(8.30a) Heading Hakone, I’ve taken the train from Sendai and changed in Tokyo. I’ve almost taken the slow train from Tokyo to Odawara. Just before it was about to depart, I got off the train and went the to Shinkansen ticket office. The 1hr40mins train instantly become 25mins!
(10.30a) At Odawara station, I was trying to get on the train but the staff there asked me to take the bus instead. And the biggest mistake I’ve had in the trip was that, I forgot to buy the Hakone Pass before got on the bus -_-… it cost in 100Yen.
(12.00n) Arrived the Hot spring hotel :) It is totally out of the main area in Hakone and pretty old hotel. The staffs are very traditional, it means it’s almost over polite to everyone. I mean it’s very good. It’s a bit too early to check in and I went to a station 15mins by bus from the hotel (wasted another 370Yen) and bought the day pass, after leaving everything in the reception.
(1.00p) Let me have a deep breathe and announce, the “Best of the Best Art Museum of the Year” (it was De Young before I came to this one) and the “Most Money Worthy Museum of the Year” is… The Hakone Open-Air Museum!!! It’s so incredibly amazing! There are so many different sculptures and cool art pieces spread around the open area of hill. I was like hanging in a big park with a lot of masterpiece surrounding me. I was already very excited after I spent about an hour to finish half of the Museum (I thought it was half). There are another 4 individual exhibition halls. The first 2 I’ve seen were just okay. Most of the descriptions are in Japanese only or I have to rent the recorder in English. I saw one of the exhibition halls called Picasso. I thought it was only the name of they have one piece of his works there, which a lot of museum do. But when I step into the hall, all the ceramics, sculptures and some paintings there are form him! A lot of them are very interesting and I never seen most of them even on books! I didn’t know he’s done so many ceramics!! Really keep my eyes wide opened~~ After that I went into a tower like sculpture there. It’s a cylinder wrap with church glass window like all around! It was so nice to look around from the top!!! The environment, the quantity and quality of works plus the little surprise from Picasso, it becomes my “Best of the Best Museum of the Year”! 2008 is such a good year :)
It's supposed to fill with 2 persons romantically, in such a relax afternoon~
(5.00p) Back to hotel and check myself in. Have taken a rest and went to the Japanese bath (hot spring). :) It was very foggy there… almost see nothing in the bath room.
(6.30p) I swear it is the best Japanese meal I have ever had! The whole set of dinner, all dishes just make me cry from my heart. It was just too good to have each dish. I think it could cost me more than the total I spent to stay in this hotel if I want to have a decent Japanese full set of meal like this in HK. Super worthy stay honestly!!!
(8.00p) The private bath (which needs to reserve, and half hour only each day) was a bit disappointed. There’re 3 type of private bath. I’ve chosen the open hot spring one. It was a bit tricky, just like toilet size room made of bamboo outside the building and it’s no wall on one side. They put some kinda plants in front of the open end. And ya, that’s it. But when I take it, it’s quite good feeling actually. Haha… I’m sure there are some nicer hotspring resorts around (obviously much more expensive) anyway… the dinner is already worth money I’ve spent. With a limited budget and want to have a resort experience, it is doubtlessly one of the best choice ^__^
23/12
(6.00a) Woke up early to have a yoga this morning :). I’ve had quite a while haven’t do yoga in the morning. Feeling quite good to start a day like this.
(8.30a) A big big breakfast in the morning! Yummyumyum~~
(9.00a) Wrote a bit my blog before leaving~~~~
(10.00a) Went out and found it pretty cold today. Luckily I’ve missed the bus and having enough time to go back and change. Otherwise, I must catch a cold today! It is a bit sunshine today but actually feeling even colder than the snowing day in Towada.
(11.00a) Walked around the area by the lake Ashi. It was a nice walk in a path surrounded by super tall tress. It was a few spots to see the Fuji Mountain. they are actually some of the best places to see Fuji mountain. But the weather today were not even good enough to see the mountain :) The clouds blocked the view. The mountain has come out for a few minutes and disappear again~~
(12.30p) A lot of snack free-tasting + the big breakfast in the morning just keep me stuff for whole day. I’ve eaten a famous black egg in the port. Well… it’s just the same as normal eggs. Obviously those lovely eggs from the Hope Range are much better than these.
(2.00p) It was damn freezing even under sunshine especially when I was up the hill in Owakudani. It’s were the hotspring eggs originally came from. They are actually not that great, but it’s something when you go there you wouldn’t mind to spend 500Yen to buy 5 of them. And they has to be in a bags of 5. I still have 3 on my bag now ~_~.
(3.00p) Went to the main station in Hakone-Yumoto where the entrance of Hakone area. It took me an hour to get there, to buy the Hakone Pass for the coming 2 days. Since they don’t normally do next day ticket, I just give it a try from the bigger station. Hopefully people are not as stupid as the smaller stations. The information centre still told me I have to buy tomorrow morning. It was quite a busy tourist area in Hakone-Yumoto. A lot of souvenir shops there. Some more food tasting :D I pass by the ticket office on my way back to hotel, and I had my last try there. The guy said no at the beginning too, but when I try my best to descript my situation to him (surprising he understand what I mean even he doesn’t really understand English!!!), and the sold the ticket to me :) and I saved 370Yen by spending almost 3 hours travel in the same area.
