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Eco Report: Snow Monkeys & Cranes
Our Snow Monkeys and Cranes expedition showcases Japan’s beautiful winter landscapes and fascinating wildlife. Dr. Mark Brazil lives in Japan, designed this expedition especially for us and leads the journey in search of red-crowned cranes, sea eagles, and snow monkeys reveling in steaming hot springs. Mark further enhances the expedition with an insider’s perspective, introducing travelers to the people, culture, and cuisine of Japan along the way.
We received this wonderful letter from H & W Kendrick after their return home from Japan in February 2009 and want to share it, along with the photos, with our readers. In case you are wondering, onsens are Japanese hot springs.
Trip Highlights…with great difficulty, and in no particular order so as not to fill too many pages!…
Onsens; ethereal whooper swans and frozen Lake Kussharo; lovely foxes in snow; masses of cranes at Arasaki; squirrels and sable; owls…big and small; shop in Takayama with all the beautiful hand-printed fabric birds and animals; macaques in hot-springs.
Onsens!…yukatas…all different designs; fox-droppings on the bus!; walking from hotel to monkeys in lovely snowy surroundings; Papilio pension; misos…all kinds; sakes and the tastings in Takayama; Stunning sight of cranes at Akan, midst softly falling snow (our pics have come out like paintings!)
Onsens!…frozen sea; the enormous eagles; dancing cranes, all types; thatched roof minshuku and dinner that night (all dinners, for that matter!); the swish of the scoter flock overhead; log-tailed Rosy finch; playing ‘kids in a candy store’ when picking out our lunches at those stores!; Anywhere in sparkling white Hokkaido.
Mark’s enthusiasm, which got people to stand for hours in sub-freezing temps, deep snow and sometimes darkness, in order to ‘maybe’ hear or see an owl! It was an exceptional trip…many thanks. (Oh and we also liked the onsens…)
Cheers, H & W
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While our Snow Monkeys and Cranes expedition is clearly designed for earnest naturalists and photographers of wildlife, people, and culture, the cuisine experience has become a highlight of our expeditions and Mark very kindly put together a food checklist from the February trip, you can view it at this link: Snow Monkeys & Cranes Food List