Day 2 - Crazy Nagano experiences

This morning I woke up and the little cold which I was recovering from had turned nasty - I actually completely lost my voice! (I know, most people can't imagine me without a voice)....
I was really upset - I didn't know whether I should go to the workshop still, or what to do.....so I went to the doctor (another new Japan experience).
Luckily the hotel people were so lovely and found one nearby who spoke english.
As in most countries, visiting a doctor in Japan involves a lot of waiting. First I signed in, then waited to be seen by the nurse to describe my ailments, then waited to be called by the doctor, then waited for tests to be done, then waited to see the doctor again, then waited for my medicine, and then waited to pay.
Everyone was lovely and it was really quiet as it was a Sunday morning.
The medicine here is interesting - I got some tablets, but I also got some that was a powder in little sachets (like salt sachets you get from a restaurant or something). Still tastes yuck though ;)
So...since I had no other place to go and didn't know what to do I headed down to the workshop place. This required a 4+ hour train ride (long train rides are not so bad as they mean you can have some nap time) :)
Our options were to be picked up in the evening from Iida city (where my train stopped) or from a bus stop - so I asked the bus driver at the station if he stopped at this bus stop and he said yes....but actually.......we arrived at the end of the route and I'm like, umm....where was the bus stop and then he said "oh we don't stop there, but your hotel people will pick you up from here"....but I said, why would they pick me up here when I rang and told them to pick me up from the other bus stop? ....anyway, he ended up ringing the ryokan people for me, and I was found and everything was fine ....just another crazy start to the whole thing!