4/13/08 Matsuyama

I headed to the Matsuyama castle this morning. There is a streetcar/trolley that is a very convenient way to get around. I am staying at a youth hostel that is very close to the Dogo onsen but is a ways from the castle and downtown areas. The cherry blossoms are in bloom right now so before going to the castle I went to a park and walked around- the cherry blossoms are really impressive. The castle is up on a hill and there are a few ways to get up and down that hill- walk, chairlift or on a tram. I opted for the little one person chairlift which was quite fun. The views from the hill and the castle are really amazing- the pictures don’t do it justice. There is also a row of cherry trees that were in full bloom and were stunning. Pretty much any place you visit there is an option to get food- I got these little colored balls on a stick that I had seen in a few places- I think they are made with sweet potato but I am not sure- they were tasty and served with umeboshi tea that was very salty.

I then headed up to the castle and went inside it. You have to take your shoes off pretty much everywhere you go here including inside this castle. They have one size (doesn’t fit) all rubber sandals that were about 4 sizes too small for me but I could still use them. The actual architecture and building of the castle is pretty amazing when you think about how long ago it was built. There is armor and weapons displayed throughout the castle. The views out the windows at the top of the castle are stellar.

I found a really cool ramen place after checking out the castle- father and son team running it. not much english spoken so when the young guy pointed to something and said spicy I said yes. I thought it might be a spicy sesame broth- but it wasn't- it was miso soup ramen. My previous experiences with miso ramen (in Hawaii) were not great so I wasn't sure if I liked it- well this time it was amazing.

I headed back to the hostel and started to chat with a guy named Daniel who is from Germany, however, lived in Canada for a year during high school so he barely has any accent. He is traveling for a number of months solo. We headed to the Dogo onsen for a long soak and then grabbed some dinner. I tried to find the Gyoza place the Aussies took me to the night before however couldn’t find it. We ended up eating in a 2 story restaurant that had lots of little private rooms with tatami mats and small table- you sit on the floor which often results in leg numbness for me. The food was justOK but the atmosphere of the restaurant was really fun and we had a good time chatting.