500 yen. You could say it all began with 500 yen.
The bus pulled up in the wrong place; we stepped in slush. Spouts of hot water, like asphalt sprinklers, caused small river deltas in the road. I tried to dodge the miniature rapids, yet my boots inevitably became soaked. 500 meters, about that, we walked; we finally found the hotel. Then, the whole 500 yen ordeal….
“Early check-in fee”
As part of a bus-to-hotel-to-snow resort-to-dinner-to-shinkansen package deal, we were surprised the hotel staff found our 10am arrival a surprise. If they had expected us at this time, why had they not cued us in on the “early-check in” fee?
Oh, well.
500 yen, each. We paid it and joked of what other petty fees might come. There was an onsen. 500 yen? We joked. They had a clothes-drying room. Did they charge for the toilets, too? Maybe “late check-out”? We’d better scrutinize the specifics. The lodge had that middle of nowhere inaka feel. It was familiar. It was a good laugh.
For anyone taking the “Club Get’s” weekend snowboarding tour package to the Lodge Hayashi of Joetsu Kokusai Resort in early March, be warned. You will pay a 500 yen early check-in fee. However, it just might be worth it. It’s all about your expectations. From then on, we decided to expect a stinky breakfast and a poo bathhouse. Consequently, there was no natto for breakfast; the public bath was clean. There was glorious powder and minimal crowds. It was one of the best snowboarding weekends I’ve had in Japan. That’s not bad considering a four-year history in Nagano prior.
It was a Friday. The 16,400-yen package (17,400 with insurance) included the bus to the hotel (well, almost to the hotel…our driver was confused), one night at the lodge, dinner and breakfast, 2 full-day lift passes at Joetsu Kokusai, and passage back to Tokyo via railway (local train to Joestu, bullet train to Tokyo).
Things it didn’t include – but all very well worth it – were the early check-in fee, onsen at the lodge Annex, wine and snacks bought at a walking-distance conbini, dinner and cheese-shio-kara *at restaurant “Kanae” in Joetsu, and the subsequent drinks and chocolate-covered-kaki-peas for the “shinkansen party” back to Tokyo.
* the shio-kara was actually not worth it, as no dish consisting of over-salty squid guts ever would be. It was, however, necessary…and I don’t regret it.
That’s it. Leaving Tokyo from Friday at the crack of dawn to back in the city late Saturday by the time night is hopping. We kept our expectations under control. We got lucky with the spring season snow. It was awesome; it was cheap. Friends were made and good times were had.
It made our moment like the cup promised.
iloverocks 