Friday 22nd April

After breakfast with Wally & Helen, we headed for Takayama’s Jinya Morning Market. It has been operating since 1863. I was disappointed in the markets. There wasn’t many shops open and what was open didn’t appeal to me. We were told there were lots of flowers and fruit & vegetables but we still haven’t found them.
We requested an extra ½ hour to look around but now I don’t know why. It sounded good at the time. I bought 3 packs of seeds of flowers so hope I can get them through Quarantine. If not they can have them.
On our way to the Old Town about an hour away to see the historical streets of the area. We went through a long tunnel about 14kms long. We then went to Shirakawago. A small village that is world heritage listed. It is located in the mountains beside a beautiful river. It is also where the Praying Village is located. Model-zukuri Gassho house, or “construction praying hands” is characterised by a sloping roof form and symbolises the hands of people who are praying. It was beautiful with snow capped mountains.
I even had to go to the loo and guess who went to the wrong on? He never battred an eyelid and neither did I but just about ran out.
Off to our lunch then a walk in the village. Left my camera in the Restaurant after lunch. When I discovered it was missing I flew back to the Restaurant and it wasn’t there. With my little knowledge of Japanese and their little knowledge of English, I couldn’t make out what the lady was saying. She was trying to tell me that it had been given to our Tour Guide and she was in the bathroom. When she came out and gave it to me I was so relieved.
We saw men re-thatching a roof on the Temple. One man had a chain saw and he was levelling the roof off. I wondered what they did in the old days when there wasn’t a chain saw around. Maybe they used a scythe.
We then travelled to a town called Tonami. On the way we stopped at a shopping complex where the check out ‘chicks’ were so polite. We could send planes of our people to see how to serve customers. They could learn a thing or two.
Wally finally got an ATM and it worked. He quickly grabbed his card and money before anything could happen.
We are staying at the Royal Hotel in Osaka tonight. It was a beautiful hotel but miles from everything and anything. For tea we had to take our shoes off and sit on cushions on the floor. It is OK to get down but trouble for some to get back up.
Sandy and Le are having another mineral spa in the morning at 6 and our bus leaving in the morning at 8.