Nice bus trip up to first post village.

country side small rice paddies right up to houses

Had from seat in bus

Post village kept from days before cars and roads and traveller rest stops on the route between Koyoto and Tokyo

most are now gone but some preserved.

After first village stopped for lunch at local rest area. No English guide Joey pretty much had to order our meals for us.

very nice pork cutlets with curry and rice.

Staff came out to say thank-you and bow us off. Don't think they had seen a bus load of foreign before.

second post village much more commercial and having seen the other one first was less authentic. Also had started raining so perhaps did dampen the mood as well.

300 year old wooden bridge over the Narai  river.

Is this a ground orchid? There were quite a few around.

The trip from here slipped into just travel to get hope. There was a bit of rain coming the roads were close to being flooded. The Newell Highway turned out to be very potholed but we made it safely.