Last Chance Matsuyama!

So, the day for my final trip to Matsuyama had arrived. On Sunday Jennifer, Kako, and I all headed to Matsuyama to go visit the castle and try some of the city's famous 5 color noodles. (yum!) Here is the story of that trip...

Sunday, July 4: Matsuyama














Around 10 am, we headed on the highway through the mountains and arrived at Matsuyama, parking the car near the shopping main street of Ohkaido and heading out into the cloudy midday for the walk up to the castle. We climbed up the road next to Starbucks (after stopping in for snacks, of course--starbucks food is awesome: only in Japan!) and headed into the departure point for the tramcar up the mountain that plays home the castle. But first, it was posing for pictures as the main characters from the famous book cataloging a city boy that comes to Ehime (my state) to teach English and the hardship he endures, called Botchan (named after the title character.) Here they are and look how good i fit as a Botchan! (and what a great 'Madonna' and principal Jennifer and Kako make, respectively!) Fits cuz i also have too big of a mouth just like Botchan *yay*! So after that lovely photo op, we headed to ride the slightly old (read: from the 70s) tram car up the large hill/small mountain to the castle (Matsuyama castle.) Along the way, viewing the 'chair lift' that ran parallel to the tram car (these are, in fact, chairs with no seat belts or foot rests. Just chairs dangling. Check out the grainy, hard to see video and see for yourself =)

Next, it was off to wander the road up to the castle, and along the way, I discovered one of the many famous haiku post stations in Matsuyama, a city as famous for its literature as it is for its five colored soumen.(soba style noodles.) and so, i composed my haiku for the day:

瀬戸内海の/白波の上/松山城
above the white waves of the Seto Inland Sea--Matsuyama castle.

with a little help from Kako as my editor! and so, after posting it into the haiku collection box for consideration, it was up the hill to the CASTLE! Well, first view was through the gate. Then of course we paused for the photo op before trekking up what was --unknowingly--to be almost 4 stories up intensely crowded, steep wooden stairs (more like attic stairs...thats what stairs were like in ancient Japanese castles!)

But I'll just post these photos for your consideration:

So these are some views before we entered a nd began the climb up to the higher floors of the building, then there are the views inside...and to the top! (Pausing along the way for the archery ladies to slay some approaching enemies from the comfort of those tricky, easy to shoot from, hard to shoot at windows!)

ah, how refreshing to have the best view in Matsuyama!

view from the top~

...and that same view shared with our feathered friends!

So after climbing up through the castle was our chance to scurry down the other side of the mountain through the forest on the other side, complete with sun-dappled path (theres a specific word in Japanese that means 'sun spilling through the trees' how cool is that?) So we made it down to the castle's park, complete with recreated ancient castle grounds, concrete planters and a giant well with a turtle. Not a stunning park but interesting none the less!

So after the journey to the often strange and always surprising castle-park, we headed back down to the bottom of the mountain--and thus back into Matsuyama--for some five color soumen noodles (you knew I was going to get back to that didn't you!) and here's a cool photo--thats right, they sold the noodles in sliced bamboo trunks! How Zen looking right?

On the way out of the restaurant, we ran into a post office with a strange covered mailbox... is this the official mailbox for royalty in Matsuyama? You tell me!

Finally we went and did some shopping, book shopping and window shopping, then fed our exhaustion with some delicious treats from this place called Angel Heart... which made sense once we realized they were actually raising birds that were being rehabilitated from the wildlife habitat that they were displaced from. How bout that? And they were so cute! This little green one, the youngest, gave a returning customer Grandpa little kisses on the nose. (you can just see gramps out the window.) Feel the love!

Well, that was it! It was a great trip, and an exhausting but well worth it day! Thanks Matsuyama! ;)