Settling into Hostel Anchorage

This morning, I moved hostels to Hostel Anchorage. After dropping off my bags, my first priority was food. Luckily, the hostel is right next to the station, meaning plenty of restaurants and food stalls were just steps away.

I wandered through the station shops, scanning the options, when I noticed a small Japanese shop with a steady stream of people filing inside. Something about the crowd made me curious—if locals were lining up, it had to be good.

I slipped inside just before a line started forming and found myself in a soba shop.

Cold Tempura Soba – A Perfect Lunch

Soba is buckwheat noodles, served either hot or cold, and I wasn’t sure what to order, so I asked the staff for their recommendation.

“The tempura cold soba is our best dish,” they told me.

That was all I needed to hear.

The dish arrived with a bowl of chilled noodles and a sauce you pour on the side, topped with crispy tempura flakes. The flavor was light and refreshing, and the tempura flakes soaked up the sauce perfectly, clinging to the noodles and adding just the right amount of umami with each bite. It was simple, balanced, and satisfying—the kind of meal that feels effortless yet incredibly well-crafted.

Climbing at Kobe Rock Garden

With lunch out of the way, I headed to my next stop: Kobe Rock Garden, a climbing gym a short 12 minute walk away.

Compared to Pacific Pipe, my usual gym back home, this place was much smaller, but they used their wall space efficiently.

They had a dense spray wall with routes marked by tape, allowing for endless variations. Their other walls were packed with color-coded routes, making the most of the available space.

Instead of the standard V-grade or Fontainebleau system, this gym used a number grading system, with:

• 10 as the easiest
• 1 as the hardest
• White holds ungraded but known to be especially tough

I spent most of my session working on level 4s—some I could get, but many escaped me. Still, I tried everything from 3 down to 1 just for the experience and to test out the movements.

Some climbs felt impossible, but even making a move or two on the harder problems was rewarding. Plus, I got to work through the beta with other climbers, which made the session even more fun.

A Burger Stop and Another Onsen Visit

After climbing, I grabbed a quick bite at a burger shop before heading to another onsen.

Initially, I was thinking about going to a sento (public bath). Google reviews had mentioned a sauna, so I figured it would be a good, budget-friendly option at 500 yen. But when I got there and started chatting with one of the patrons, they casually mentioned:

“Only the men’s side has a sauna.”

…Not exactly what I was hoping for.

I debated whether to go to a more expensive onsen instead and, once again, had to remind myself:

Some things are worth paying for—like a sauna and the convenience of not traveling 30 minutes away.

Even at 2,300 yen, or about 15 USD, more than four times the price of a sento, it was still cheap compared to US standards. A full day at Archimedes Banya in San Francisco is 95 dollars, or 65 dollars for just three hours.

So I went for it. And as expected, it was worth it.

Back at the Hostel – First Impressions

After the onsen, I finally made my way back to Hostel Anchorage and officially checked in.

First impression? The layout was much nicer than my previous stay, with a shared common space that had a really nice color vibe to it. It felt warmer and more inviting.

The only downside? The front desk staff seemed a bit standoffish when checking me in. Not exactly the friendliest welcome, but at least the space itself felt comfortable.

Final Thoughts

A day of new beginnings—a fresh hostel, a solid meal, and a gym that challenged me in a different way.

Even with a few minor hiccups, good food, a great climb, an onsen always make for a good day.