Trip to Matsuyama

I have been on several trips but I haven't really blogged about them yet. I went to Matsuyama　（松山） when my friend Eiji came back to Japan (from SF) for his yearly visit home. I don't have classes on Monday and only have one class on Tuesday so I skipped that and declared that weekend my own holiday. Matsuyama was a very interesting place. There are a lot of good udon　（うどん） and okonomiyaki　（お好み焼き） places that Eiji took me. Living in Tokyo has been insanely expensive so Matsuyama is a nice change because EVERYTHING was really cheap in comparison. They had free bike rental at my hotel so I biked everywhere and didn't have to worry about transportation costs.

I tried an onsen　（温泉） for the first time in Matsuyama. For those of who may be afraid of being naked in front of strangers... well let me just say that it is a very liberating experience. Eiji and I went together but males and females are separated so we just set a time to meet in the lobby. I think because I was by myself that it made getting naked a lot easier. I imagine it to be a little awkward if it's among friends.

The Onsen experience was just so relaxing. I liked it so much I went back to the onsen with Eiji every night of my trip. This onsen was near the Matsuyama JR station and was 550円　each time. They have lockers for you to put your things in but just remember to bring 2 towels- one (face towel size) to wash yourself with before entering the bath and another (bath towel) to dry yourself with. If you don't have them, I think they can provide you with them for a charge.

Matsuyama is a nice quiet town near the sea- it may not be exciting like the cities but it is wonderful relaxing place with lots to discover. I do recommend going there if you are looking for an adventure away from the city.

Getting there: I took the overnight buses from Yokohama to Matsuyama (they have many other stops like Shibuya, Shinjuku etc.) which cost me 13000円 round trip. I got it a week before my trip so that's why it was more expensive. But the bus is still a lot cheaper than any of the other transportation- shinkansen was twice this price and flights were close to 60000円

Getting around: As I mentioned earlier, bike rental are really cheap and often free at your hotel/hostel so check with them before you make your booking.

Accommodation: I paid 3800円 per night @ Hotel Taihei. They have two hotels and I stayed at the older one. Its location is convenient and they offer free internet and bike rental for the entire duration of your stay (even for the day that I checked out) It's comfortable and have non-smoking rooms.

Food: Check out small places hidden in corners. Mochi in Matsuyama are really delicious-ask around for places that are well-known for their mochi. Udon is also really good in Matsuyama so try it while you are there too.