Nagano, nothing to do

Monkey Park, near Nagano

Well, it is said. There is nothing, or almost, to do in Nagano. The might have hosted the Olympics, but the downtown area has no exciting attractions.

I booked for two nights, had one more before I got in Tokyo. The road to mount Fuji seemed complicated. By pure laziness, I chose to stay one more night in Nagano.

First afternoon, I visited the only interesting temple in town, two minutes away from my hostel. For 500 JPY (!), it was possible to go down in the absolute darkness of the basement. Walking along the wall, one wishes to find a metal  key hanging on one wall. It is said that touching it garantees the salute of your soul. The salute of mine is assured since I got scamed in a temple in Pingyao, but I didn't want to risk anything. After all, the Lonely Planet says that 500 JPY for your salute of your soul is worth it.

I then used Nagano as a base to visit Matsumoto and the Monkey Park. Monkeys there are not afraid of humans. They are not tamed, but they are used to see us.

Karma is back. In Matsumoto, a nice old man offered to guide me around the castle for free. He had so many things to tell me. And I could see every room up close because of what he was saying.

What is nice, also, is my hostel. It is a true hostel, but in the house of a nice Japanese woman. She always offers food or suggestions on things to do. It's like sleeping at a local's house, without disturbing them.

Tip

Note that most japanese ATM won't take the north-american or european bank cards. How to survive? Some ATM in the post offices, convenient stores, especially 7-Elevens, work most of the times. With a little bit of luck, you'll find some in Lawson and Familymart. But it takes luck.