Labor Day Weekend: Rained Out Edition

We had grand plans to go camping over Labor Day weekend. We even got as far as having the car packed, but when we stopped by Outdoor Rec to rent some equipment, the guy working there said, "just be really careful with the typhoon coming..." All of the sudden, the slightly overcast sky seemed a lot more ominous. Eric and I pushed "pause" on our plans and took time to re-evaluate. We were supposed to meet some new friends who had gone to the campsite a day earlier. They had called around the same time we received the typhoon warning to finalize directions and also to let us know they understood if we were re-thinking our plans in light of the dark sky. They reported that they had already spent one really rainy night under the stars...

Eric and I decided then and there to save camping for another weekend. Suddenly we were looking at a four day weekend with no plans, which almost threw us into a panic as we do not want to waste any time off of work that he has. We were dealing with other things too...mainly, the overwhelming shock of losing my cousin, Michael. We were feeling an intense combination of devastation and desire to live life to its fullest because...you never know. We needed a place to regroup and we still had some sun so we decided to head to the base lake and rent a kayak for some time on the water. We spent an hour or so out on the lake and discussed various ways we could spend the rest of our weekend together.

A couple of Eric road snack selections...

He always chooses the funky-est stuff he can find.

The weekend ended up being a good combination of trying new things and quiet time together. Not the weekend we imagined, but definitely the weekend we needed. Eric suggested that on Saturday we try to jump on, last minute, a tour run by the base of a place called Osorezan. He called and asked the tour office if there was any room left on the bus. They responded that there were in fact two empty seats, but that they were not together. Deciding that we could handle sitting separately for a couple of hours, Eric and I joined the tour.

It rained the entire day of the tour, but we made every effort to make the most of it. Our first stop was at Yagan Valley, a very remote wooded area with a river and hiking paths, which I believe eventually lead to the west coast. We were given time to hike or to enjoy the onsen (natural hot bath) there. Eric and I opted to hike in the rain. In the picture on the left, I am posing with a statue of the famous Kappa. Remember? The colonoscopy fish?

We came back from our hike chilly and wet, but quickly warmed up with huge bowls of ramen at the noodle shop in the valley. The noodles in Eric's ramen were made of squid ink, hence the black color. Remember what I said about funky? After lunch, we rolled up our pants and soaked our feet in a natural hot spring until it was time to get back on the bus. We had to resist the urge to submerge our whole bodies and stay for the rest of the day...perhaps the onsen would have been the better choice...

Back on the bus, we made our way to Osorezan. By the time we arrived, the rain was really falling hard. We walked around taking in the sites and smells. There is a strong smell of sulfur in the air at Osorezan. We stopped as often as we could to take pictures of the remarkable landscape. It reminded me of other wondrous places I've visited (Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, Persepolis)...you have to see it to believe it. It almost felt like we'd left our planet and landed on another...maybe this is what Mars feels like?

Osorezan is considered one of the three holiest sites of Japan and was founded in the ninth century by Japanese Buddhist priest, En'nin. Following a dream, he was sent by a holy monk from China to Japan to search for a sacred mountain. The mountain that he found after extensive traveling and many hardships was Osorezan. Osorezan is also referred to as, "The Gates of Hell." This is due to both the landscape (the area is covered by boiling, sulfurous lakes) and the fact that it is the place of worship of the bodhisattva Jizo. Jizo  "vows to suffer hell himself to alleviate the pain of those condemned to hell, to free human beings from the illusions of life and death in this world, and to lead even heavenly beings of the purer world into eternal salvation." (from Osorezan literature). It is said that people in the region believe that all people will go to Osorezan after death. For over a thousand years, people have visited Osorezan bringing prayers and wishes for loved ones. It seemed an appropriate destination for Eric and myself that weekend.

While at Osorezan, Eric and I searched for a spot where we could take a moment to honor Michael. People who visit Osorezan to offer prayers and wishes for loved ones recently departed build little towers of rocks, which serve as bridges or paths to ease their loved ones' journey into the afterlife. We knew that our family was gradually congregating in Arkansas to celebrate Mike's life and mourn our loss. To build little bridges of their own. To hug each other, cry with each other, laugh with each other, and comfort each other. We could not be there, but together we took the time to perform a ritual of our own. To hug, cry, laugh, and comfort each other. We picked a place to build Michael's bridge that we knew he would like: high up on a hill, overlooking a beautiful lake.

We made our way back to the bus absolutely drenched and vowing to return to Osorezan again so we could have more time to take it all in.

The rest of the weekend was restful, quiet, and perfect. The only other "reportable" event that took place was our visit to the Misawa McDonald's. If ever we stop at a foreign McDonald's, we order two #1s and attempt to rate how they stack up to others we've tried. We have a veeeery short list of competitors at this point. We have our work cut out for us...though it is hard to stop at McDonald's when you are traveling in new areas and are determined to try as much of the local cuisine as possible. Anyway, here are the current rankings in our Big Mac Challenge: France > Misawa > USA. France wins because beers came with the value meal for the same price as soda or water. Japan should win because the craftsmanship of the sandwich was far superior to any of its competitors. And the USA would win if more people took pride in craftsmanship....and if beer was a beverage option. As you can see...our standards are quite rigorous and the rankings are very firm.

Micky D's: Paris version

Misawa McDonald's

It took me a lot of time and tears to get through writing this entry...and it seems funny that it ended up concluding with my memories about our Big Mac Challenge that weekend. I suppose if I look for some kind of deeper meaning I could say that it is symbolic of life. Life is not always fair and sometimes it is downright painful, but it does go on, doesn't it? One Big Mac at a time.