Chapter 51: CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

Reads: 313
Comments: 1

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

When I woke up the next morning, I felt really refreshed. The maid brought me my Japanese style breakfast with the egg boiled as I requested last night.

Reluctantly, I got into my clothes. I felt so relaxed and knowing the drive today wouldn't take anywhere near as much time, I didn't want to get started until midafternoon. But I knew that would be asking to much of the Okusan's generosity.

"I hope you have a safe trip to Shirakawa," the Okusan said as I was getting ready to leave. "Will you be staying with us on your way back?"

"Uh, probably. I still have your meishi business card with me. I'll call you in advance if I do."

"That would be nice." Then she frowned a bit. "But I'm afraid I can't let you stay in our ryokan for only minshuku prices next time. It will already be peak season. But I think you'll find our minshuku quite nice now that it's been renovated. And if you do call in advance, I can let you stay in a six mat room that I usually reserve for two. And each room even has its own private toilet now."

'Hmm. Now that does sounds like it might be nice at that. Will I still get meals?"

"Of course. But not the same meals you get here in the ryokan. And you'll have to eat them in the communal dining room in the minshuku instead of your room."

"Well, that's okay. I'm used to that from all the other minshuku I've stayed at."

With a "You be careful!" from the Okusan, I headed for my cub.

"You took better than three liters," the smiling gas station attendant said putting the gas hose nozzle back in its holder. "Getting close to reserve, I'll bet.

"Yeah. But that's because I came all the way up from my apartment in Kyoto to get here without gassing up. I wanted to make it to Shirotory in one day. And I did."

"In one day? On that little thing? Hey, now that's something! Where did you stay?"

"At the Shirotory Riverside Ryokan."

"Haha! Why that's the best ryokan there is here in Shirotori. I've never stayed there myself. No need to, of course. Are you going to Shirakawa again?"

"Yeah, and staying with the Okumura's. I called them last night from the ryokan."

"Sounds really nice." And with a "You be careful!" from the attendant, we putted off.

As I parked my cub in front of the gassho-zukuri minshuku, "Oh, you're here already, David-san! It's nice to have you back!" the Okusan greeted from the genkan entranceway. "Thank you for calling in advance. And since you did, I can give you the same room. You said for three nights this time?"

"That's right."

She waved to me. "Then come in, I'll show you to your room."

And again she led me through the main room with its hard-packed dirt floor, the upraised tatami mat platform in the center, the irori fireplace smoldering away in the middle of the platform, the large cauldron hanging from a rafter gurgling away over it, something delicious wafting from the cauldron. And overall the old-fashioned, homey smell of smoked wood.

Yeah, I'm back in Shirakawa all right! With its unique gassho-zukuri hands-in-prayer-built houses.

"It's great to be back, Okusan. Just like I remembered."

"I'm glad," as she was sliding back the door-sized paper shoji panel into my three mat room. "Here's you room, David-san. And the ofuro should be nice and warm by now. You know where it is, don't you?"

"Yeah. I remember from last time. Will there be anyone else staying here tonight?"

"Yes. We have a family of three coming. But there should be plenty of room for all of us around the irori. We're going to have vegetable tempura and broiled fish tonight."

"Ha, is the Dannasan out in the forest now collecting the vegetables from that forest near here and getting the fish from the river?"

"As a matter of fact, he is. Will you be wanting your egg boiled again?"

"Please. I just can't get used to eating rice with raw egg poured over it."

"That will be no problem. Are you going to take your ofuro now?"

"Yeah, I think I will."

Soaking in their large bath was really pleasant since getting here so early meant I had it all to myself again. And it took all the kinks out of my body this time since it wasn't that long a drive on from Shirotori. I'm sure glad me and little buddy were able to make it there in only one day. Now we're really out of hot muggy Kyoto and into a rural cool paradise that seems like different planet. That in itself was more than worth the extra effort we needed to get here fast.

'Now my real vacation can begin!' as I soaked a lot longer than usual I felt so relaxed and relieved.

"Dinner's ready, David-san! Come out to the irori." the Dannasan called. This time I didn't bother changing into my regular clothes, the yukata robe was so cool and comfortable and okay to wear in the informal atmosphere here.

"Nice to see to see you here again, David-san," greeted the Dannasan, sitting on one of the two zabuton cushions at the one end of the irori.

There was one cushion on the side nearest my room for me. And three cushions spread around the other two sides. For the family that the Okusan said was coming, I assumed.

"The Okusan is getting our other guests to come to dinner," the Dannasan explained.

The Okusan reappeared leading a rather young couple with their daughter, all clad in yukata as well.

The Okusan introduced all of us. The Yamadas seemed a bit wary of me at first because I was a gaijin. But once I started speaking to them in Japanese, they too relaxed and the conversation went smoothly from there on.

I found out they were from Osaka. So we had Osaka City and my old school in common to talk about. And Kyoto which they had been to and visited the famous temples and shrines there. The tempura and the broiled fish along with the vegetables she kept scooping out of the cauldron over the irori were delicious as usual.

Yeah, this was the informality I had missed so much in very formal Kyoto. And the camaraderie all of us built up sharing the meal around the irori was a pleasant change from the somewhat ritualized Shirotori ryokan as well.

Back in my room I had to lay down my own sleeping futon by myself, of course.

'Man, am I glad I came back here' as I slipped into it. Looking forward to what I was going to do tomorrow now that I had finally arrived, I contentedly fell asleep.

Submitted: August 12, 2024

Romance romance japan gaijin travel-in-japan japan-1970s

Like
Shelfit

Chapters

T
Prologue
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64

Add Your Comments:

Sign in to write a comment

Comments

B Douglas Slack

It seems inevitable that traveling from city to countryside always seems to be more pleasurable then the other direction. Cities have lots of concrete and hold the heat, while the countryside has loads of threes and greenery.

I've never stayed in a dirt-floored with raised dias inn before. I've seen them, but didn't trust my language skills enough to try one.

Bill

Mon, August 19th, 2024 11:23pm