Tsunagi Onsen

The inn that we stayed at was in the small hot spring town of Tsunagi.  Onsens are usually situated in towns or villages.  The inns and hotels have licences to bore to the hot spring source or else there is an organization that permits piping from one main source.  Some hotels are sparkly and glamorous with their baths up on the top floors looking down on the world, some inns are old with soft wooden bathtubs worn away by age.  Most hotels and inns boast an outdoor bathing area. 

Often the towns will have a vague sulfur aroma in the air and here and there steam can be seen rising from the hillsides and the outdoor bathing areas.

Early in the morning Tetsu and I bundled up and before anyone in the inn was awake we tiptoed out to the parking lot and took Choco for a long walk by the lake.  The air was crisp and the sun was still hidden behind the surrounding hills.  We could let Choco run by the lakeside without fear that she would go too far or meet up with anyone.

 In the distance is Mt. Iwate, the pride of Morioka.

"Just as beautiful as Mt. Fuji!" says Tetsu. He will always long for his home town scenery.

We were very happy that we had brought our down jackets and fur lined hoods!

Tetsu and Choco and I walked about thirty minutes to the other end of the bridge spanning the lake.  Still not many cars out so Tetsu could pose in the middle.

On the way back the sun finally came up over the hills and lit up the autumn trees on the far side of the lake.

A fallen tree lay in the misty lake.

The colors of the morning were just beautiful. 

After our icy walk Choco went back to her well-insulated car and Tetsu and I took another hot bath!