Downshifting

After our whirl wind weekend, we were prepared to start off another busy week with a new host family. Like I said in my last entry, we were all a little tired and had planned to make the weekend our rest, but that didn't really happen.

But yesterday, instead of sweeping us off to a tight schedule of tours and sightseeing, our host father's first words were "My theme is relaxation." He drove us through dramatic meadows shrouded in snow capped mountains, then up a steep windy road to a remote resort. He had rented several condos, where we are staying for two nights.

We immediately took a dip in the hot springs and discovered four massage chairs. The four of us, lying there half asleep, drew several laughs from passersby. Our host father, along with several other Rotary members, made us a dinner of tempura and sushi in one of the living rooms of our condos.

I can't tell you our relief at getting to relax and sleep in.

Lesson learned: I'm a little closer to heaven at above 5,000 feet.