view from the train

October 26 continued

We took a day trip to Tsuwano, a japanese version of Banff. Of course we got away late and were in a rush when we got to the train station. We found a counter and asked where to catch the train to Yamaguchi, our transfer point. This is where we learned a valuable lesson. He said

Hurry, the next one leaves xxx platform in five minutes!

So we ran.

There was the train. It didn't look like a bullet train, but it was about to leave, so we hopped on.

Well, it wasn't a bullet train. It was the slow train, and took two hours longer to get to Yamaguchi, so we only had 2 hours to spend in Tsuwano. Sigh.

Next time we'll know to specifically ask for the 'Shinkansen'.
The ride from Yamaguchi to Tsuwano soothed me considerably, though. We rode deep into the mountains, passing countless remote villages filled with gardens, orchards and small fields. Walled compounds with beautiful old houses sat high like little islands in the fields. The hillsides were covered with thick stands of bamboo and cedar.

These are smaller mountains than we're used to at home in the Rockies, but the valleys are so narrow, bringing the hills in close and making it feel cozy and lush (or claustrophobic, if you're from the prairies).