Day 5 - Kobe

I didn't get much sleep last night. Tried to download and backup video and picture files from the company's video camera.

WHAT A NIGHTMARE.

I swear, I will never buy a JVC video camera. The software hung my MAC when I tried to install it the first time. Then when I tried to backup files onto the computer, it crashed my computer AGAIN the 2nd and 3rd time I tried... I ended up manually dragging the files from the stupid thing onto my desktop at 2am!

So I woke up really groggy but was able to drag my butt down to The Terrace for buffet breakfast. I was the usual can't-make-up-my-mind-between-Japanese-or-Western-breakfast, so I had a boiled egg, miso soup, rice, fruit, hashbrowns, tomatoes, and stewed vegetables. I would have liked to have a Japanese breakfast but N isn't too fond of fish in the morning :(

This morning was good. The weather was cooler but the sun peeped out once in awhile to give us a good shine. Our research went well this morning and really gave us some great insights. I'll have to write them all down tomorrow so I can bring it back to my team.

We had lunch with M and then headed to Arima Onsen -- the oldest hot spring area in Japan. Arima hot springs are rare worldwide ones containing lots of minerals and natural ingredients. There are 7 ingredients, except sulfur spring and acid spring, out of 9 main ingredients (simple hot spring water, carbon dioxide spring water, hydrogen carbonate spring water, chloride water, sulfate water, ferruginous water, sulfur water, acid water, and radioactive water) designated as ones to be included for medical treatment. You can read more here.

After 2 and a half hours of hot spring soaking, saunas, and hot stone back treatments, we walked away from the building in a daze -- strolling down the walkway feeling relaxed, refreshed, with baby soft skin!

We wandered into a few souvenir shops that were still open and spent some money. Hungry, we entered a local izakaya and enjoyed fresh tomato, ume onigiri, gyoza, enoki and bacon wraps, and of course some green tea :)

Sigh.. I wanna go back!