The next day (12/27) we traveled to a little mountain town and trekked into a part of an extended valley named Jigokudani Koen , or Hell's Valley Park, named for its resplendent hot springs that boil away even in frigid temperatures. It was gorgeous, although we did get a lot of snow dumped on our heads along the way. We went to this snowy, steamy place with one objective: seeing Japanese Macaques, or Snow Monkeys. These monkeys live in the mountains and come down to bathe in the hot springs almost every day. In the winter they are very fluffy in their heavy coats. There were monkeys of all ages jostling each other for space in the springs and the food the park workers put out at noon. Here are a few of the best pictures of the monkeys in the springs. You can see all the little family groups among the larger group. These monkeys are all part of one pack. There are about 200 of them at present. There's always an alpha ...
A blog for aspiring travelers, detailing our adventures around the globe.