On Monday after Joey's minor toe surgery we decided we could still spend the day enjoying ourselves and we drove about 1 1/2hrs to Oboke and Koboke Gorge and then on to Iya Valley. We're so glad we went because it was absolutely beautiful. It's considered one of three "Hidden Regions" of Japan. It was once a refuge for Heike warriors in the 12th Century. After seeing it, I think they hada great idea! The steep gorges would have made travel through here treacherous. It's still a far cry from Urban Japan but it seems to get a lot more tourists now. I imangine it's very crowded an busy on weekends in the summer months, but lucky for us it was a Monday afternoon! There are great places to camp and hike around here, I wish we would have had more time to explore. I'm grateful we were able to make there before we go home.