Well, that was a day. I’m now in Matsue, which is quite a way from Hagi. Took me almost five hours to get here.

Got up, took another bath by myself in a place that could easily hold a dozen people. Got in a taxi at 8am and made it to the station at least 40 minutes early. Even with a stop at Family Mart (where I poured boiling hot coffee all over myself) it took less than 10 minutes to get here. The lids here are a little flimsier than I’m used to and instead of sealing it properly, I crushed it and spilled it over my hand and over the counter. The lady at the combini couldn’t’ve been nicer about it. Luckily, no burns.

East Hagi station was bigger and nicer but there still wasnt much there. I couldn’t find an attendant and they didn’t have the video phone that connects to the JR call center. I asked a guy if I had to buy a ticket or use my Suica and he said he’d never taken the train from there. He was taking the bus. In fact, most people (and there were only like five) were taking the bus. He looked it up online for me and read the instructions to me. Thank goodness because it was in harder Japanese than I’m used to reading.

It was another rickety train but it wasn’t as loud as some of the others I’d been on lately. A pretty peaceful ride through the countryside. A bunch of people snuck on at the countryside stops. I never saw them but I’d see them get off and it kept surprising me. I really only noticed one European couple who had their suitcases blocking the aisle. (I think they’re at the hotel across the street from me right now.)

Oh, the stop at the combini was for my breakfast. I kept it light today.

I’m such a professional food blogger. This is not the only time today that I remembered to take a picture after I ate a bunch of my food.

The seas were pretty rough? Wavy? Man, I am not a sailor and can’t think of the proper term. Lots of waves. Even saw some surfers after I changed trains.

I changed trains in Masuda. I’ve heard of Masuda because my drunk cousin’s kid’s husband is from Masuda and he wants to move back. It’s not a small city, but I don’t think there’s a whole lot going on. There were several hotels by the train station. I had enough time between trains to ask the tourist information office about what there is to see and it’s all about one ancient poet and the places he’d been. They said if I liked history I should come back.

I did see a real working phone booth!

And a sign for my sister that I’ll share with everyone. (Our favorite is always, “No smorking.”)

Eventually it was time to get on the “Express Train” for what seemed like three hours. My friend Yumi said it’s very rickety and rocks back and forth. She’s right! It hauled ass but we had a lot of ground to cover.

I got to Matsue, one of my favorite places, and I’m not liking the hotel or the hotel’s neighborhood. I was mostly just hangry. I tried to be fancy and picked a place that’s in a chain with the fancy spot we went to in Yamaguchi City two years ago. I came to find out Onyado Nono is just part of the Dormy Inn chain. The rooms are the same (nice, that’s not the problem) but the place is HUGE and chock full of foreigners. It takes forever to get in and out. Plus all the big hotels in this area have fake tatami mat flooring so you have to check your shoes at the door and walk around in your socks. Haven’t they heard of inside shoes or slippers? It’s just weird.

Anyway, I dropped off my bags and headed to the history museum. It wasn’t as impressive as the museums in Hagi, but whatever. Just one room of displays and it was mostly of the history of the castle. They have an impressive castle, one of the five “original” castles in Japan, and tons more tourists so I guess they’re winning?

I tried to find a late lunch but the combini was picked over and the first place I found was so close to the castle that it was overrun. The history museum I just complained about had a cafe, but they only served sweets. I took what I could get.

Then I got nickeled and dimed by the Lafcadio Hearn house and the Lafcadio Hearn museum. (I did not pay for the samurai house.) His Japanese name is Koizumi Yakumo so I couldn’t ask anyone about him unless I remembered the Japanese name. For some reason I keep forgetting the surname Koizumi. Anyway, there’s a separate fee for his house and for the museum. The house was a small Japanese house with a beautiful garden and made me wonder why I was getting fleeced. The museum told more about the life of Lafcadio Hearn and was much more interesting to me. I kind of got emotional after seeing it all. He had a pretty impressive life and I’ve seen his houses in Kumamoto and Tokyo as well.

Anyway, back past the castle. Here’s an obligatory picture.

On the way back to the hotel I got a cold microwaved korokke (croquette) because I as still hungry. The flavor was great. The texture, well, it was a microwaved fried croquette after all.

In my room I found a bribe.

I sat in my room for a bit and headed out looking for dinner. This whole area is drinking establishments and I’ve quit drinking. Last time I had a beer it messed up my digestion for a week. I discussed this with my doctor a while ago and he said most of my meds have the side effect of stomach problems. Drinking doesn’t help so I’m not pushing it.

On my way out I saw a sign saying how nice it was today and the time of sunset. Then I remembered the sunset over Lake Shinji is supposed to be one of the top five sunsets in Japan. I asked at the desk if I could just go tomorrow but tomorrow is supposed to be cloudy. I had about 30 minutes to make it the the “ideal” spot which was supposed to be more than 30 minutes away walking. I kept going, though, and I made it. On the way I talked to a guy who seemed like a local and he was super nice. Now I remember people here being pretty friendly and that’s one of the reasons I like it here.

It was worth seeing. Then it was another 25 minutes (by Google standards) back to the train station to look for food. Right before the station I saw a curry shop that was rated pretty highly so I stopped in. It was soupy and not that flavorful. Not exactly my favorite, but it was good.

Remember I said I took another picture after I ate half of something? The salad was great. There’s also a bite out of the weirdly flavored karaage. Maybe it’s sansho pepper. Slightly bitter. Not my favorite but again, good.

Would I go again? Probably.

I also saw a guy night fishing and there were a couple of guys talking to him. I asked one about night fishing and he said I should come back and try it myself. Another super-nice local. They were fishing for suzuki, Japanese sea bass.

I hit the combini on the way home. Not sure when I’ll drink the Wilkinson but it’s a tradition.

Oh, and the bath area was the mess I expected. I walked in and a bald naked guy was pacing around, hitting himself with a towel. Several others napping, in the changing area and in the bath area. Another guy doing weird exercises in the water. I’ve never seen that anywhere else. Well I suppose there was that time that the loud old Korean dudes all got into the tiny jacuzzi with me. It was all weird but harmless. At least Japan and China are still beefing and it wasn’t like the time I went to Fukuoka and the bath was like riding in a Japanese subway with naked Chinese dudes.

Oh, and that bald dude was outside housing a bunch of free popsicles. Remember how I said you were supposed to walk around in your socks? He was wearing the slippers out of his bathroom. Eww.