We got to Nikko as planned and when you arrive you’re sort of forced into a decision. There are two primary activities in Nikko: the first is to see the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is close, or the waterfalls and lake area which is a 45min bus ride away.
When the train arrives in Nikko filled with day-trippers everyone runs off the train to go to their desired activity. We decided to go see the waterfalls and lake first and then come back and see the UNESCO sites — we thought it would give us more flexibility in our afternoon departure plans.
So we quickly bought our bus tickets and walked over to the bus in the brilliant and cool, but comfortable, sunshine. When we arrived we wuickly realized that it was unlikely that we’d be getting on the first bus, but maybe the second which was 20 minutes later. Fortunately they had a backup bus so we were on our way quickly.
And on the way up were treated with vistas like this.
Very similar to northern New Mexico, if you’ve ever been. We were unprepared for the drive, however, as it is a windy, curvy, hair-raising 45 minutes in a bus headed from about 600 feet elevation to about 4,000 feet elevation.
When we got to the top we happily jumped off the bus and right into the teeth of a 50 mph wind with higher gusts and a temperature of about 35 degrees. We were instantly miserable as was everyone else! I’m certain I screamed but doubt anyone heard me over the howling wind.
As a result we RAN to the photo point over the Kenon Falls, quickly snapped some pictures and RAN back to get in line for the next bus back down the mountain.
That’s it, that’s all we got, and we had to go back down the mountain the way we came — on the twisty, curvy, scary mountain road on a bus that how had people standing in the aisle because they were all so desperate to get out. People were literally fleeing. On top of it, the wind had blown away all the autumn color — so very disappointing.
It was the most miserable we’ve been on a trip in years, possibly ever. It was that bad!
