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58|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTNATURETOYAMATHEREWASPARTOFMETHATTHOUGHTWEMIGHTGETANEASYSTARTTOLIFEASTRAVELVOLUNTEERS.THATPART–THEFOOL–WASCOMPLETELYWRONG.BETWEENJET-LAGINTERRUPTINGOURSLEEP(AGAIN)ANDTHEPOSSIBLECONSUMPTIONOFONESAKETOOMANYTHENIGHTBEFORE,THESTARTOFOURREALJOURNEYCRASHEDINONUSAT6:30AM.SOMEBREAKFASTANDNOTQUITEENOUGHCOFFEELATER,WEWERESAYINGFAREWELLTOTHETRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTOFFICEATTHETRAINSTATION.WE’DONLYKNOWNTHEMACOUPLEOFDAYS,BUTASTHEY’DDONELITERALLYEVERYTHINGFORUSSINCEARRIVING–NOTTOMENTIONGIVINGUSTHISTREMENDOUSOPPORTUNITYINTHEFIRSTPLACE–ITFELTQUITEEMOTIONAL.THEREWASNODRAMATICMUSICPLAYING,ANDSTEAMDIDN’TFILLTHEPLATFORM,BUTTHERESHOULDHAVEBEEN.LESSTHANANHOURLATER,WEWEREINOURFIRSTPREFECTURE,TOYAMA.ONEOFTHESMALLESTINTHECOUNTRY,IT’SONTHEWESTCOASTAND,LIKESOMANYOTHERPARTSOFJAPAN,HASAREPUTATIONFORPRODUCINGEXCELLENTSEAFOOD.THEREWEWEREMETBYMIEKO,OURLOCALGUIDE,WHOQUICKLYTRANSFERREDUSONTOONETRAIN,THENANOTHERTHATLEDTHROUGH41TUNNELSANDOVER22BRIDGES,HIGHINTOTHEDRAMATICKUROBEGORGE.THISISCLOSETOWHATAREKNOWNASTHEJAPANESEALPS.IT’SHARDNOTTOWORRYTHATACOMPARISONLIKETHATCOULDBEFALSEADVERTISING,LIKEASHODDYRESTAURANTSTICKINGCHEESEANDBACONINABAGUETTEANDMARKETINGITASFRENCHCUISINE.TOYAMANEEDN’TWORRY:ASTHETRAINFOLLOWEDTHERIVER,SOARINGPINETREESCLUNGDESPERATELYONTOTHESHEERFACESOFAVASTVALLEY.INWINTERWE’RETOLDTHEPLACEISBLANKETEDINTHICKSNOWTOO.IFYOUADDEDABITOFSCHNAPPSHERE,ANDAFONDUETHERE,ITCOULDJUSTABOUTBEMISTAKENFORSWITZERLAND.DAY1SEPTEMBER15THKUROBEGORGE,TOYAMADAYONE–TOYAMAANHOUROFCHUNTERINGTHROUGHTHEPINEBREEZELATER,ANDWEHADARRIVEDATKEYAKIDAIRA,THEENDOFTHELINE.FROMTHEREWEBEGANAMANICDASHALONGATRAILTOWARDSMONKEYJUMPINGROCK(SONAMEDBECAUSEMONKEYSCANALLEGEDLYJUMPTHEGAP–WEDIDN’TSEEANY,ANDIDOUBTEVENSYLVESTERSTALLONEWOULDHAVEMADEITINHISHEYDAY).ITWASMADEALLTHEMOREMANICBYTWOFILMCREWSWHOHADBEENFOLLOWINGUSTHROUGHOUTTHEDAY.THEMENWEREUNENDINGLYPLEASANT,BUTWEFOUNDITHARDTOKNOWHOWTOACTPROPERLY–WETALKEDWITHOURHANDSMORETHANUSUALANDPUSHEDOUR“INTERESTED”FACES.UNTILWELEARNTORELAXABITAROUNDTHECAMERAS,WESEEMTOBEINVOLUNTARILYOVER-DOINGITWHENEVERWEKNOWTHEY’RESHOOTING.STILL,THEREWASPLENTYTODISTRACTUS:ATTHEROCK,THERIVERMAKESASHARPRIGHTHANDTURNAFTERTHUNDERINGINTOAGREATWALL,WHEREITTURNSTURQUOISEANDGALLOPSOFFINANOTHERDIRECTION.INSPRING,WHENTHESNOWANDICEMELTINTOTHEVALLEY,ITMUSTBEAFEROCIOUSSIGHT.TOFINISH,WERACEDOURWAYBACKALONGTHEVALLEYFLOOR,TOARRIVEBREATHLESSFORTHERETURNTRAIN.JUSTWHENWETHOUGHTWHENBEDMIGHTBEAPOSSIBILITY,WEWEREINVITEDOUTBYTHESTAFFATTHEHOTELKUROBEFORASPOTOFMUCH-HARDER-THAN-IT-LOOKEDOWARASTREETDANCING.ITMIGHTNOTHAVEBEENARELAXINGSTARTTOLIFEONTHEROAD,BUTTHATDOESN’TMEANITWASN’TBRILLIANT.
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