Today was a planned rest day from the Yamanashi culture exchange program. Originally, Sorn, Joram and i planned a spontaneous one day ski trip at a nearby area, however unfortunately the forecast predicted a rainy morning, which is why we chose to plan an alternative activity with the girls. Our teacher informed us, that currently there is an exclusive taxi tour offer lasting 2 hours around the Shosenkyo Gorge for a reduced price of 3000 yen. Since our accommodation, which is basically just a sports facility, is closed on Sunday, we had to move out early. Taking this early tour until lunch was a great way to kill two birds with one stone.
The Shosenkyo Gorge, located in the mountainous area north of Kofu city, features a scenic road for cars as well as a hiking path.Naturally the weather was a bit sub-optimal and as we ascended into the mountains, the fog grew thicker. Our first stop was the Kanazakura Shrine, known for its golden (Kana) Sakura flowers during sakura blooming season. As part of our tour, we had the chance to draw an Omikuji, which predicts one’s future luck. I believe I drew a moderate amount of luck. Next, we visited the Senga Falls – a waterfall cascading down over 30 meters. As we snapped some pictures our taxi tour guides already reminded us of the time. By noon, we arrived back at Kofu station and quickly checked in in our temporary hotel before heading to the Aeon Shopping mall, a four-story building with a variety of boutiques. We split up to tend to our own needs before eventually grabbing dinner together. Later that evening, we met up with Lisa, a German exchange student we had previously met at the Furoshiki course, and she brought along some UK-based exchange students for some Karaoke time. The initial getting-to-know-you phase was a bit awkward, but with the aid of some alcoholic beverages and numerous anime openings, we eventually found common ground and mutual understanding.
