Tonight we write our blog entry from the mountains around Nagano. We are the guests in a traditional Ryokan, but I will come back to that later.

Our day started abruptly with a phone call from reception saying we had missed our check out time, and we had being doing so well. Bags packed. We walked through Nagoya to catch a train to our first stop of the day... Matsumoto.

The train was like all the others clean and punctual. The geography outside started with flat land, but soon was replaced with tall mountain valleys and rice paddy's. The train weaved its way through the forest covered hills stoping at the odd town on the way. Kindly we where kept up to date with our progress by the trains announcements which where called out in Japanese then English.

Eventually the train arrived in Matsumoto. We stored our bag and headed to find some lunch. Hot dogs and chips were a quick relief for our bellies on a tight time schedule. We jumped into a taxi to take us to see Mutsumoto's ancient castle. Its one of japans oldest examples and looked amazing in the afternoon sun.

We grabbed a tourist bus back to the train station and joined school kids and commuters on a local train to Nagano. The train weaved its way through the mountain valleys stoping at towns and villages on the way. I watched as kids play games against one and other on their phones while comuters and Beverley fell asleep to the rocking of the train.

We grabbed the train as Matsumoto was the next to Nagano. We could of grabbed the faster express train but we would of missed so much. As we approached Nagano the train climbed to enter the valley that surrounded the plateau where Nagano sits. As the trees parted we got breathe taking view of Nagano from the highest point on the hillside. We stopped at a station and had to reverse out so we could switch tracks to take us down the hillside.

Arriving in Nagano we where reminded of its famous Olympic connection (Winter Olympic, 1998) - it reminded Adam he should say as I (Beverley) had no idea. We ran to find the bus to take us to the Ryokan in the hills. Luckily the kind staff at the ticket office asked the bus driver to wait for us so we could buy a ticket. The driver then helped us board and we where on our way.

The road was very tight as it hugged the hill side of bottomless valleys. In the UK no one would run a regular bus service up such a road, but in Japan it is a vital life line to communities that live in the mountains. The kind driver let us know we where close to our stop and the owner of the Ryokan came to meet us. The owner then carried our backpack even though it was nearly the size of him and he was getting on in life, it was very much a case of hospitality over any personal inconvenience.

A Ryokan is traditional Japanese accommodation/house. Wooden construction with Rice paper sliding doors and rice-straw mats. We ate freshly made Japanese style dinner on low tables. Dinner was a range of small dishes including homemade noodles and beef with roasted vegetables served on a hot plate warmed by a small fire. When we returned our beds had been laid out in our room.

We bathed together in a traditional japanese bath that could fit 4 adults comfortably and got ready for bed. We look forward to what daylight will reveal.

Author: Adam Turner

Editor: Beverley Turner