Japan Day 11: Minoh National Park

I needed to get out of the city, and the easist way to do that was to catch a train on the Hankyu Railway out to the Minoh National Park and see a waterfall. I liked the Hankyu Railway: it was very shiney and the trains were cute.

The walk to the waterfall started along the narrow streets of Minoh toward the creek, winding past little shops and everyday people doing everyday things.

At the top of the street the trail turned off to follow the creek but I got totally side tracked by two enormous glass lifts that led up to an hotel and a private onsen. Any old body could waltz in and ride the lifts all the way up to the top and back down again, so that was exactly what I did.

From the bottom.

And from the top.

Okay, enough of the distractions! I went back to the path and followed the creek again until I got to the Insectorium where I spent some happy time looking at Japan's very large beetles and spending time in the butterfly  house.

The most dangerous animal in Japan is the giant hornet. An average of 18 people die from hornet and wasp stings each year. To put that in perspective, in Japan an average of 35 people die every year from slipping and drowning in bathtubs.

Enough distractions! I headed back to the path. The creek gurgled and galloped over rocks, sunlight filtered down through green leaves and winter- bare branches.  The wind boomed and shouted at the top of the ridges, but down in the valley was sheltered and, if not warm, at least not so cold that I couldn't manage without a beanie.

Signs warned me not to feed any monkeys lest they become aggressive a greedy. Monkeys! I walked quicker. I wanted to see monkeys.

A Buddhist temple demanded to be visited, placed as it was right beside the path.

Monkeys!

Finally I got to the waterfall. It was Ok as waterfalls go, but to be honest the journey there and back was more exciting. And there were no monkeys. I was very disappointed.

On the way back down the creek I took a detour to an observation point which served admirably to demonstrate how unfit I was. I arrived gasping at the top and no sooner had I caught my breath than three healthy young men staggered to the lookout, gasping for air. "Hoo boy!"gulped one. "That's some climb! Those steps are steep!"

"Really?" breezed I, with all the nonchalance I could muster. "I didn't particularly notice." And off I sauntered lest the lie get stuck in my teeth and expose me as the fraud I was.

There was a nice view back to the city, with the butterfly house visible down in the valley.

I had tea and toast (yes, toast is an up market snack in Japanese tea houses, at least the one in Minoh Park anyway),

walked past some more cute little houses and businesses,

and caught the shiny train home again.

Wandering in the streets on the way home I poked around in a little shop and FOUND A BEANIE!!  My ears were saved from the cold and it was a very happy way to end a very good day.