Today I decided I wanted to see snow. I planned to take the free 9:30 am shuttle bus from the hostel to Takayama Station, and from there to go another place to see snow. but I woke up later than intended. The bed was just too comfortable, and I found myself dragging to get out of it.
Another girl from my room, Cylia, decided last minute to come with me, so we went to the station together. I find out the shuttle bus was actually the owner himself.
The ride to the station was quick, but as I got to know Cylia more, she told me she had left her bed curtain open the night before at the hostel because she was hoping to chat. She wasn’t sure how to start a conversation, so she left it open, hoping something would happen.
We both laughed so hard when we realized this. I did notice her curtain was open, but I just assumed she liked it that way and wasn’t a very private person. At the same time, I wasn’t sure if she wanted to talk, and I never want to disturb someone, especially when they are already in bed. Thinking about it now, I guess I was hoping to chat too.
I did feel a bit cold in the room, so I asked her if I could turn up the heat, and she just said “sure”… and then full silence for the rest of the night. I guess I did try a little. She told me later she thought I wanted to chat, but then assumed I was only asking about the air conditioner.
It was such a relief, and honestly so funny, that we finally managed to talk today, and it happened so quickly. If we had talked the night before, we probably could have planned our day much better together.
When we arrived at the station, we had some time before departure, so we went to the information counter. The lady there was so nice. She even made a phone call for me to check where there was still snow.
At the last minute, Cylia decided to stay in town to explore the famous Takayama Morning Market and the Old Town. as she had not explored them and also there's no guarantee there will be snow.
I decided to go ahead alone. The return ticket to Hounoki Daira Winter Resort cost 2200 yen, and the ride was about an hour.
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| Counter to puchase ticket at Takayama Station |
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| Ticket price |
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| Route from Takayama |
During the bus journey, there was hardly any snow at all. As we got closer to the destination, I kept thinking… how can there be snow if there’s none along the way?
But when I finally arrived, I was shocked. There was so much snow. I didn’t quite know how to feel. It was a ski resort, not really a place just to casually play in the snow.
Later, I found out the snow was actually man made.
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| Hounoki Daira Winter Resort Map |
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After walking around for about five minutes, I decided to check the ski rental prices. I went into a shop and found out it was 3000 yen for one hour, including skis, boots, and a helmet. Lockers were 300 yen, and each lift ride was 300 yen. But the rental included one free lift ticket.
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| Fast and easy to rent all the equipment |
Before going up, I met a friendly American girl named Anisha. She explained to me how far the lift goes, which helped a lot. Going up the lift was quick, but honestly a little scary since I am afraid of heights. The staff were very helpful and showed me how to get off, but I found it really hard. I was so slow that they had to stop the lift for a few seconds for me. Standing in ski boots is not easy at all. Before skiing down, I tried to get comfortable by practicing for about 5 to 10 minutes on flat ground. Then I went for it.
It felt so fast. I crashed halfway down. I tried so hard to get up, struggling there, when a skier passing by picked up my ski pole and handed it to me. So kind. When I got to the bottom, I could not control my speed and crashed again, right in front of the ticket booth.
A staff member from a small booth started talking to me. Of course, I did not understand what he was saying at first. Then I realized he was asking for my ticket and whether I had paid. I quickly showed him the ticket I got from the ski rental. He looked at it and told me very firmly that it was from last year. I was shocked.
I told him where I got it, but he kept insisting I had to pay. I tried to explain, but he did not seem to want to listen. At one point, he said “it is not his fault,” which really surprised me. I told him I needed to speak to the ski rental shop since it obviously not my fault either, since I had no idea I was given a last year ticket. He suddenly took my ticket and ran there. I slowly followed behind him.
Later, he came back and told me the ticket was not usable. I was confused and did not know what the rental staff had told him.
Luckily, Anisha saw me and came to talk to me. I told her what happened. She was such great emotional support while I was dealing with this.
Then suddenly, the ski rental owner came running out and gave me a new green ticket, the correct one for this year. After that, I told the ticket staff that he was not very nice in how he handled the situation, especially since he did not try to understand or let me explain and had already yelled at me. Not everyone is trying to scam him or get a free ride. He apologized and said that is just how he speaks, then insisted on giving me a free ticket.
I firmly told him no, since I was not planning to go up again anyway. I had already crashed twice, and my rental time was only one hour. But he insisted, so in the end I gave the free ticket to Anisha. I am really thankful she was there for me. We chatted for a bit, took some photos together, and then said goodbye. I headed back to Takayama.
At the bus station, I was the only one waiting. The schedule was clearly displayed, which was convenient. After about 15 to 20 minutes, a bus with “Takayama” written on it finally arrived. The ride back took about an hour.
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| Honokidaira Bus Stop |
I quickly messaged Cylia to let her know I was on the way. We had agreed to meet later when I came down. I was hoping the bus had WiFi so the message would go through, but it was very unstable. I am not even sure if they turn it off on purpose. After a while, it finally sent. I met up with Cylia, and we decided to hang out around town.
She told me she wanted to go to Shirakawago tomorrow and went to check tickets at the station. It costs about 7000 yen from Takayama. I could not decide if I wanted to join since I had already spent quite a lot today. Cylia ended up buying the ticket in advance to secure her seat, while I was still unsure.
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| Pharmacy at Takayama |
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| Ice cream cookie that Cylia bought |
Since we had both already explored the Morning Market and Old Town, we did not really know where to go. We just wandered around, went to a pharmacy, and I showed her the first hostel I stayed at in Takayama because I really liked it.
Then we walked to Daiso. It was quite far, about a 30 minute walk, almost back toward Sakura Guest House. We were just trying to kill time, so we went anyway. There were actually a few things in Daiso that I found really cool. I have never seen them anywhere before. bought instant noodles for the next day since there is a proper kitchen, and a soft drink.
Later, we went to Sukiya for dinner. The food was good, but I probably would not go again. Most of the dishes are beef or pork, and there are very limited chicken options. That is difficult for me since I do not eat beef or pork. I had to ask the staff not to include beef and pork in my meal. After dinner, we walked back to the hostel in the cold and wind.
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| The view to the restaurant |
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| Curry Rice at Sukiya |
Back at the hostel, I still could not decide whether to go to Shirakawago with Cylia. I felt like I was not ready to move again and wanted to stay another day in Takayama.
To my surprise, Sakura Guest House was fully booked for tomorrow. I quickly checked Hida Takayama Backpackers Hostel, and they only had one bed left.
I knew I had to act fast. I booked it immediately.
I told Cylia I would let her know tomorrow if I wanted to join. The truth is, I do not mind going, but after spending so much today, I feel a bit guilty spending more tomorrow.
That night, I was half asleep, still unable to decide.
Expenses:
Bus Takayama to Ounoki Daira Winter Resort return 2200 yen about AUD 22
Ski rental one hour 3000 yen
Locker 300 yen
Lift to go up snow 300 yen
Food and drink at FamilyMart about AUD 5
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