ocean drift: some kind of nature

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It’s an early morning again 3:18 am I’m wide awake sitting in a car heading north east. I took a day off work to join three of my workmates on a trip to Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort.

Nozawa is located in Nagano prefecture around 4.5 hour’s north east of Nagoya. It’s one of Japans most famous snow resort. The second ski lift was built in the 1950’s and the area was sites of the Winter Olympics in 1998.

The village has 30 hot springs and 13 public onsen and the best thing about them is that they are all for free! I took on the challenge and explored them. It is just amazing all these hot springs. I NEVER had such hot onsen in my life before and I went already to many different ones. Phhuuuuuuaaaahhhhh it was just too hot even the Japanese couldn’t deal with it. Warning signs where tagged all over in the entrance area and next to the natural water tap. But nothing could stop me so I gave it a go and boiled my self a bit.

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The streets are free of ice and snow because it boils in every corner and hot water floods the streets. Foot baths line the alleyways. When ever you feel cold you can take your shoes off and 'warm' your feet up.

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I don’t know if I mentioned earlier but Japan is the place to eat. Food is very much celebrated and the culture is based around a beautiful, significant and sometimes a bit crazy food culture. Where ever you go you have to try at least one ‘special’ regional dish. So I had to try one of the famous Oyaki Manjuu dumplings which are steamed over onsen water … oishikatta _ lecker!

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