Ten Years Since Nagano 98'

Its been a decade since the Nagano 98' Olympics, so to mark the occasion Spencer and I decided that we should test the slopes out for ourselves. We set out on an overnight bus, a Japanese custom, to Nagano for 2 days of high speed, adrenaline pumping excitement. Although a harsh opinion of pain and anguish are prevalent among gaijin about overnight buses, I found them to be quite relaxing, allowing me to listen to my ipod, study japanese, and rest. I was able to get a lot of sleep too, which may be attributed to the fact that I had only had three hours of sleep the previous night, due to a long night of drinking and an early morning start at work, but I believe it's just that people have low tolerance.

Once we arrived, we soaked in a hot bath to freshen up, and then we hit the slopes at 8 am, for a fresh run down untouched snow. The mountain was quite impressive, being over a kilometre long from top to bottom, which allowed for a 20 min runs down the mountain. Happo one, our resort, was the location for most of the ski events during the Olympics. As the day progressed, the temperatures rose to a high of 10 degrees, which made for some enjoyable skiing. The snow conditions were great, real soft snow which allowed for easy maneuvering. Spencer and I were loving the hot sun while skiing, and the backdrop of the beautiful Nagano mountain range made for a picturesque setting. Having a beer while taking a break from skiing, in hot weather, is probably one of the most pleasurable things one can do. A McDonald's at the top of the mountain was the greatest surprise ever, it was always a thought in my head "how cool would it be to have a McDonald's at the top of a mountain" and in Nagano my idea became a reality. We had it twice!

We found a great winding trail to race down, and although Spencer had the edge for most the races, I was able to take the Gold for our final race (he might of let me win). I almost killed myself at one point, where I lost an edge on a sharp turn and went straight for a cliff. I landed one inch from the edge! I was happy to be alive. The drop would have broken something for sure.

Our hotel was real nice. A Japanese style hotel, called a Ryokan, is quite different. You take your shoes off before entering, and walk in socks or slippers everywhere. It's quite the cozy feel. We got served an extravagant dinner and breakfast, and we were able to enjoy a rooftop hot tub. By night we realized how burnt we were from the sun, and I couldn't stop laughing at Spencer's goggle burn, even though I had the same ridiculous burn. We look like owls. Work has been funny, explaining to students why our faces are two-toned, while they laugh at us.

The best part of our trip is how cheap everything was. Roundtrip bus fair (8 hours each way), one night stay at a Ryokan, two quality meals, 2 day lift ticket pass, 2 day ski equipment rentals, all for just 210 dollars! the same thing back home would cost double!