Hakone

I've been wanting to go here since I first arrived; we finally made the trip last week back to the Fuji area. I didn't understand the obsession with Fuji beforehand, but it's truely something that you have got to experience for yourself. Every morning, I see Fuji on my run - it rises majestically out of the other mountains, illuminated in the sunrise oranges and pinks, towering over a sea of monotonous brown. It really is breath-taking. Hakone was equally as impressive, situated very near Fuji-San.  This ancient spa town rests on top of a 1000 year old volcano, creating numerous hot springs and steaming vats of land.

Going to Hakone involves mostly travel - the traditional tour route is a circle around the area by multiple modes of transport. Train, tram, bus, cable car, boat - it almost feels like you never actually get there because you are always headed to the next vehicle. The scenery is the thing to enjoy, and there are nice stops and hikes along the way to do that. There are also a large amount of museums; some famous works by VanGogh and Picasso, among other talented artists, reside here.

At any rate, the majority of the day was spent in transit. Sian, Ian, and I had a great time, We managed to eat these black eggs, hardboiled in the hotsprings of the mountain. They are said to add 7 years onto your life. A bit daunting at first, they tasted just like regular eggs after all.

Then, in the evening, we visited an onsen. Japan in famous for them, and Hakone is the spot to go. An onsen is an outdoor bath, in the natural water of the hotsprings. It's public, though most times separated by gender. The atmosphere is anything but sleezy. Here, you are one with the earth and its people. After first bathing ourselves, we nervously headed out into the courtyard. Under the stars, we tried different piping hot baths among other Japanese women. It was an amazing experience!!