Today revolved around picking up the rental car and driving to Takayama. I am sure the employees at the rental car office were quite shocked by how thorough we were examining the car, taking pictures of all the scratches, and picking apart the car insurance agreement. As we drove away, they were probably making bets whether or not we would make it without a problem. Well, someone lost that bet within twenty minutes. We were still in Kanazawa stopped at a red light, when a blue car side swiped us. We pointed at a parking lot to indicate to pull over and the guy just took off. I ran across the street to a woman putting groceries in her car and asked her to call the police. A police officer arrived and the woman remained to assist us. Neither of them spoke any English, so we employed the use of charades. About an hour later we were sitting in a police station going over the details again. They seemed amused by us and were very fascinated by our Taiwanese Residency Cards. Luckily, one police officer spoke just enough English to help us get everything taken care of.
The next four hours were spent driving to Takayama. The route we took was not ideal and involved winding narrow roads snaking up and over the mountains. For other travelers it may be worth taking the toll roads to make the trip faster and safer. The problem we faced planning our stay in Takayama was that there were no couchsurfers and all the hostels/hotels were booked. So we found an onsen that allows you to stay overnight. Thus we paid 23 dollars to sleep on the floor in a room with 25 other people. There is also no bathroom. Since it is a bath house, they do not provide a bathroom for people who only stay the night. In order to use the facilities you must pay a separate fee. It has been an experience to say the least...
I hope you are all sleeping in more comfortable places than us. Sweet dreams.
The next four hours were spent driving to Takayama. The route we took was not ideal and involved winding narrow roads snaking up and over the mountains. For other travelers it may be worth taking the toll roads to make the trip faster and safer. The problem we faced planning our stay in Takayama was that there were no couchsurfers and all the hostels/hotels were booked. So we found an onsen that allows you to stay overnight. Thus we paid 23 dollars to sleep on the floor in a room with 25 other people. There is also no bathroom. Since it is a bath house, they do not provide a bathroom for people who only stay the night. In order to use the facilities you must pay a separate fee. It has been an experience to say the least...
I hope you are all sleeping in more comfortable places than us. Sweet dreams.