Arriving in Kobe & Hostel Disappointment

After a morning of thrifting in Susukino, I caught my flight to Kobe, excited to explore a new city. I checked into my hostel, expecting a cozy spot to unwind after traveling, but… I was a little disappointed.

I had booked my stay as two separate reservations—one short stay, followed by seven nights—but something about the place just didn’t feel right. Maybe it was the atmosphere, maybe the setup. Either way, I started looking for other options.

I found another hostel that looked more comfortable, though not as ideally located. A trade-off, but one I was willing to make. I decided to cancel my seven-night stay and book the new hostel instead.

Since I didn’t want to deal with moving immediately, I planned to stick it out for the three nights I had already booked before switching over.

My First Climbing Day in Japan

The next day, I was finally going to climb. My first climbing session of this trip.

Originally, I planned to visit a gym nearby, but when I arrived, I found out it was closed. Not ideal. I quickly searched for the next closest option and found a place called Gravity Research.

When I got to the location, I was confused. Where was the gym? I walked around, looking for an entrance—then realized the gym was on the rooftop.

Eighteen floors up.

Climbing with a View

Gravity Research is situated on the rooftop of Mint-Kobe, overlooking the city. It’s such a cool concept, but also… cold. Literally.

The chill in the air made warming up a challenge, but I sucked it up and climbed anyway. For most of my session, I was completely alone. Just me, the wall, and the cityscape below. Eventually, some older patrons arrived and started working on a problem graded 3/8. Here the lower the number the harder the climb. The easiest climbs are an 8. The hardest climbs were rated 1 or simply hard / orange.

I decided to join them.

The beta escaped us, but it was nice to climb with others and share the challenge. After a few attempts, I was ready to wrap up. And of course, after climbing, there was only one thing left to do…

Onsen & Yakitori

I made my way to an onsen, this time a pretty expensive one—2,900 yen (~$20 USD). Pricey, but worth visiting at least once. As always, it was the perfect way to soothe my body after a session.

Afterward, I was craving something good and ended up at a yakitori spot. The food was solid, but smoking was allowed inside. I hate the smell of cigarettes, but I endure it because, honestly? The best yakitori and izakayas usually allow it.

The Perfect Ending: A 90-Minute Massage

The day ended on the best possible note—a 90-minute massage for less than 5,000 yen (~$35 USD). After all the climbing, walking, and traveling, it felt amazing.

---

Final Thoughts

A day that started with uncertainty (hostel issues, closed gym, wandering lost) turned into a solid mix of adventure, climbing, good food, and self-care. This is the kind of travel experience I love—not everything goes to plan, but you adapt, embrace what comes, and make the most of it.

Tomorrow, I’ll probably wake up sore, but no regrets.