Before you set foot in a Japanese onsen, there are a few things you should know. Photo: Getty Images. Everything was perfectly still. The first thing that assaulted my nostrils was the smell, an unmistakable stench of sulphur that reminded me of rotten eggs and the bodily gases someone lets out on a packed train.
I had almost expected to see the milky liquid bubbling away, but save for a few ripples caused by its occupants, the onsen water looked calm. Many skiers coming to the snow country actually make a point of adding an onsen experience to their itinerary to combat ski-related fatigue. They come in different shapes, sizes and colors the color of the water indicates the dominant minerals present: red for iron, milky for sulphur, blue for bicarbonate and so on.
Some are considered rare and each type is said to have a different therapeutic effect. Just two minutes ago I was sitting on a small stool facing a wall, scrubbing myself clean in an awkward position. There were a dozen shower heads installed along the wallsβeach about three or four feet away from the nextβhanging low from the floor.
It should be just like any other shower on any other day, but as you are lathering away, you become painfully aware that the stranger behind you has an unobstructed view of your backside. There must be some form of invisible ventilation installed and while it made the air cooler, it did little to help the stench. Stealing a glance, I saw my friendβshe had finished scrubbing earlier and was already relaxing in the bath, eyes closed, oblivious to her surroundings.
I knew it was going to be hot, but did not expect it to be THIS hot. The shower did not prepare me for what seemed like water at boiling temperature in reality it was close to degrees F.
