Japan Day 11: Owakudani And Yunessun, Hakone

Previously:
Japan Day 10: Fujiya Hotel, Hakone

Today we got on the bus from Hotel-mae, which is located next to our hotel, to Owakudani that took around 20 minutes (580yen).  To try their famous black egg.  Apparently if you have one egg, your life span will extend for a year.  I think I really need 10 of them. 

It was a very windy and foggy morning

500yen for 5pcs

Lunch buffet at Owakudani 1,600yen for 1 hour

In the late afternoon, we headed to Hakone Kowakien Yunessun.  It is more like our thing, especially for my little one.  And I don't know why, even until now, this hot spa place that got everyone whinge that it always busy and crowded.  Today is our lucky day perhaps, it is like we privately owned the bathing place, hardly have no one here.  We can try each single hot spa without sharing with anyone and outdoor pool is zero people.  There are coffee bath, sake, green tea, red wine, collagen and so on.  However, we didn't even play in outdoor pool, the air was too cold although the water temperature was warm.  We stayed until the place nearly close at 7 pm.  What a great great time we had.





Coffee bath - this is my favourite, smells good

Sake bath

Red wine bath

Bozappyi hot water

Fresh yummy dinner

Hakone Kowakien Yunessun

Yubinbango250-0407

Ashigarashimo-gun,

Kanagawa Prefecture Hakone-machi Ninotaira

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Japan:

Japan Day 12: Kawagoe



Japan Day 10: Fujiya Hotel, Hakone

Previously:
Japan Day 9: Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

From Naha, we flew back to Tokyo, then with NEX to Shinagawa and continue to Odawara.  From there we changed to Tozan Railway, an all stops local train, to a small town called Miyanoshita.  By then, we arrived at the station around 8 pm and the concierge of Fujiya hotel is kindly picking us up from the station.  A pretty long journey from down side to this spa town and changing with a few type of transportations as well.

Tozan Railway

Catching this train is actually an exciting experience itself.  We at first counting how many stops needed before our stop.  As outside were pretty dark and we couldn't see much.  I think it was about 5 stops before Miyanoshita and we were pretty sure that the next one would be our stop.  When we got off the train, station was really dark and no sign could be seen.  The train driver was quickly called and run toward us and asked us where are we going.  We just said "Miyanoshita" and he explained to us that this wasn't a station, it is just a changing platform and Miyanoshita is the next 2 stops.  We surprised but also felt lucky that the driver saw us getting off the train.  We just realize that the train is going up the mountain and is pretty hard and longer time-consuming to make curvy railway.  Therefore, the rail is like zigzag with two heads train, once the train arrive in one end, the train driver have to run and drive the train from another head.  When we inside the carriage feeling like moving front and backward a couple of times.  Great job to who ever invented this and feeling thankful to the extra hard work of train driver.   

Miyanoshita station at night

Good morning Hakone, view from our window

I am ready to go for hot spa, mommy



The room is massively huge compared to any other hotel in Japan that I've ever been.  Their service was a five-star quality service, very friendly and she showed and explained to us all the facilities in the hotel.  Although this hotel is an old historical hotel but the building and the rooms are well maintained.  It actually makes them look even more charming and the touch of Japanese-style garden and outdoor chapel (Happiness Hill) made the beauty comes to life.  It is like tourist destination itself just inside the resort.  

Japanese garden

Happiness Hill

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Japan:

Japan Day 11: Owakudani And Yunessun, Hakone



Day 4: Mount Fuji and Hakone

Previously:
Day 3: Kimukatsu, Ebisu




First glance of mighty Mt. Fuji's peak

 

Our tour lady said that Mount Fuji is a shy mountain.  You can see them from afar when clear blue sky and that's happen only few weeks in a year.  The early bus ride, we could snap the peak of Mt. Fuji but then he is snugging back into his comfort place behind those white cloud.  Even in the Fuji information centre when we made a short visit, the peak was all covered with white thick clouds.  What a shame!!!




Mount Fuji from 5th station viewing point

 


Above the cloud



Our tour is including the lunch set meal.  Nine small dishes accompanied with udon and steamed rice.  No 'wow' factor in this meal.  Although the food are fresh and some of them have nice flavour but overall the portion is too small.  We still left hungry by then. 

After lunch, we continue our trip to Hakone.  From there we are cruising on the pristine Lake Ashi and then riding the Komagatake Ropeway up to heaven-like station where full of fogs (not always though) with 2,611 meter high-altitude.





I didn't know what's going on with the Tokyo's traffic that night.  I haven't really seen any traffic in Japan actually up to today.  We stuck on the highway for nearly 3 hours, where the tour normally get back to Tokyo by 7 or 8pm but today, we turned up extremely late, 10pm arrived at Shinjuku station.  We were starving, and didn't bother looking some restaurants in town as they might close already.  So, we were browsing inside the Shinjuku station where they definitely still open and yet busy with workers.  In quick search, we saw this congee shop, it looks cheap, nice and nearly full house too.



Pork congee with 2 pieces of Har Gao ¥980

 


Pork congee with soft boiled egg ¥880

  We made the right decision, eating congee in nearly midnight hour, what a great way to end the day.  The congee is very light so we won't feel guilty as not much calorie needed to burn.  The congee itself really have a good flavour and that runny egg yolk on top was absolutely divined.  


Stay tuned for the next blog still in Japan:
Day 5: On Our Way to Shibu Onsen