Off to the Land of the Rising Sun! (Part 2)

Having spent 3 nights in bustling Tokyo, we moved out from the megapolis on our 4th day and head out to the countryside - Hakone, located about 100kms west of Tokyo. This place is famous for its hot springs and boast of splendid views of Mt. Fuji. For our stay, we checked into a typical Japanese Ryokan which comes with the view of Mt. Fuji. It was a pity the weather was not on our side - very foggy and at times we could not see beyond 1km :( On a positive note, it was cooling (though it was high summer), perfect to experience the onsen.

31 July 2013: Hakone

Owakudani - an area around a crater created during the last volcano eruption of Mt. Hakone 3000 years ago. The area is still an active volcanic zone today. If you take a short walk uphill, you will get to eat black eggs, cooked in the natural hot water. The shells are blackened by the sulfur.

This guy is checking on the black eggs

The taste? Well, it taste just like the usual hard boiled eggs. It is believed that one's life will be prolonged by 7 years after eating 1 black egg. Both Peter and I had 5!

Came back down to low lands via ropeway, cable car and train. Continued exploring on foot.
You will see many old, giant Cedar trees. They are indeed HUGE!

High & mighty

At the foot of Mt. Hakone, stands Jinja Shrine - it's pretty hidden within the forest

Lake Ashi - an iconic lake in Hakone and was formed 3000 years ago after the major eruption. We took a sightseeing cruise but alas, weather was bad and we could not see Mt. Fuji :(

Mt. Fuji is right behind those fog!

The locals were having Summer Celebration on the day we arrived. Many set up food stalls along the lake. There were fireworks by the lake at night, but we did not get to catch it.

Hydrangeas were in full bloom, this time of the year. It's everywhere!

After a long day, we spent a lovely evening in our Japanese Ryokan. The onsen was great to soak off our tired feet. We were given Yukata's (light cotton kimono) and were told that the best way to experience Japanese lifestyle/culture was to put on a Yukata. And it was okay to wear it everywhere around the ryokan (in fact, in another hotel which we stayed, people were wearing Yukata's even on the shopping streets!). Dinner was inclusive and we were served with Japanese Kaiseki, which literally means a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner. 

Our room - furnished with typical Japanese low laying tables and chairs on tatami-matted floors. And oh, there is no shower provided in the room itself. You will need to go to the public communal bathrooms (ie. onsen area), to bathe. If you are shy, please be prepared not to shower for the day!

You'll need to set up your own futon

View from our room. Mt. Fuji shies away again *sighs*