August 2019 camping trip

Before our camping trip last week fades into a distant memory as we gear up for the start of the school year, let me take you for a quick tour of our two nights away. We have now camped over 30 times in Japan (maybe it's 33, I really think we're starting to get beyond the need to count!). This trip we made with a family that we've camped with four other times in the last 3 ½ years. We're finding that camping with another family helps to grease the oil in relationships, especially as our boys get older.

We left on Tuesday morning, stopping to buy lunch at a convenience store on our way to the expressway, as we often do on trips like this. The temperature outside felt like an oven, a humid oven and the car said that it was 37C, confirming what our bodies were saying: that we wanted to escape, even if for a couple of days.

There are only a handful of campsites that we've been to more than once, one of them was the one we went to four times during CAJ's Thanksgiving break. Another is west of here but still within the Tokyo prefectural borders, and the third is the campsite in Nikko that we went to this time with our friends. It is the third time we've been there.

It's a gorgeous campsite:

Another big attraction to this campsite is that it is in a park that boasts a large obstacle course as well as a park golf course. It also has lovely facilities, including hot water for washing up in the camp kitchen. We were pleased to find this time that our showers would no longer cost us 100 yen per five minutes, rather they were free!

Park golf course that's beautifully looked after!
Because it was late in the day and storms threatened,
we were pretty much the only ones using it.

We arrived at the campsite early afternoon and set up camp quickly. It's only the third time we've slept in this new tent and we're getting faster. Though it is quite a bit smaller than the 10-man tent we have done most of our camping in, so that's taking a lot more getting used to. Most of the men-folk (all?) are unhappy with how squished it is—I'm the only one who isn't up against the side of the tent, so I am not so bothered by it.

Love the moss we were camped next to!

We were pleased to see that there was only one other tent set up in the free-camping site (i.e. no electricity and you can't park right next to the tent). But then another group arrived that was quite unusual and generated a lot of conversation amongst us. Five young guys, all in white t-shirts and jeans. They first brought up a tent, a table, and a bench, which seemed an unusual combination. We eventually determined that they were probably Youtubers (or wannabes) as they did a lot of filming, but never did find out what their group name was.

From about 7pm the temperature cooled off beautifully and we had a very pleasant night, where I even had to put a light jacket on in the early hours of the morning.

When we go camping with our friends, to keep it simple, we divide up the meals between us. The first night our friends were on dinner, so we enjoyed being catered for! Pasta and meatballs followed by legit S'mores (in Japan, Americans trying to make S'mores often have to substitute other crackers for Graham crackers and they assure it isn't quite the same).

On Wednesday, the goal was to get up early when it was still cool and get a lot done, but we never quite managed that. After about 7am it was too hot for me in the tent . . . but others stayed there longer. David cooked bacon and eggs along with muffins for breakfast, and it was close to 10 before we made it to the obstacle course.

I regret not getting better photos of the course, but it is actually hard to capture, as it winds between trees (thankfully, for the shade!). There were 23 "obstacles" to climb on or over or through, most involve ropes and logs. I made it through almost all of them. One particular memory was when others insisted on a race between me and my contemporary, the mum of the other family. We had to get into a small basket-type thing made out of rope and metal, pull ourselves over to another platform with a rope, and get out of the basket. Turns out the getting-out part was particularly hard. Competitive juices kicked in and I went as hard as I could at it. The fastest way I could get out of the basket was not very pretty, though, and I ended up on my back looking like a dead cockroach, not to mention the rope burn under my arm!

In the afternoon, after lunch I went and sat with my feet in this little creek. The water was brilliantly cool (came from the mountains) and the setting so peaceful and green. I wish, now, that I'd stayed longer!

Later, after it had cooled, we did a round of park golf and had a lot of fun.

That evening it was our turn to cook. We made Yakisoba, a very common Japanese stir fry noodle and pork dish.

Followed by a favourite: chocolate and marshmallow banana boats in foil over the fire. Everyone made their own.

Some other photos:

View of the mountain from near the obstacle course. Near here you can also hire mountain bikes.

Camp washing-up zone. Gorgeous!

Dragonflies were common.

Fire! Always a highlight, though we were too
exhausted on the second night to enjoy it for long.

On Thursday we packed up to be out of there by 10am. We headed up the mountains west of the campsite to see this famous, nearly 100m high, waterfall.

Driving back into Tokyo was a bit tedious Thursday afternoon, but I snapped a photo of one of the sections of the expressway that is covered with green on both sides. These green plants are vines that cover the walls that separate the expressway from the rest of Tokyo, and, presumably, shield the locals from some of the noise.

I was a bit sad to be back in Tokyo. It flagged the end of my holidays, and, possibly the end of camping until after winter early next year! Not to mention that Tokyo was just as hot as when we'd left it! 

But, it is good to be gradually getting back into a more usual rhythm. School starts properly on the 23rd, but we've got a range of school-related stuff already going on. Both boys are doing maths (long story) and David's in and out of school as well as helping the boys. I have to admit that I'm looking forward to having the house to myself again, from 8.30 to 4 (or later).