But a bath on an empty stomach is not so good, so we found a local brewhouse (shock of shocks, beer that isn't Asahi!) and had our first stout in several weeks. It was dark and mellow, without too much character, but we were pretty pleased to be drinking a beer darker than beige. Now a hot bath with a full stomach is not safe either (so say oldwives everywhere), so we decided to walk around the nearby Dogo park to earn our baths.
Winding our way around the park, we found some idyllic picnic spots being put to good use, and swarms of kids being kids. It was as if all the children in town were in that park, enjoying the weather to its fullest.
Matsuyama is in full sakura season, and I caught a cherubic picture of Ben.
Geared up for our bath experience, Ben and I chose the first class treatment from the somewhat confusing menu. For about $15 each, we were given a tour of the historic rooms (including the emperor's toilet), a private tatami room to relax in, access to the semi-exclusive bath room (away from the larger, more populated (and cheaper) bath), and tea and sweets in our tatami room after our baths. Oh yes, life is hard.
While we've been to many onsen during our trip, I think the Dogo onsen was the most beautiful. The bath itself was made of polished dark stones, and was fed from its ancient geothermal source by a beautiful spout. I found out later from Ben that the men had two spouts feeding their bath, but I won't hold grudges. After our lounging time was up, we walked back to our streetcar station feeling slightly euphoric but more relaxed than we've been all trip. I will definitely miss onsen when we return to the states.
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