Was actually contemplating if I would like to dine in at the standing ramen kiosk, but decided against it.
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| shall I get some kishimen? |
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| that's the sign of my ride |
Time to pack some food for the trip!
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| lunch box from here |
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| not my train |
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| Hida-furukawa train |
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| time to get onboard |
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| seated |
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| nicely packed |
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| miso katsu from Nagoya |
Here are the sights along the way, viewed from the train:
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| mountain view |
Saw an interesting sight at Mina-ota station. There was a dog, all dressed up. Is he the Station Master? Keke, I waved at the them and the gentleman waved back.
Was trying hard to capture the beautiful autumn leaves sighted but the photos didn't turn out well. Here's a video instead of the actual experience. Bumpy warning ahead as the train was travelling at varying speed.
Reached Takayama Station around 12+pm and hence, quickly went to the bus station and queued to buy the round trip fare to Hida Folk Village. Yup, that's the sightseeing for that day, plus I must eat Hida beef. That's the mission, hahaa!
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| Takayama Train Station |
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| bus terminal next to the train station |
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| waiting for the bus to Hida No Sato |
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| bus tickets to and from Hida Folk Village |
Actually, it was already lunch time when I needed to go to
Hida no Sato 飛騨の里. No choice, so let's be quick! The staff at the counter will pass you a small piece of paper which contained the bus schedule to return to Takayama.
Realised that the bus seat was pretty squeezy for my butt. Almost couldn't squeeze in. Oops.
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| bus to Folk Village |
Hida Folk Village (飛騨の里)
Address: Japan, 〒506-0055 Gifu, Takayama, Kamiokamotomachi, １−590
Opening Hours: 8.30am to 5pm
The bus ride to the Folk Village was pretty fast. I think it was just 10 minutes from the bus station! The Hida No Sato is an outdoor museum where its space houses close to 30 old farmhouses illustrating the traditional architectural styles of the mountainous regions of Japan.
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| drop-off point |
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| just follow the sign, let's go! |
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| so excited to see thatched roof! |
The bus ticket included the entry to the folk village, hence just needed to show to the staff at the counter to redeem.
Was already impressed by the beautiful place. Wahhhh....
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| so picturesque |
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| autumn leaves, up close |
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| Japanese Red Leaf Maple tree |
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| exploring the grounds |
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| lovely |
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| hello there |
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| Rokujizo (6 statues of Jizo) |
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| into the woods |
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| so pretty, everywhere |
Was pretty amazed and it was a wonderful feeling just taking in the sights and sounds at the folk village. Thankful for the lovely weather as the photos turned out well.
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| I was here |
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| thatched roof house |
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| looking up close |
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| so pretty |
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| probably under restoration |
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| looks edible |
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| temple area |
As I was about to head back, the most surprising event occurred. They were having a fire-drill! Like what... the alarm was sounded and there were announcements in Japanese. But everyone remained calm and so we gathered to watch the exercise.
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| fire drill |
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| taking aim |
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| from another side |
After all that, it was one last look at the autumn leaves before taking the bus to return to Takayama Station. I was starving.... Time check, 1.42pm. It'll be 2pm by the time I reached town.
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| autumn, my favourite season |
You know you're in Takayama when.... you see
Sarubobo (さるぼぼ).
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| さるぼぼ |
But foood first! The queue at those touristy shops was real.
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| shall I get the famed Hida beef sushi? |
Was walking back and forth like a madwoman because I couldn't decide on what to eat and time was actually running out because I forgot that most shops have a rest period after lunch hour.
Finally, went inside a shop that perhaps were closing but I was there at about 2.59pm and the elderly lady in the shop said welcome and asked if I was alone and if I'd like the counter seat. Okay, I said.
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| the shop with Hida beef sign |
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| western styled interior |
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| Chef at work |
The only other guests were just about leaving when I walked in. The couple manning the shop are also at my parents' age. The lady was possibly in her sixties while the Chef seemed to be in his seventies.
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| complimentary hot sencha |
The menu was in Japanese only but my sole purpose was to have Hida beef steak and so I ordered just that.
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| Hida Beef Steak with rice and miso soup @¥3600 |
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| yummy steak |
The meat itself looked pretty lean but it was tender. Saw that the Chef used butter when browning the steak and the last step was to put the brown sauce over. Tasted like HP sauce or worchestershire sauce with a tiny bit of tangy. The Chef decides on the doneness of the meat. Not like I can say what doneness, I'd prefer in Japanese. =X
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| so good |
It was a good meal and I was the last guest in the shop. Thank you to the elderly couple for the good food. ごちそうさま!
After which, there was still 30 minutes before the scheduled train ride back to Nagoya. Hence, I dropped by the coffee shop nearby for a hot cuppa. Although, I was really really full. Streamer Coffee Company looked good on the outside and on its inside, it was modern and hip.
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| Streamer Coffee Company |
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| high seats and the table has charging outlets |
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| young barista at the counter |
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| Aya-san preparing my latte |
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| nice latte art |
The coffee was good, milk was not too overpowering and acidity just right. But, what a big cup it was! Hahaa, I was very very full and bloated after that.
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| sun setting |
Reached Nagoya at about 8pm, so went to ESCA to have dinner. One of the things to eat at Nagoya, is Oyakodon, so went to Rokugyo-tei 六行亭 because of its convenient location.
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| late dinner at Rokugyo-tei |
The place was quiet because it was past dinner time. Hot tea was served immediately after placing order. Staff was courteous and food arrived fairly quickly. Nothing beats a hot meal after a long journey. The dessert was brown sugar jelly coated with soy bean powder. Very nice ending to a meal.
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| complimentary ocha |
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| Oyakodon Set |
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| Oyakodon using Cochin chicken |
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| brown sugar jelly |
Walked back to the hotel and the streets were alive at night! Oooh, so people here likes going to drinking places.
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| crowded shops |
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