Wading waist-deep

If you can imagine seeing Japan after a massive flood...and wading waist deep in water to all of the beautiful temples and cities, then you can imagine traveling with Carlos. You can see the all of sites, it's just really f-ing slow and sometimes you just say, "Screw it, let's go back to the hotel and watch CNN for a few hours."

In all fairness to Mr. Choochie, we have actually done a fair amount given the fact that we are (a)broke and (b) traveling with a 20 month old. And he has been a champ. He really only melts down when we have given him no time to run around or nap.

A few weeks ago we went to Takayama and the stunning World Heritage site, Shirakawa-Go. Takayama is in the Japanese Alps with beautiful old merchant houses, teeny precious museums and a few temples. It was raining when we went, so we had some great food, saw a few sites, then headed back to our beautiful hotel to go to take turns going to the onsen (hotsprings). There is only so much time in a wet stroller one can take. The onsen was beautiful. They pumped the water up a few stories and created an indoor/outdoor spa on two levels (one for men and one for women - they switch mid-day). You could just sit in the outdoor pools and gaze through the steam out at the beautiful views.

Onsen etiquette dictates a thorough scrubbing before you get in the actual hot pool. There are lines of little stools to sit on in front of mirrors with hand-held shower sprayers. If you are a honkey, which I am, you make a good showing of your scrub-down so that they know you understand that you are supposed to enter the pool squeaky clean. Takayama was our first time in an onsen, so we kind of learned on the job. David went first and was scolded by another hotel guest within five feet of our room... apparently you are supposed to wear slippers down to the onsen. We did not know this.

Two hours by bus from Takayama is Shirakawa-Go, a teeny village nestled between lush mountain peaks with thatched roof houses. Shirakawa means "praying hands" because the thatched roofs look like two hands praying. During the day, tourists following guides with flags and bullhorns invade the town. But, at night, it is tranquil and beautiful. You can see the stars and the moon and hear the coyotes (ok... there weren't any coyotes).

We stayed at a ryokan (japanese guest house) there that also had an onsen. You soak in the onsen then go to dinner in your robe and sit on the tatami mats and eat your 7 course meal of unidentifiable food, go for another soak and then to bed. Sleep and repeat.

Click HERE to see beautiful Shirakawa-Go. Click "View Slideshow" to avoid signing in. (We have only a handful from Takayama... too rainy.) There aren't too many and you can get a feel for how lovely it was.