After Tokyo I took a train to the Nagano area. I should have packed proper winter boots and a coat as it was freezing and the ground was all slippery. Nagano is where they have the monkey park that bathe in the onsens. It was quite the walk to find them and I slipped three times. There were lots a wild monkeys in the park, none of them were in cages or anything like that. Nothing was really fenced off.

In Nagano I stayed at a fancy hotel. I walked there from the station right after my monkey hike. I was wearing muddy converse, my luggage wheels were all scummy, and my back was aching from carrying my backpack all day. It wasn’t a long walk. It had just snowed, however, and I guess they don’t have sidewalk salt like I’m used to. These roads were more slippery than the monkey path.

Anyway, as I walked up the the doors a sweet old Japanese lady came running out to me. She was apologizing for some reason and she bowed twice. She then carried all of my things into the lobby and made me a tea. She didn't just pour it though, it was a whole ceremony with a little sweet treat after. It was very nice.

Anyway, my room had its own private Onsen.