Yudanaka Onsen

We flew to Japan on Christmas Day and started our holiday with a couple of days relaxing at an onsen resort.  

We took the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano and then a local train to Yudanaka Onsen village.  This is a nice mountain village near the famous Shiga Kogen ski area and the Snow Monkey onsen where wed had stayed last year  (tourist association website)

We stayed 2 nights at the well-known Yorozuya Ryokan (link) which has a beautiful old building and a rather less beautiful concrete annex across the road, where we stayed.

I was initially quite unimpressed, but the genius of Rika's booking was soon clear.   She had cut the cost dramatically by booking the annex (actually quite nice)...

...and with this package we could still enjoy the top-quality onsen banquets in the mail building.

We had two amazing multi-course kai-seki meals.

And nice wine and sake.

Rika was avery happy to enjoy wa-gyu beef again

Yorozuya Ryokan is known for its beautiful old bath-house building and large outdoor bath set in a lovely garden.

The large wooden bathtub has been designated as physical cultural property of Japan. 

It was very relaxing to sit in the outside bath and enjoy the cold air and the beauty of the garden.  

Especially at night.

Yudanaka town itself was very quiet.  The ski-season had barely started because the snow-fall had been very disappointing.

The town was running a lantern festival.  Children could make their drawings into lanterns and hang them up in a display near a public foot-bath.  Hannah drew a cat for her lantern of course.  

This is the view from our room in the hotel annex building.

Up the road was the DaihiDen Temple where I found a nice 'tai chi court' below the temple bell, and practiced my taichi at dawn and dusk enjoying a view of the valley and mountains

This is the Heiwa Kannon Statue, a 25 meter standing Kannon Statue of World Peace

Christmas

We celebrated Christmas Eve in Hong Kong before flying to Japan the following day.

Saito-sensei visited and gave everyone massages.

Then we opened presents that Granny had sent from New Zealand.  Thank you Granny!

Rika cooked lamb-chops for Christmas Dinner with Saito-sensei and her friend

And we bought a Christmas-cake 

And Hannah briefly made good use of the boxes a space-helmet

DB Christmas Market

On Sunday we helped Rika with another Christmas Market at Discovery Bay.  

It was cold and Hannah wanted to wear her cool 'Burberry' coat that Rika had bought for her in Shenzhen.

Rika had created attractive christmas gifts and decorations anticipating good sales.   But it was quieter than usual, perhaps because of the cold, so total sales barely covered the costs.

Daddy Day (3) - Cycling at Po Kong Park

After the Wong Tai Sin Temple we took a taxi to Daimiond Hill and the Po Kong Village Road Park which has a rather improbable cycling track.

The park is on a steep hill above the entrance to the Tates Cairn tunnel and is surrounded by housing estates, with Lion Rock in the background.

The parks department created a circular elevated 1km cycling track by putting a bridge across the slope (lcsd link).  The elevated track also creates a big covered area where people can picnic or do tai chi even if its raining.   Pretty cool huh.

Its quite a fun place to cycle, although there is a fairly steep section up the hill which is difficult for kids if they haven't learnt to use gears.

There are other facilities in the park like a skateboard area and these cool parabolic acoustic devices.  The girls enjoyed being able to whisper to each other

"My dads fatter than your dad"...

Daddy Day (2) - Wan Tai Sin Temple

On Saturday AJ and I met up for another Daddy Day with Hannah and M.   The plan was to visit Wong Tai Sin Temple in Kowloon and then go cycling at the nearby Po Kong park.

Wong Tai Sin Temple is a major temple and tourist attraction (wiki link)  but it was our first time to visit.    It is large and lavishly decorated with elaborate statues and buildings of Taoist, Confucian and Buddhist traditions.

Two lucky dragon statues at the entrance and then statues of the twelve chinese zodiac animals.   Hannah and M are both 'golden pigs'.

AJ is a monkey.

Next to the temple is Wong Tai Sin Fortune-telling and Oblation Arcadewhich is run by the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (link).  It has 161 fortune-telling stalls, including several offering English.  For a very reasonable HKD 300 the girls had their palms read.

After careful scientific analysis of Hannah's palm, the fortune-teller announced that she would finish university with no problems, get married at 25 and have 3 children (2 boys and 1 girl), and live a long life.    Thats was a relief for her dad!

He also said she was very active and musical (true), although she should beware of water when she is 33 and 34.

Maya's fortune was very similar and also very positive.

"The Wong Tai Sin Temple’s claim to ‘make every wish come true upon request’ might have something to do with its popularity. Home to three religions (Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism) its natural setting and beautifully ornamented buildings make it as much a scenic attraction as an important religious centre" (source)　

We next visited the main temple area where there were many people praying and making offerings.

The stone pillars around the courtyard were beautifully carved with deities and musicians.  I was glad to see this shakuhachi player.

"Feng Shui enthusiasts may notice structures representing the five geomantic elements: the Bronze Pavilion (metal); the Archives Hall (wood); the Yuk Yik Fountain (water); the Yue Heung Shrine (fire), where the Buddha of the Lighting Lamp is worshipped; and the Earth Wall (earth). Other areas of the complex include the Three Saints Hall, the Confucian Hall and the extravagantly colourful Good Wish Garden that is lavishly decorated with chinoiserie."  (link)

After the temples we visited the lovely taoist garden.

Hannah enjoyed taking photos of the fish and turtles.