Pension Angelica

When I began planning this vacation I knew I wanted to stay somewhere different. I didn't want to stay in a big hotel (not that there were any in Minami Aso anyway), and I wanted something close to the trail heads. I found a pension (bed and breakfast) that sounded perfect.

Pension Angelica.

It was the most amazing experience! The family was so welcoming and I feel we have made lifelong friends. The meals were fantastic (more on that later).

Pension Angelica

Side gardens and entrance

Tatami area of room

Western-style low beds

Personal toilet

Dining room

Lobby Area

Bath Area

Our days started with a phenomenal breakfast in the dining room. Then we went about whatever activity we wanted for the day. When we returned to the pension we would shower and soak our sore muscles in the hot bath. A wonderful dinner led to sitting in the lounge area laughing and talking until the late hours of the night.

Our hosts have three children and one night we played card games with them. The goal was to teach English and learn as much Japanese as possible. During our conversation our host brought up a movie quote that bothered him. He was watching Back to the Future and Michael J Fox is called a chicken. This led to a very long discussion on English language idioms. Ever try explaining idioms to someone who speaks English? Try explaining it to someone who doesn't primarily speak English!

We laughed about movies, cultural differences, animal sounds (bun bun - pig and wan wan - dog), school schedules, video games, and children. Between the Google translate app, funny charades, and poorly drawn pictures we spent many hours together.