Hectic Tokyo
When in Japan you have to experience the traditional Japanese lodging. At a Shukubo you stay in a temple with the monks. You get your own room, one with those paper sliding doors and sleep on a futon.
The Shukubo I stayed at was also equipped with wifi since a month, so I had to disgrace all the Buddhas with my high-tech moment in the evening.
Entering my room I was super psyched. There was a kotatsu; a low wooden table with a heater underneath and a blanket on each side. I knew about this because it featured in one of my favorite anime series “Azumanga Daioh”, where one of the characters gets all excited about the kotatsu and starts to sleep under it. Of course I had to relive this and take my own nap under this pleasurable and warm contraption.
At precisely 5.30 PM a vegetarian dinner was served by one of the monks. This must have been the healthiest meal I had in my life. Most dishes were indescribable and sometimes just funky and squishy. But I’m proud of myself that I ate it all. Oh, in the morning they also served a veggie breakfast and I had to go through the same unknown flavor tasting again.
When staying at a temple you do what the monks do, that includes getting up at 6 AM for the morning prayers. After that I took a dip in the public (women only) onsen where I washed all my worries away.
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Wat een geweldige ervaring.