Final Installment of the Trilogy Takayama

Yes, I am going to be very lazy to skip the 2nd day but make up for it to talk about the final day. As all final episodes should usually be, it marks the climax and the climatic ending of our trip. Relax... there will not be any cliff-hangers nor cliche endings...

On the last day, in fact the evening of the 2nd day, we trodded to our 3rd and final destination "Shirakawa-go" or White river village translating it directly from its Japanese name. Like I mentioned way before in the first installment, we got more snow than we ever bargained. In fact as many of you already know, this is the coldest winter in Japan in more than 20 years, with numerous places snowing like crazy. Even before we departed, it was already reported on news the snow fall in Shirakawa-go was hovering around 2 metres. But still, to a bunch of kids who were raised in tropical islands, it was just a mere number.

It was .... snowing.... snowed like crazy. The scene before my eyes then was just beyond words. Snow was falling everywhere, we couldn't see what was in front of us, shops were closed.. Imagine heavy rainfall, only it was snow. And with snow avalanches possible, we were forced to end our trip earlier to make our way down the mountain as soon as possible.

Still in the mood for a picture in the snow then...

But... nothing can stop yours truly from posing for a nice shot!

And then evidence of us running for our lives to the bus terminal

Look how the whole bridge is covered with snow

And me not forgetting to turn around for a final pose...

Being on the bus doesn't mean we were safe from the snow... One of the wheels of the bus was stuck in the snow while the driver was giving way to another on-coming vehicle. That cost us an extra hour. To cut the story short, we left shirakawa-g0 at about 1pm and only got home at 12am in the morning. A normal 4-5 hours trip took us 11 hours...

You still the love the snow? Ask the guy who went along with us, he hates it now.. haaa

Extras:

The food we bought as souvenirs turned into lunch and then dinner

And Hello Kitty from Hida! I didn't bought it tho'. It was from my friend as a surprise for me =) He bought a doraemon for himself tho'. Hmm guys collecting doraemon...

Continuation...

Ok part 2 of my Takayama trip...
So where was I after making all of you drool looking at the pictures of the Hida beef?..
Well Takayama's basically a pretty small and old part of Japan similar to that of Kyoto. It boasts a number of traditonal shops be it food, trade or art. The snow though made walking difficult, also enhanced the beauty of the streets.

This being one of my favourite picture! Like a postcard right?

This should be one of the most propotionate snowman I ever seen! (Not like I have seen a lot tho')

This is basically how the whole street look like. Paved by snow

The row of old shops...

Night view! It's fantastic I tell you. This photo does no justice to it.

So that was basically what we did on the first day. Walked around the old shops in Takayama, sunk our teeth into the hida beef, drinking the sweet sake and finally a relaxing night at the Onsen. Have I already mention crying buckets of tears over our favourite show and posing with the famous mascot of Hida...

and finally....presenting..... the very satisfied us!