Today is the start of the Golden Week holiday for most people - a nation-wide 'long vacation', when a cluster of National Holidays fall consecutively to form nearly a full week off. This year, the actual, official Golden Week is April 29th, and then May 3rd through 5th. People get the 29th off -a National Holiday to recognize the vernal equinox -, work on Friday, and then, for those who do not work weekends, they can enjoy a nice, five-day weekend.For Brian and I, our holiday actually began on Thursday and will continue for the next week.
Travel during the peak holiday times (Golden Week in early May, Obon in August, and the New Year holidays) is nightmarishly crowded and freakishly expensive. However, we, like millions of Japanese, often use this time to travel somewhere, either near or abroad. Last year, though, we stayed close to home to complete our motorcycle license school. And this year, the holidays rather snuck up on us, leaving us with no plans and no reservations.
This is not a terrible fate, however, as we are enjoying just being. We've been lounging in the warm sunshine in the mountains, doing some shopping and catching up on some much needed rest.
And - being the travel aficionados we are - I am sure I'll be able to get us a reservation at a minshuku in Izu for a night or two, which will motivate us to get out our motorcycles and embrace the still-cool spring air.
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