My eyes drifted away from my phone into the snow-capped scenery overlooking the window. The tall evergreen trees covered with snow calmed my heart. It was December but not yet Christmas. I was seated on a bus filled with guilt and contemplation. Were my actions an hour ago reasonable or was I just plain selfish? From time to time, I would dismiss the negative thoughts and marvel at the beauty of the untouched snow we passed by.
I took a paid leave from work so I could take my friend and his companion to the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site in Gifu — Shirakawago. My friend and I worked for five years in the same workplace until I resigned and pursued a training program in Japan. Coming from a tropical country, experiencing snowfall in winter is a must and probably one of the major reasons that my friend decided to visit. It was his first time in the land of the rising sun and I was filled with excitement to revisit Shirakawago again with someone from home.
It was 7 am and I was a few minutes on foot from the hostel where my friend was staying when he sent a message. He decided to move the schedule to 8:30 because he woke up late. In addition, he wanted to avail of the free breakfast from the hostel. I was filled with irritation! I woke up at around 4:30 in the morning of winter and walked for 30 minutes to my town’s train station before daylight just so I could be on time. Now, who wouldn’t be disappointed and annoyed?! I decided to keep my cool and just sent him a message to meet me at the bus station instead.
I was on the bus and my thoughts were drifting. My friend and his companion missed the last bus to Shirakawago partly because of a mistake in the direction that I sent. And there I was asking myself, “Am I not tired of traveling to Shirakawago so many times?” It was already my fifth visit. It would have been a whole new experience if I were with companions. I was actually looking forward to building a snowman and throwing snowballs at each other. Oh well, it was another solo travel again.
It was the same place, only with a different drop-off point. The gassho-zukuri farmhouses, the village people going about their daily lives despite the influx of tourists, the scarecrows that remained fixed throughout the change of seasons, the not-your-typical snowmen, the whole ground covered with inches of snow ——-all of these and even more make Shirakawago one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. It’s that magical picture of a quaint village that you thought you’d only see in a Christmas postcard.
Was I reasonable to just leave my friend to tend to himself and find the bus stop? Or was I just plain selfish in going to Shirakawago ahead so I could enjoy the scenery? I couldn’t come up with an answer. The important thing was I apologized. Shirakawago is that charming of a place that would make you feel like others are at a loss for not having had a chance to see it.
myquietnature 