sainuma

Today, I went on a local hike in Tairadate.  At the end of the hike is a marsh called Sainuma さい沼 [日本語]and on the way is a waterfall.  I think round trip is maybe about 8 kilometers. 

We started the hike around 8:30, got to the top around 10:15 while taking a lot of breaks.  We started going back down around 11 after we ate some snacks.  We got back to the bottom in about an hour and went straight to the onsen in Tairadate called Chaporatto ちゃぽらっと! [English 日本語]

I saw some really beautiful butterflies, like swallowtail butterflies (アゲハ）that I couldn't get pictures of, unfortunately.  However, I saw some other cool stuff like the Moriogaeru (モリアオガエル）frog eggs!  The frogs lay eggs in foam balls in trees above the marsh, and when the tadpoles hatch, they drop in the water, but the foam ball itself accidentally fell in the water!  Moriogaeru are frogs endemic in Japan and they apparently are pretty rare.  I thought I found one and took a picture, but it might have just been a regular frog since I found it on the trail and not by the marsh.  Regardless, I really feel like I'm starting to understand the nature here in Aomori better.  It felt so good to go on a hike again.  It really reminded me of Hawaii even though the plants and stuff are so different. 

After a quick bath at the onsen, we quickly made our way to Aomori city for my coworker's guitar recital!  We had cake and coffee!

my light breakfast with strawberries i picked the other day!

nebuta bell as a bear bell and ski poles haha
i luckily borrowed a pair of actual walking sticks though.

into the tree tunnel we go

these flowers are so weird! they grow on trees, but they face downward.

they look like a type of jasmine and they smell sort of like honey

this is japanese cedar I believe
杉（すぎ）sugi
Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica)

i don't know what these are, but i was warned that they make you itchy

here are my best shots of butterflies

we were admiring the translation here
also because i taught the word "litter" at my last Eikaiwa class

our guide!
actually, he's just my coworker, who did this hike before haha

i wonder what this plant is
my hunch is that they are japanese peppercorn??? if i'm right, then i'm really upset i didn't grab any!
i think theyre 山椒 sansho the same thing i saw yesterday on sale at the michi-no-eki!

fake waterfall

real waterfall

i noticed these two little friends catching a ride on my legs

"thigh brooches"

baby hiba! this tree grows to be super big and is super awesome apparently
this tree is endemic to japan and mostly found in aomori
A type of cypress (Thujopsis dolabrata)

竹の子　takenoko bamboo shoots
Y-san picked some and will cook it

Tajima! 鯛島　is the little whale-shaped island
the ta is red snapper 「たい 」

many umbrellas for totoro!

i think this is momiji (japanese maple), but they look kind of fat
these are beautiful in the fall when they turn red

we made it to the marsh!!

i was told these trees with round leaves are ブナ　a type of beech tree? and they produce acorns 

i want to learn how to forage for mushrooms!!

mushroom friends

frog egg foam ball!!!!!!
this is rare to see apparently! it supposedly fell off from the tree

the frog eggs :(
they sadly didn't land in the water

pretending to take a picture, so she could take a picture of me taking a picture

the house of the water deity

break time

these flowers were such a cute color

more of the downward facing flowers!

this flower was asking for a photoshoot!

i felt like a pokemon trainer because i thought i found the rare frog, but now i'm not sure

this neat shiny bug was right next to the frog, so i thought i'd take a picture of it, too...

コーヒー牛乳最高！

cute sugar holder