I woke up around 5.20 and went to use the public bath in the hotel. There were quite a few people there as they had all left their slippers in the racks but when I went in there was just 2 guys there. I used two of the pools and then massaged my feet a bit then went back to the room and packed up. Clive got up at 6.10 as he planned and we went to get the 6.30 bus. I still had my return ticket from the day before which caused some problems but the guy accepted it in the end and the bus driver didn't check when we got off. Kamikoche was largely shut when we arrived before 7am but things looked to be opening up and I grabbed a pack of biscuits Clive and Francis had bought the day before while Clive got an apple. We found the luggage storage place and I left my big backpack and kept my suitcase and we headed off to the path where I had gone and lost my phone. We got there and started along the pipes like I had done the day before and left my suitcase around where I had gone off to the left. We had a look to the left to trace some possible paths and had a look around to establish where I might have walked and used Clive's phone and Maps to add bookmarks. We went back to the stream and had a look along there but again I couldn't find the stick where I'd come down the hill from and I still wasn't sure that was the path. We went back to the suitcase for a snack and then wandered to the left to see where I might have gone across and it turns out there kind of was a path which was hidden in some areas one of them where I had walked and we added more bookmarks. Then I investigated the possibility that I'd gone completely the wrong way but the area didn't look anything like I remembered walking in so we gave up on that. Clive wanted to understand the routes I had taken and try to figure out things and got frustrated so he decided to check the stream path again while I went off to the left into the reeds to look around there and try to trace my path and hopefully find the stick. I met up with Clive around 10 as he wanted and he left and headed off back to Hiyaru to get a bus from there with Francis on towards Osaka so they could catch their plane the next day. I had a look along the main path to search for any other possible places I might have emerged at and went for a few minutes either side of the stream and hut and there was nothing but I did pick up an orange strip. I went back and went to the reed area up the hill where I stopped to add the bookmark before I headed off and lost my phone and I searched that area thoroughly and added markers to the trees first by putting sticks there and later by tying reeds around the trees. I added reeds to other trees as well to show the crossing point and I moved my suitcase into the reeds while I was searching there. I had a couple of quick food breaks to get some energy and when I was marking the possible crossing paths and getting to feel like I was close to where I had gone I saw a snake. It was pretty big and green and it had seen me but still stayed there for me to take a few pictures. I moved off and carried on looking and around midday I started considering whether I should go to the main area and buy some more food but I still had more biscuits so I ate some more and then went back to the stream. I followed it again and then searched off to the left and I managed to find the stick which was a lot smaller than I had remembered but it was there. I marked it with the orange strip and then started searching thoroughly the area as I knew now this is where I had definitely come. I almost had the path I had taken with this and so I carried on looking and marking areas I'd been by marking the trees with reeds. Around 1.20 I got lucky and found the phone a bit up in the forest between the stick and the reeds and so I could go and get my suitcase and head out. My phone still had 42% battery but I resisted charging it until I was out of the woods and on the main path but then it didn't work. I headed back to the bus station and the bus was at 2pm so I still had a while to go so I went in the information centre where they had a computer with information on the area including that a monk had been the first person to climb the highest mountain here and had done it for religious purposes. Later Westerners had come and introduced the idea of climbing for leisure or sports. It also confirmed about the pond having been formed by a volcanic eruption, something Keiko had said the day before. I also looked the snakes they had and there was a Japanese rat snake that looked a lot like the one as I'd remembered it. It was getting close to 2 so I picked up my backpack and bought a ticket on the bus and train to Matsumoto and then got on the bus. The bus journey took a reasonable while and went through the mountains and a tunnel or two but for a long while it went from one valley to another and there was a dam in each, some of them pretty big and I took a few pictures although being on a bus some of them were very poor quality. The bus arrived and stopped at the train station and I got out with most people and then had to wait for the train to turn up. I had a look at the local shop but it wasn't very good and when the train came it was mostly empty which was nice. After a couple of stops though lots of junior school children got on board and started making noise for the next 6 or so stops before they all got off again. the train arrived in Matsumoto around 4.30pm and I was pretty much out of money and also hungry so I went to the 7-11 and got out some cash and bought some cakes. The woman in front of me was paying for something at the shop and it was 45,000 yen so maybe it was her monthly rent. I went to Hotel M Matsumoto whcih Clive had kindly booked for me as I couldn't book things without my phone and I thought I might have turned up there late and wanted a bed. I went to check in and it was 3,200 for the night whcih seemed a lot. I went and used their computers to check and that was the price that Clive had booked it for and also the price currently on the internet so I went and paid and got my bed which was a top bunk. I tried to charge my phone at the plug and it still wasn't working so I went to use the computers for a bit and try to arrange things, plan and maybe blog a bit. I was going to Tokyo the next day so I booked a hostel there and I still needed a hostel in Jeju but I decided to go out and get some food. First I went and looked at bus tickets to Tokyo, the price was not so bad and they had a lot of buses although some were full already so I took a schedule and headed off trying to decide which to take as I wanted breakfast first. I headed East where I remember there being a supermarket on maps when we were here before. There were some convenience stores and some large buildings but nothing that looked like a supermarket. I went past and had a look at an art museum which was closed as it was past 5 and after a bit I decided to head back and went south a few streets so I could check a different area. There was a small temple or shrine on the way back but not much else and no supermarket so I ended up in the big 7-11 run supermarket near the bus station and bought a few things there. I went back to the hostel and ate while using the computers, Clive had messaged back after I'd told him I had my phone and I blogged a bit and then read before going to sleep a bit earlier than normal due to the early start and maybe lack of food catching up with me.
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