Stoat - Where?

I’ve found guidebook descriptions pretty varied in their accuracy when it comes to Japan. Sometimes they’ve been great, putting me on to some difficult to spot places, Othertimes you wonder whether they’ve just copied the area’s local propaganda. So, in the case of Nagoya Port, which i visited today, I wasn’t sure what to think when I heard that Lonely Planet had labelled it “mildly amusing”. As it turns out, it was probably the most accurate description, of any place, ever (not counting if Carling wrote about it, of course).
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Continuing my efforts to see some places, and because climbing one mountain really just isn’t enough, me and Eric decided today to hike the nearby Ibuki Mountain to get a good view of the surrounding area. Here’s some good advice. Check out your destination before you leave. The only way to get to Ibuki mountain is by bus or car, which we hadn’t counted on. Fortunately, there is a free bus which transfers from the nearby town of Sekigahara. Unfortunately, said bus only runs once a day at midday. Naively, we’d just assumed that we could turn up and all would be well. I Should’ve known by now that that never works. Serves me right for leaving it up to Eric. A taxi journey would have cost ¥5000 which we didn’t fancy as the only available bus ride back left at 3:30pm. A walk up a mountain is one thing, but a run, well, we all know how they end up.
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