hey all,
So this weekend looks somewhat dreary as well. We have definitely entered the rainy season. Sunday looks pretty decent though, so I've been day dreaming about different places to see. I still want to see the Kansai region, with Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara holding more historic shrines, temples, palaces, towers, and gardens than most countries can claim. But I can't do them justice over a weekend. I looked into Hiroshima, even farther away than any of those cities, but I would beggar myself just getting over there, let alone paying for accommodation, food, and souvenirs. I considered going hiking near Yorii again, as several people have mentioned a few train stops near there with good hiking.
Finally, our new ALT actually mentioned Mount Tsukuba, which is about midway between the cities of Tsukuba and Mito. It is reasonably priced to get over there, seems to offer a good hike, and plenty of good sights to see. There are also some hilarious historical poems about the mountain, which are lewd enough that I'm not sure I can quote them here, mainly having to do with certain festivals. The mountain has two peaks, you see, and one is supposed to be a male god and the other a female god, and you see where this is going...Visiting Mount Tsukuba and its attendant shrines is supposed to bring good luck in relationships. I have avoided buying talismans for that at other shrines for fear of jinxing it, but I think I will need the luck now. We have a winner.
Cheers,
