A Hot Rock Sauna

Outside Rurikei Onsen Building

This weekend, today and yesterday, I was at his cottage in Rurikei, Kyoto with my dad. Rurikei is a wonderful place, and so is the cottage. In Rurikei, you can enjoy hiking along the river , hiking on a mountain, playing tennis, golfing and spa. This time, we tried "Ganbanyoku" , in English it is going to be "a hot rock sauna". It is so good, you feel really relaxied and healed. Firstly you lie down on the floor facing down for 10 minutes. You have a hourglass so you can know when it is done. Next you turn upside-down facing up for 10 minutes. The floor is warm rocks so you feel the heat but it is not going to be hot. It stays at the point you feel very warm and that is so relaxing. I felt my concsious mind was resting, and I couldn't think of anything at all. Yeah, your brain surely can take a break.

In Rurike, if you take this hot rock sauna, you can go to other rooms such as Movie Room or Lyingdown Room. Each room is so relaxing, oh I want to go there again.

On way to Rurikei from home, we often go to a restaurant near a ranch. They have awesome beef so we had lunch there. At the table, I was reading a business magazine. It was about the best entertainment in 2006. There I found Ganbanyoku is No.1. I might have already liked it since then.

Next to that restaurant, there is a big natural food shop called "Michi-no-Eki" its translation would be "a station on the road" . We buy vegetables, rice, fruits etc. They are cheap healthy and teste good.

If you go another 5 minutes from there, you can find a supermarket called "Nose Box". Don't read "Nose" as a facial part. It is a name of place and pronounced Roman way. "No" is "No" in "Yes/No" and "se" is "ce" in "cell". Makes sense?

Nose Box

This supermarket is quite good, they have varieties of foods, magazines, DVDs, energy drinks and liquors. Also inside, you can find a breadstore. They are good as well.

30 minute-drive from there, you can arrive at Rurikei Onsen inwhere you enjoy Hot Rock Sauna , many kinds of spas, onsens, pools and restaurant. If you go 20 more minutes, you find the cottage.

Fireplace in the cottage