This morning, we got up and went for the last time to the massage chairs for a morning back rub. Also, Aaron tried out a massager for just his feet. He was in heaven. We then searched for food at the train station, but surprisingly, nothing was really opened before 11 AM, so we stepped into a waffle restaurant that only served waffles meant for dessert. Mine was covered in ice cream, macarons, and whipped cream. I wish all waffles came with this kind of dressing.
We took the train to a stop about an hour away from Tokyo and met up with Liam, Kelly, Chris, and Jess....it was Onsen time! We took a short 10 minute little train to a smaller city, then took a cab that led us to our spa. It was like a movie. All the workers were in yukatas and little sandals. We got the grand tour and then sent to our rooms to change and get ready. Our room had twin beds and was super Japanese looking. I was pretty stoked.
The weirdest part of yukatas for me was "free balling" the whole time. As in, no underwear, no bra. Just nakedness. We all got dressed, met in the hall, and then proceeded to a foot bath area where the water was steaming hot and had river rocks in the bottom. Felt good, but was making me sweaty. Was it really that smart to go to a hot bath in the middle of summer. Onsens are supposed to make you stress free and feel good, but for the first hour, it was pretty stressful for me, having to bathe with Kelly and Jess and barely knowing them. Americans are very weirded out by nudity, like it's a bad thing. It's private. Going into our private bath, we all stripped down, then showered (because the Japanese believe that you should be clean before entering the bath), and waded in the water. It was SO hot!
After the bath, I came back to our room and changed yukatas to a prettier one that I got to pick out upon arrival. I tried to tie my obi correctly, but it was slightly too short and not as stiff as a normal obi, so my bow looked a little like poo. This is me tying it.
Dinner was overwhelming. So many things that I don't eat, and it's all that was served. We had shabu shabu which I recognized and enjoyed. My plate had no sashimi on it because we let the chefs know that I don't eat raw fish. The worst part of the meal was for sure the abalone. We had grill flames in front of all of us, and then a waitress put a live abalone on each. You could see them squirming as they slowly cooked. I felt terrible. I actually had to look away and try not to cry. It also smelled like burning flesh which was very unappetizing. My abalone did not die for naught, as I served him to the other 5 at the table.
Everyone rushed off to do another bath, drink sake, and eventually go to bed. The boys went into town to buy sake for everyone and on the way, saw a shooting gallery where Liam won a "sun medallion" that he proceeded to wear for the rest of the night, much to Kelly's chagrin as it was embarrassing. The night ended with Liam drunkingly dancing while sticking an entire pack of Pringles in his mouth, spitting them out as he laughed at himself.
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