Under the Mountains

It's not very far to the next prefecture north of me. I rarely go over there because I haven't found a good reason to. On Saturday I decided I needed to go somewhere and figured that was the next best spot for a little exploration. It was initially a nice day but became overcast very quickly. Once I got to the city I didn't feel like getting out or doing much of anything. I decided I would check some places that I had seen on the way over.

I stopped to check some signs by the road which pointed toward a mountain hiking trail. The road crossed over a massive gorge that had a beautiful view from above.



On the other side of the bridge were some stairs that went down somewhere. I naturally followed without much thought. All the while snot was draining out of my nose from the persistent clouds of pollen wafting around the air. I came to a small gate that said do not enter.



It was clear, however, that it had once been open for people to walk along based on the sign next to it. Plus, there was no lock so I slipped past and followed the aqueduct which lead to some sluice gates and a couple of water falls. That sign is just for the greater safety of humanity but doesn't really apply to me. That also might be my excuse for a number of other activities.

I went back to the car and headed toward a collapsed house I saw near the road. I saw a troupe of monkeys up to no good. They scampered off before they would let me take a picture of their red faces. Upon seeing the house, there were people parked nearby and so I passed on. It took me awhile to finally decide to go to the next location because I wasn't sure if I wanted to go alone.

There is an abandoned theme park down in a valley along a river that was probably closed a few years ago. The front gate is impassable by car but you could easily walk around it. There are about 3 signs that say 'DON'T ENTER'. I climbed down a wall as to not draw attention to myself along the main road.



The owner supposedly fell in love with Germany and built this park. The main feature was this restaurant where they brewed their own beer and served sausages.



I wish I could fire these ovens up and bake some pretzels. Then knock back a few dark beers and gallivant around the grassy knolls.



As many abandoned places feel, this was a sad place. I could almost feel the happy memories trying to claw themselves out of the weeded paths and unkempt surroundings. I found a video from 1999 of this place online and it looked like it saw such happy days. I'll return in spring time for another look around.

On the final stretch of the way home I found a fly fishing area. It looks like it costs too much to be reasonable. I couldn't help but wonder how much fish they have to stock in the river. Those fish surely didn't swim up there. At least the water is always beautiful. The gradients in color fascinate me.