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Old 1 Oct 13, 07:47 PM  
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私たちは、東京ディズニーリゾートに行きます G&D Day 11

DAY 11 – (8/9/13)- Big rich Samurai!

We have another day trip planned today. Both this and the one we did yesterday were booked through Viator back in the UK. We are very impressed so far.
So breakfast in the Exec lounge and then it’s down stairs to meet up with Yang who will accompany us on the feeder coach to Hamamatsucho Coach station. Yang isn’t very communicative. Looks like he’s left his “Ying” at home. He spends most of his time glued to his iphone until we disembark to exchange our vouchers and are then told to go to gate 3. Thankfully our guide for the day, “Kats” has far more personality and he speaks excellent English. Whilst we are at the bus station we bump into the four Thai lads from yesterday. Today’s coach seems to be sponsored by Sprite!



We are headed out to Mount Fuji which is a good two hour drive away including a rest stop. We will be taking the main route – the Chuo Expressway. At over 12,390 feet Mount Fuji is the highest peak in Japan by far with its near perfect cone floating up in the clouds. It is only snow - capped during winter months so don’t be fooled by the many postcard pictures you may have seen of it. The last eruption was in 1707 and it has been dormant since. The upper slopes are devoid of plants being dark grey ash. It was considered so holy at one time that it could only be climbed by priests and pilgrims. Women were not allowed until 1872. Today the pilgrims have been outnumbered by the many recreational climbers although the season is mainly confined to July and August. You can reach what they call the Fifth Stage by road but then you face a five to six hour climb to reach the summit.



Most climbers will do this during the night so that they avoid midday sun and are at the peak for sunrise. At the top you will find 24 hour noodle stalls and a Post Office. To walk around the crater rim will take roughly one hour. Many experience altitude sickness long before they get anywhere near the peak.

Kats shows us pictures of when he did the climb:



We have no intention of making the climb and are quite happy to be taken to about 6,000 feet by coach. On the north side of the mountain, in its foothills, there are five lakes and it is not unlike the UK’s Lake District with its many hotels, boat rides etc. There is even an amusement park with coasters! In fact this is where Tokyo-ites come for the summer.

It’s quite a cloudy day and so as we approach the mountain more than half of it is stuck up in the greyness above us. We pass the Sengen Jinja shrine.



This main one is located at Fuji-Yoshida and was a pilgrim base. It has old inns and waterfalls for cleansing and praying before a climb. We also pass by the Sea of Trees. It is a primeval forest and it is said that once you enter you may never find a way out. Thus, at one time, it became popular with those wishing to commit suicide!
Back at the Fifth stage we surrounded by souvenir shops although our main souvenir won’t be bought! The buildings remind me of a frenetic Alpine village! I wander up a trail for a little way until I find a nice piece of the black volcanic ash. The shops are full of things Fuji – sweets, rice crackers, biscuits (we got some fabulous camembert cheese ones), cuddly toys – all mountain shaped! We bought a DVD which shows the mountain through the seasons. We take time out to enjoy a coffee and enjoy the views both up to the cloud topped mountain and also to the valley below.





Now then, we were supposed to visit the area of Hakone- a hilly hot-spring town which extends along the remains of a collapsed volcano and over a hill the Owaku – dani – “valley of the great boiling”. Sadly because the mist has come lower in that area and it has become very foggy and so a change in plan is made. Our sailing on Lake Ashi won’t happen. As we come down from the mountain we are taken to one of the five lakes – Lake Kawaguchi where the views are clearer. Our lunch is booked here anyway. When we all get into the restaurant, everybody has a little pot of noodles in broth simmering away on a stove fuelled by a solid fuel tablet (think Mamod steam engines!) There is pickled fish – Kats tell us it is local trout from the lakes and it was rather tasty. Various pickles – my favourite being the ginger – and a massive bowl of rice. We also have tempura whitebait.



Ater lunch we take a ferry out onto the lake and we get some half decent shots of Fuji.





Now today’s title – Fuji in Japanese means rich Samurai!

We spend a pleasant hour or so sailing up and down the lake and the weather starts to improve somewhat. Kats, our guide has another little plan up his sleeve. We take the Katchi Katchi cable car up the hillside so we can have a view across the lake to Mount Fuji. We don’t stay too long up there as it has started to rain but it was an interesting diversion.



Kats now has some news for us. It was he who was phoned about the foggy conditions at Hakone and he is now phoned to be informed that there has been a major crash on the Freeway and there is a 14 km tailback (about 10 miles). Fortunately, we are booked to return by the Shinkansen Bullet Train which is included in our ticket. Kats points out to those who had intended to return on the coach that they may also take the train but it will be 4,400 Yen (about £30) extra! (Don’t we feel smug?) We are dropped off at Odawara station where we wait for the train. There are four tracks and on the central two the trains are non- stoppers. I count how long it takes a train to pass through the station – barely two seconds!





When we board I’m surprised at how wide the carriages are. Really comfortable seats allow us to watch the blur of countryside shooting past the window at 199 m.p.h. once we are up to speed. As a train enthusiast this is a wonderful experience. Within 25 minutes we are back at Tokyo station.
It’s been a long day. We elect for a light supper in the Marble Lounge and by 9:30p.m. we are both in the Land of Nod!


INDEX: http://DIBB.in/8969983

Edited at 02:46 PM.
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Old 1 Oct 13, 08:15 PM  
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Very nice report thank you
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Old 1 Oct 13, 08:18 PM  
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Cheers. Just scraped the surface of the real Japan. That's why we need to go back.
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Old 1 Oct 13, 08:46 PM  
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Another g d day...shame about the mist.
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Old 1 Oct 13, 11:20 PM  
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Loving the descriptions of the food, along with the photos, as they are putting my mind at rest that I would be okay with the meals.

Oh wow, to that train! 199mph
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Old 2 Oct 13, 12:02 AM  
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Another superb day. And to return on the bullet train...
A few weeks back we visited the Railway museum in York and sat on the bullet train there, but your one look much nicer..
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Old 2 Oct 13, 08:13 AM  
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Originally Posted by Tracyjj0 View Post
Loving the descriptions of the food, along with the photos, as they are putting my mind at rest that I would be okay with the meals.

Oh wow, to that train! 199mph
I had misgivings before we went thinking it would all be sushi. Well, first of all, I now love raw tuna with an orange and mustard dressing. So much more fllavour than when it is cooked. Love Teppanyaki - no more or less than a griddle BBQ - so you can have beef, chicken, pork, parwns -whatever with a combination of vegetables. Tempura - things cooked in a light batter go great with the various pickles. For pickle don't read vinegar! The steaks we had were melt in the mouth.
And the almond pudding - mmmm! Funnily enough on my way to London today to get the almond powder.
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Old 2 Oct 13, 08:18 AM  
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Originally Posted by MarionG View Post
Another superb day. And to return on the bullet train...
A few weeks back we visited the Railway museum in York and sat on the bullet train there, but your one look much nicer..
The bullet train at York museum is from 1976 - one of their first.

nrm.uk/OurCollection/...7500&pageNo=25

Today's Shinkansens are sleaker and more airstreamed but actually are no faster than the French TGV or German ICE trains. (Max 200 m.p.h.) They are used by 151 million passengers every year.

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Old 2 Oct 13, 11:33 AM  
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Ahh, that is interesting.
By the way you didn't travel on their Metro did you? I remember seeing photos where the guards are pushing people on! My worst nightmare...makes travelling on ours fairly tame...
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Old 2 Oct 13, 03:04 PM  
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