groups in matching hats.  Our youchien required a parent of each child to come, which meant that we could wander the zoo at our leisure instead of having to stay with the class.  This was nice, because I love the zoo and do not like to be rushed in my observations!  

 I think the chimpanzees were my favorite animal of the day.  We watched a mom and her little son play tag for about 15 minutes.  He kept giving her the slip and squeezing through a tiny hole under a log in their habitat.  Sometimes she'd get him by the leg and pull him back out, but if she wasn't fast enough she just had to go around.  When she needed a rest she'd run up to the glass we were looking through to sit and observe Vivi and Rafe and Norah.  They usually screamed and ran away.  It was very diverting.  But I think the absurdity of how small the skink's legs were compared to its body was almost as enjoyable.   

 Annie slept through the entire zoo in the Baby Bjorn, which was incredibly helpful as I was pretty maxed out herding Vivi and Rafe through the crowds.  So, she was wide awake for the bus ride home, and happy for the first hour.  The last half hour, not so much.  The whole bus was relieved to get home and be free of her squawking.  

 Thankfully the kids sat nicely and listened to The Safety Kids and ate their raisins.

 When we got home we packed like a whirlwind to get ready to leave for Sandankyo Gorge as soon as Drew was off work.  We got to the ryoukan at about 8:30 and learned we were the only guests staying there that night, which meant we could have a family bathroom instead of having to segregate by gender.  We tucked a sleeping Rafe into his futon bed, then headed to the onsen for a bedtime soak.  I took no pictures, because there are no clothes allowed in the onsen!

 In the morning Drew took the kids back for another soak when they woke up unreasonably early, as always.  I folded up all the beds when Annie woke up.

 And then we had our Japanese breakfast of pickled something or other, hot rice with an egg cracked in it, tofu with soy sauce and green onions, and miso soup.  

 After breakfast we got ready to explore the gorge. 

 Our hotel sat right above the trailhead, so that was convenient.  Our room is the one in the top left corner and had a great view.  

 The kids were pretty cranky after going to bed late and getting up early, so they spent most of the hike whining and hitting each other.  The scenery was stunning though, so it boiled down to being an above average day!

 The water was so clear in the gorge.  It was like Voyage of the Dawn Treader at the end of the world water.  Here is Vivi with her hiking stick, Rafe with his complementary toothbrush, and Annie zonked out on my chest (which is how she spent the entire hike).

 The trail passed by waterfalls . . .

 . . . of all shapes and sizes.  

 Vivien was pretty unimpressed and kept begging "to go back to Sandankyo Gorge" (which is where we were . . .).  I think she meant the hotel.  

 I took a new nature closeup for my iPhone lock screen.  I'm very happy with this one.  

 Then after we had gone about as far on the hike as our children would allow, we headed back to the trailhead and threw rocks in the water for awhile.  

Annie woke up to lay like an adorable blob on the shore.  

 And as we were leaving, we saw a frog.  It tried hopping away from us for awhile, then I think it got tired.  I don't know.  This looks like an "I give up" posture to me. 

 We passed by the kayak rental and it was one of the few times on our family vacations that we sort of wished we didn't have kids with us so we could have done it.  

 But instead we went to "Farm Nora" to see their one sheep, ride their little zip line, and eat some delicious food.  The farm dog attached itself to us instantly.  It was very cozy.  

 But Rafe kept a close eye on the dog.  I'm not sure when he became afraid of dogs, but it is a pretty intense distrust.  Drew and the kids got pizza and I got the Japanese version of borscht (bo-ru-shi-te) that comes with rice.  It was all really good.  

 After lunch we headed to a different section of the gorge and booked it along the trail to make the last ferry boat to Nidantaki.  At one point Drew had Rafe in the backpack and was holding Vivien.  I was impressed, as I huffed and puffed along with my meager 11 pound baby.  The ferry went through a very narrow, deep section of the gorge.  There was a woman in the boat with us who had learned English in Australia (we could tell!) who translated a bit of the tour for us.  I guess there used to be a lot of monkeys in the area and this was a good place to see them swinging in the trees above the gorge.  I was kind of glad they were gone.  Last time we were up close and personal with monkeys, one punched Rafe in the head.  

 No monkey punchings to mar this little boy's ferry ride.  My friend Traci calls him Baby Drew sometimes; I think it's a very fitting nickname.  

Here is the lovely Nidantaki.  They told us that the falls used to be split in two (that's why it's called "ni"dantaki), but some heavy flooding a few years ago washed out the rocks that split it, so now it's just one pretty waterfall.  

 Our English speaking friends took a family picture of us.  

 On the hike back we explored a little bit more and stopped in a big clearing where there were probably 20 hammocks set up all over the place.  We took a rest, then finished our hike and headed home.  

First overnight trip with our family of five!  We can do it!