Shimane 島根県 #25
I recently went to Masuda, Shimane prefecture to go to driving school (合宿）for two weeks stay-in at a school called MLand/ MDS. While I was there, I decided to go on a little trip after the driving school was over and booked two nights stay at guesthouse &cafe ハレテル Haretel. I fell in love looking at the pictures but I fell more in love after staying there and meeting the owners, Moriちゃんand Yumiちゃん. One of the most loveliest couples I’ve met in Japan. They were so welcoming and took really good care of us during our stay and I am so glad that I decided to stay for a bit before going back to work.
Me and my new friend Sandra who I met at the driving school were originally gonna take the train going to Izumo Taisha and was talking about it with Mori-San and he offered to drive us to the train station because there is not much public transportation available. Eventually we decided to not go because 3 hours in the train+2 hours exploring+3 hours train is just not gonna be worth going all the way to Izumo. So many place to go to and I didn’t think 2 hours is gonna be enough. BEST DECISION EVER because we ended up having the best and most relaxing days we’ve had for weeks. It’s really the best way to end a trip.
July 29, 2024 (Monday)- after our final test and finally graduating from driving school around noon, me and my new friend Sandra went to explore Takatsu River about 5min walk from our school. First we went to Yasutomi Bridge and walked all the way to the end and down the river. But not after taking gazillion photos in the blazing heat 😀 I always see this red bridge when I was doing my practice driving and it was so beautiful I really wanted to go before I leave. We went to the river from this area and it was rocky so maybe it’s better if you wear an aqua shoes because we struggled walking because the rocks were quite slippery too. But we still had a great time and it felt refreshing to soak our feet in the water. The water was so clear and the view was just amazing. I think this is clearest water I’ve seen in my life. It would’ve been awesome to do SUP or kayak here but we did not have one.
After our river escapade, we went to the retro Udon Vending Machine that was featured on NHK documentary. We tried the udon for 400yen but we were still so full we couldn’t finish it, but it was a good experience. If I was hungry I think it will be enough to fill me. We saw a local taxi driver who was having lunch so we just asked him if he can drive us to the Guesthouse after his lunch.
When we got to Haretel (HARE in Japanese means sunny/fine weather + hoTEL), I could not believe the view from this amazing place. The pictures and videos just don’t do it justice. You just have to go to this place and experience it yourself and I am sure it would not disappoint.
I wanted to try the Sauna place nearby before dinner because I was told it’s closed the next day so we went to Sauna Breeze first before dinner. We paid ¥1,300 each for 90min after registering for membership. It’s in Japanese only for now so I’d skip it and just pay the regular price ¥1,500 if you cannot read the kanji. You can also rent towels for ¥300 but we just brought ours. I like the place, very relaxing especially the outside view of the ocean. It’s small, but I guess not a lot of people go there. It was just me and my friend at first, then a girl came before we left. I just wish they have onsen because that would be cherry on top for me.
After Sauna we went to have dinner at Kakinoki because Haretel’s cafe is closed. The view and food was superb, especially after having limited option for food for two weeks at the school. They have huge windows so you can watch the sunset while eating. Perfect for date night.
The next day, Yumi-san took us to one of her yoga classes and it was so relaxing! It was my first time doing a yoga class with sound healing combined and it was a different experience. Really made me want to explore more about holistic healing/natural healing methods. Every one was so nice and welcoming.
After yoga, Yumi-San took us to lunch at Kikkoya a 手打ち(teuchi/handmade) udon restaurant that locals love. If a local recommends it, you know it’s gonna be good and it did not disappoint. They even have a contest where if you finish a big bowl of udon (7 times the normal serving) you get it for free and they post your picture at their wall of fame. Edoardo, our new Italian friend we met at the guesthouse, said he could’ve won that if only he knew about it.
Next stop was Grand Toit, it means “large roof” in French. Inside, there is the Iwami Art Museum and a theater and a small hall for events. We actually passed by one and Yumi-san ended up buying supplies from them and we got some veggies in return as freebies. So Edoardo, decided to cook us some legit Italian pasta for dinner. Unfortunately, the art museum was closed so we just head back to the guesthouse and relaxed at the deck area, went swimming in the afternoon and watched the sunset after.
Sometimes it’s the unplanned trips that makes the best stories and this was one of them. I never thought I would end up meeting new friends and re-evaluate some parts of my life just by watching the sun go down. I forgot how much I love sunsets. The color of the sky changed from yellow to orange, to pink then violet then blue.. It was a colorful chaos before it turned black.. and then morning came. It reminded me that no matter how dark our life gets, light will always come back. The sun will always shine.
After that trip, I think I appreciate life more and become more grateful that I can experience the life I have right now. It’s far from perfect, and I have lots of shortcomings as a person, but that time, that moment, everything was perfect.
July 31, 2024- My trip ended and I had to say goodbye to this wonderful place and people and it was really sad.. Mori-san made me coffee in the morning using ARMS method. It’s my first time hearing it about it and Mori-san talked about it so passionately.
Yumi-san and Mori-san drove us to the bus station and airport and I felt like a kid leaving her family behind to go somewhere far. Before I left, Yumi-san told me to come back “home” and I almost cried. Thank you so much Yumi-chan and Mori-chan for making us feel welcomed and at home! Thank you Sandra for coming with me on this spontaneous trip and being one of the best travel buddy! Unforgettable trip indeed and I will definitely go back there soon!
I still have a lot of places I want to go but it was hard to go to because we don’t have a license yet this time but next time I go back I plan on going to these places definitely!
Shimane Bucketlist:
-Iwami Ginzan (UNESCO World Heritage)
-Izumo Taisha (One of Japan’s most important shrines)
-Yaegaki Shrine (Where Japan’s first wedding took place)
-Matsue Castle (One of Japan’s National Treasure, one of few remaining feudal Japanese castles that retains its main keep in its original wooden form and not a modern concrete reconstruction.)
Here is my complete Shimane Bucketlist on Google Maps.