Mt Fuji and Hakone
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Our guide collected us from the E Hotel for a very long days outing to visit Mt Fuji and Hakone and back to Tokyo on the Bullet
Train. Looking at the map that was held up..it was going to be a long day. Driving in the outskirts of Tokyo gave us an idea of the countryside and
we were impressed with the roads and bridges. Looking out the coach windows we could see the many mountains in the distance and it was a surprise to see
the ruggedness of them. After a while it was time to stop for morning tea at place obviously catering for coaches and trucks. There was quite a lot of artwork
here to see and we were amazed to see the public toilets and just how fantastic they are, warm seats..baby seats and even music in each cubicle.
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Next stop was a visit to The Mt Fuji Visitor Centre. There were lots of cherry blossoms out here as the cold had brought out the blooms
and we walked around and took pics. Then into the exhibition area to learn a little about Mt Fuji itself. There were videos and displays of all
kinds describing heights, safety and just general history of the area. Most informative and of course we could even shop here.
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Signs soon let us know Mt Fuji was not far away but due to the weather conditions we could only go to the 1st Station of Mt Fuji
instead of the 5th Station. However when we arrived the road is closed until such times as the traffic is allowed through and we could just walk about
in the bush area and admire Mt Fuji in the clouds. All of a sudden the clouds cleared and all the cameras came out to get whatever photos we could. We
were so lucky. Then we were away however, disaster struck. Our coach boiled and we limped into a small restaurant, rest area to get help. Our clever driver
managed to fix us temporarily and again off we went on the journey to Hakone and The Ropeway
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Lunch was waiting for us at the Hakone Ropeway area and it was most welcome. Not sure what somethings were but lots of fun working it out.
Japanese food is so very interesting. Again, many cherry blossoms in the landscaped gardens here and lots of pictures were taken. It was so lovely and the lake with
its boats and the swan mini boats were a sight. A few shops here and lots of fun on the toy panda. Our next adventure was to ride The Hakone Ropeway and this
was brilliant. Would be fantastic in the snow but to see the view from the skycaps was fabulous. It was raining and foggy but lots of fun.
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After a long winding road drive we arrived at Owakudani Boiling Valley itself. This mountainous area was clear one minute and fogged in the next. Brave as
we were, off to walk up the many steps to see the sulphur ponds and just delight in the atmosphere. The water was bubbling down in rivulets and we had
to keep an eye out for each other as we moved around. A lovely young couple had some black eggs with them and showed us just what they looked like. After a while
time to climb back down, and have a hot coffee in the restaurant and check out the black eggs for ourselves. Each egg apparently adds a year to your life
but we could only manage one.Looking at the landscape in front of us was fabulous, the clouds coming and going and fog and mist combined with some
clear spots gave it a magical feel. We waited for a replacement coach at this time and soon we were off to head for the Bullet Train Station.
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After another winding journey down the mountain, we arrived at the station to catch the Shinkansen Bullet Train. These trains are silent,
spotlessly clean and always on time almost to the second..they travel at up to 320kms an hour and are very comfortable and well used. They fly into the
station and somehow look like a bird, with their sharp, sleek nose. A great experience and wonderful way to ride back to Tokyo.
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