Conan and Junko at Geibikei gorge.

On the last day my aunt and cousins were here, we took a trip just south of Sumita to the town of Higashiyama and to Geibikei gorge. It's always a highlight for anyone who travels up to our neck-of-the-woods. Open all year, Geibikei boasts a leisurely flat-bottomed boat ride upstream, powered by a local Japanese "gondolier" who points out interesting rock formations along the way and sings local traditional songs. Conan enjoyed the day very much. It was in fact, already his second trip to Geibikei; having first visited last October when my mother and another aunt (Lois) came to Sumita.