Trip 3: Days 13 & 14 - Osaka to Arima Onsen

On day 13, we woke to the pitter patter of rain on the window; bad weather for another day of travelling as we transferred from Osaka to Arima Onsen - our last onsen experience for this trip. But before we left Osaka there was one last item on the food wish list - soufflé pancakes from Cafe Gram. We dutifully walked to the outlet in Shinsaibashi by 10:45am to line up (I know right) for the 11:00 opening. We were assigned our pancake tokens and waited our turn.

Soufflé pancakes from Cafe Gram - world famous in Osaka.

Our turn eventually arrived and our pancakes were duly consumed. They were pretty good too - light and fluffy like no pancake you've ever had - but I gotta say, the cafe itself was pretty damn dirty. I could have sworn I'd left Japan for that half hour. It was just filthy - and first thing in the morning! Anyway I digress.

Having filled our bellies, we set off for Arima Onsen with a little subway action and then a JR Limited Express from Osaka station to Kobe-Sannomiya. We even got to sit up front and watch out of the driver's windscreen. Geek fun.

A drivers-eye view of the trip from Osaka to Kobe

Soon we were in Kobe-Sannomiya and looking for the bus to Arima. Lucas and I had caught the sucker in the opposite direction in Trip 2, so I kinda knew where to look. What we didn't know is that there are reserved JR buses, and there are local buses, and they are both heading to Arima from the same bus stop. Confusion ensued and confusion was duly bested, and soon we were slowly rolling along the highway in a local bus. Thank god for the Takyyubin - it would have been hell with our full luggage. Finally we arrived and we trudged up the hill to Negiya Ryofukaku in the rain.

Our nice traditional room at Negiya Ryofukaku

Ahh, back in a ryokan. We dropped our shit and headed straight for the onsen - we'd gone almost 3 full days without immersing ourselves in restorative waters, so things were getting dire. With that taken care of, and with perfect calm restored, we headed out for some dinner at a local Izakaya recommended by the ryokan.

We found the Izakaya 'Arimaya' without issue. Unfortunately, they were old school and didn't have an english menu. Even their menus were hand painted rendering google translate useless. I was able to order beer easily enough, but food was another story. Thankfully one of the young staff finally came over and offered to help. With a little back and forth - us suggesting dishes and he answering in the affirmative - we were finally able to order. We did remain ignorant of the cost, which was concerning knowing as we did how quickly a hefty bill can be rung up in such establishments.

Beer, snacks and Arima Cider Teppo Water in Izakaya Arimaya.

Anyway, long story short we had a lovely meal of sashimi, karage chicken and tempura, washed down with beer and the local 'cider' which is basically just sugar put into local ground-carbonated water extracted from one of the onsen springs. It's very famous stuff for this area, and is pretty refreshing! After dinner, it was yet another trip to the onsen and then bed.

Day 14 also dawned wet. We rose late and stumbled into the onsen for a wake up, finally leaving the ryokan at about 10:30am without breakfast. By this time the rain had eased, and we decided to spend the day exploring the village. To do this, we needed coffee.

Exploring Arima Onsen

We finally found a place that served hand-dripped coffee and gave it a try. Turned out to be worth the quite hefty price tag - the coffee was very good indeed.

Finally found a hand-dripped filter coffee 

Restored to 100% cognisance with a little caffeine, we continued around the town; locating the Tansan Spring from whence carbonated water is ejected straight from the ground. Apparently, in recent years the iron content of this spring has been increasing and you can really taste it alongside the slight soda taste of carbonation.

Tansan spring: like drinking almost-flat mineral water from a rusty tap.

It is said that man cannot exist on coffee and rusty mineral water alone. With this in mind, we went in search of something more substantial. This took the form of a potato croquette and a beef mince patty from the local butchers shop. The croquette was very tasty, the beef not so much, but at least sustenance was acquired and subsequently consumed.

Potato Croquette - a tasty brunch.

We continued walking aimlessly around the town, uncovering each of the onsen spring sources dotted here and there, and checking out some of the shops along the way.

One of the many tapped onsen springs scattered around town

With the taste of croquettes not yet a distant memory, we decided to stop into a small craft beer establishment for a small drink. We both selected some very dark 'Japan Black Beer', and it was pretty well received.

Japan Black Beer - yum.

More walking ensued, with visits to several local temples that were established very early in Arima's long history as the first onsen town in Japan. History Factoid: the town was established by General Hideyoshi Toyotomi in the 1500s, but was well known even back in the year 631 with visits by then Emperor Jomei when it was accessible only by priests.

Osenji Temple at the heart of the village

We also sampled many of the sweet Tansan Senbei (carbonic acid crackers) being made around the town. We purchased some from a guy who was selling them directly out of the hot mold - challenging purchasers to take the first bite when the cracker was still chewy and pliable.

Straight from the hands of the Tansan Senbei dude to you.

With the afternoon getting on and energy levels flagging, we decided on another coffee. We headed to a little place we'd spied earlier - the Fish House Cafe. Here we had a glorious affogato - probably the best I've ever had. The secret being the flakes of Tansan Senbei in the bottom of the glass that helped soak up the excess coffee. Heaven.

Affogato is the best way to end a day on your feet.

Finally, we headed back to the ryokan and a hot soak before dinner. The view out over Arima was nice and clear as we climbed back up the long driveway.

Arima Onsen in the sunshine

Dinner was another elaborate ryokan affair, served right in our room by our lovely hostess. We have been so amazed at the range and quality of food that we have been served at each and every ryokan we've stayed in this trip, and this meal was no exception.

Another amazing ryokan dinner.

After another post-dinner soak we were finally ready for bed. Our last futon sleep for the foreseeable future.