Oboke

The 29th was my last day for the japan rail pass, so I was headed to Shikoku to start the 88 temple run when I asked two girls, Red and Naria, where they were headed. They replied white water rafting and canyoning. That sounded like a great idea so I made them give me directions and met up with them in Oboke. It is a beautiful river valley town with houses on stilts set in green hills. The constant sound of water plays out over boulders lodged in the rivers floor and time passes a little more slowly here.

When we arrived we were picked up by Mike, Red already knew him, and were dropped off at a guest house up in the hills looking over the valley. This is the type of view that would cost you a couple hundred dollars a night in American, here, it was a scant twenty five. To the west the hills run into eachother to form a V and to the east are bamboo forests crowding slanted roof homes. Mike came back up after work and we partied a bit with fellow travelers. My thoat started to hurt, so I neglected to partake in the drinking.

The next day we suited up in two wet suits and hopped in a raft to brave the rapids. We surfed some rapids, jumped off towering cliffs, and I rode on the front during one of the smaller ones. It was a great and exhausting day.

I woke up the next day rested and went down to suit up again, but this time it was to jump and repel down waterfalls for half a day. It reminded me of playing outdoors when I was young, jumping in the creek that ran parrallel to my house, except this was big boy playing with forty foot waterfalls instead of one foot creeks.

This morning I packed up my bag, let my clothes dry, and realized I had lost my lonely planet guide book. Now I truly have no idea where I am going and what I am doing. It will make for an interesting couple of months.