Yunomine Onsen 湯の峰温泉 - Teruteya Minshuku民宿てるてや

14-June-2016 - Yunomine Onsen was really out of the way of my initial plan. But it has one thing that interest me, and that was the oldest onsen in whole of Japan which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I love onsen. And to visit the oldest onsen in Japan, where possibly is the start of this wonderful culture, how could I miss the opportunity? So even though it was way off the path, I decided to visit this place. Along the way there, I was pretty much cursing at the journey. But in the end, it was well worth it. Here was the place I felt most relaxed though out my Wakayama trip.

To journey there, we first need to take a bus from our temple stay in Koyasan to Koyasan Station, take a ropeway down to another station and make our way back to Wakayama. From Wakayama, again we pack lunch and took the train to Kii-Tanabe. We have enough time to walk around the time for a while before catching an almost 1.5 hours bus to Yunomine Onsen. It was, for the lack of a better word, in the middle of the mountain a.k.a nowhere!

Dreamy Street of Yunomine Onsen

The whole town was well, just one road. And the town was so empty we spend a lot of time just sitting at the main road drinking cold milk or eating boiled potatoes. At night, the view was lovely and serene. Not much going on here.

But this was also our starting location to some of the Kumano Kodo path which we will be taking the next day. The sign that greeted us was not at all encouraging!

We stayed at a little place call Teruteya Minshuku民宿てるてや (SGD101 per person, 2 meals included). It was run by an old Japanese lady name Fujiyama-san, and well, she spoke no English. I booked it anyway, for the authentic feel of staying in a village. The room's futon was the most comfortable throughout my trip. She clean and cooked our breakfast and dinner for us daily.

She also sell beer if you need some at night. I conversed with her in my broken Japanese. She must have thought I was rather comical. On the 2nd day there,  I told her I saw a prawn (Ebi　エビ) on her door steps. She was laughing at me, cause what I wanted to say was I saw a snake. (Hebi　蛇). 

Before I leave I also gave her some Bak Kut Teh, translating the cooking instruction as best as I could.

I made friend with a weirdo who was also staying there. On the first day I bump into him, I said hello to be polite. He was taken aback. During dinner time, we also greeted him, and slowly he started to loosen up. On the next day, he actually started to talk to us, asking where we were form and using his phone to look it up. He had skin disease and went to the onsen daily to cure himself. I found that out after coming back from the same onsen..... -___-"'

Waiting Area before your turn to go into the Onsen

Steps down to the natural bath, fits 2 person only!

Onsen is just a hole in the ground, with cold water tap to adjust the temperature of the water

Some explanation in Japanese...

Lastly, the world's oldest onsen! You have to buy a ticket nearby and they will give you a number and a timing. It cost around 600Y? (SGD7.20). Pretty cheap for such an awesome onsen! I went at night around 4pm? You get 30min inside. There is just a hole there, and my god is the water hot! It is the same hot water people use to cook potatoes and egg not too far off the onsen! I had to open the cold water pipe for a good 10min before I could even go in. And you can't see the bottom, so its kinda like bathing in the pitch hole. of hell or something. You start imaging what the hell could be under there.

Cooking station for you to cook eggs, sweet potatoes, etc.

Ref:
Yunomine Onsen 湯の峰温泉
Teruteya Minshuku 民宿てるてや