(6.30p) Dinner time again~~ It is even better than yesterday. All ingredients are obviously more expensive than those yesterday. I saw the girl next to me are eating the same set I’ve eaten yesterday :D Taste-wise, some dishes are stronger and some are much mild & pure. Such a nice contrast! I love it!!! The first time in my life I’ve had the long leg crab. The first time in my live I’ve eaten such an expensive piece of tuna. Those tuna sashimi I’ve eaten before that made me misunderstood tuna, please, never come back to me :D
(8.00p) writing this blog for this week :)
(10.00p) Private bath
(11.00p) Drawing time, if I still awake.
24/12
(8.00a) Didn’t wake up too early today, went to the breakfast hall at 8 and found that it is a buffet breakfast today. A bit disappointed but then I decided to go a quick bath before eating :D.
(8.30a) The breakfast wasn’t bad at all, although that’s a buffet. There are quite a lot of Japanese traditional foods and obviously they would force you to have some rice. I do like the one yesterday much more tho. Anyway, it’s a big breakfast that enough for me until dinner time :D.
(10.00a) Check out the room and it’s the end of the luxury part of the trip~~ oooo….. It’s such a great experience though. I told myself I would bring mama here when I earn enough money :D. Gonna move to the hotel for one more night in Hakone.
(11.30a) The hostel is pretty easy to find but it still took me like an hour and half. -_- There were sooooo many local tourist, the time they get on and off the bus were probably a double as usual time. It’s like a third of the price as the hotel but it’s still very nice… They have a proper outdoor Japanese bath and also an indoor one too. The room was quite big too, probably one third of the room last night but still big enough. The most important thing is, the staff speak English and I could use internet at my room!!!!!!!! :D
(12.00n) The staff recommended me to go to a place called Otome-toge, saying I can see Fuji Mountain from there. The day before, the view on the lake and on the mountain was almost totally blocked by clouds :).
(1.00p) When I just stepped down the bus, I was totally stocked. The Mount. Fuji was just right in front of me! It’s huge and very close! The sky was much clearer than the day before but somehow, a thick cloud was form right on top of Fuji Mountain and covered its head -_-. Really don’t know why it is so difficult to have a proper look on it .\ /. But I was quite happy already. At least I was very closed. And I still have one chance next day coz I will go on a bit hiking in the morning. And the staff told me I can see Mountain Fuji from there too.
(2.30p) Waited the bus for over 40 mins -_- and cold.
(3.00p) I feel lucky that I decided to go to Otome-toge :D It was only a few people there and only me took a bus there. Everyone else were driving. When I arrive Gora, it’s still a lot of tourist there. The Hakone Art Museum was incredibly crowd. I went to Gora park instead. The park was very empty! Almost no people were there… It was a ceramic house and I went into it. They have a class for experience ceramic making! And I looked at those some other students made, I went to the counter at once and want to learn (although it’s like 4000Yen each). There are a few finishing to chosen. Obviously, the student only do the shape and the instructor there will do the colour and finishing coz they look like they are very sophisticated. It must be complicated to get the surface finish as it is. But the staff told me the class of the day were all finished :). And even I take the class the day after, they only send out the work in 2 months time within Japan only :):)…. Ah………. And then I went to their greenhouse there. Japanese can really impress you on everything even it’s just a greenhouse. The plants there are so decent and nicely taken care of.
(4.00p) Went to buy dinner :D and then went back to the hostel. Used a bit internet, chill out a bit and try to finish some work for POP/PIXI…
(6.30p) Dinner
(8.00p) Some more works
(11.00p) Sleep early at night for the hiking in the morning :)
25/12
(6.00a) Woke up at 6! and take a early baht… seems that I m taking bath too much lately… my skin start getting a bit dry.
(7.30a) Nice nice weather today… I felt that I would see Fuji today!! :D. I decided to wear my green shoes as its last trip… haha… at least it has a last mission before I throw it away and I would remember it all in my life because of the memorable hiking trip ^__^. The road was not as comfy as I thought. It was quite wet, muddy, snippy and uphill. Luckily I changed to this pair of shoes. I walked for 30mins and didn’t see anyone until I saw 2 old ladies walked very slowly in front of me. It seems that I shouldn’t have felt the way difficult at all
And then few mins later a man with a kid just finished the trip and in the opposite way, downhill. Haha… I can’t even feel tired, go on go on… Finally I were on top of the hill. I almost forgot my purpose on the first sight of Mountain Fuji!!!! Obviously I get back a bit and take a picture for it and go on one of the best view of Fuji. The sky was very clear today! And I took quite a few pictures, feeling very satisfied and I can finish my JP trip already :D. Super windy and cold up there… only spent like 20 mins there and walk down the hill lo… There were 11 people I’ve meet in the whole hiking trip including the very old lady in the shop on top of the hill. She’s just so old. I think she lives there probably the rest of her life and won’t get down the hill.
(10.15a) Already got back to hostel :D took a shower and head to Osaka today. Seems that it will take the whole day on train and bus… but I m okay with it coz I’ve done enough today. :D
(11.00a) Leaving Hakone… hope that I will come back some time ^__^
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