Many surprises awaited us at Horakuan! The remoteness combined with being a short drive from the town of Suzaka. The utter stillness, peace and beauty. And most of all, Dorothee’s generous offering of this as our place to stay.
By chance we arrived a week before the 10th anniversary ceremony, so our work was weeding, weeding, weeding, and other preparations of house and garden, so Horakuan would look at its best for the day. I found it very satisfying to be working in the garden, surrounded by forests and mountains, and contributing to the ‘special day’. It was really special to participate in the anniversary ceremony, and Dorothee and Taka made us completely welcome and included us in everything. We had many fantastic adventures in our afternoons and days off, exploring local shrines, waterfalls, onsens (hot spring baths), and more.
What a blessing to have this opportunity to share in daily life in such a unique place. I appreciate so much how Dorothee made this possible. Her care for our needs, her generosity and appreciation for all the small tasks we did, our conversations (and delicious cakes!) in our tea breaks, and her trust in our ability to do our work tasks, all made this time very worthwhile.