Walking in a winter monkeyland

As you can see by the snow, this past weekend I headed for the highlands. I went to visit the Japanese Alps and boy was I glad that I had my thermals. While the weather in Kak has not exactly got warm it is certainly a lot better than that in Nagano and Yudanaka. I was staying in Nagano in youth hostel that is connected to the big temple there. It was a really nice experience, I had a tatami room all to myself and in the morning I went to the morning service, which was brilliantly atmospheric. After I had had my fill of chanting, drum-beating monks, I went into the Okaidan, a pitch-black tunnel that runs under the alter. I managed to locate the 'key to paradise' down there so am now assured of my eternal reward.

Then I made my way to Yudanaka where there is a monkey onsen! It took about 30 minutes to walk from the bus stop to the monkey park and although it was a bit cold it was very beautiful walking through the snow. Here I am enjoying the sub-Arctic temperatures.

The biggest monkeys just sit around and let the smaller ones groom them but most of them behave like kids in a swimming pool, swimming and fighting and dunking one another.
This little fellow was particularly cute, think he was checking to see if the warm water had given him wrinkles!
Before leaving the area near the monkey park I went into the Roman Art Museum (mostly to get warm) where I got talking to the lady working behind the front desk. She was nice enough to drive me to the station in Yudanaka. March the 3rd is the Doll festival in Japan and after attempting to photograph several displays through glass finally there in the station there was a display set out in the entrance. The two dolls at the top are the emperor and empress and then those below are their ladies in waiting, knights etc.