Hakone

After a terrible night's sleep, I got up and made my way on to Hakone.  I had read a lot about Hakone and knew that it was the countryside, however I was not prepared for what was to come.  Since Hiroshima was the farthest of the cities I visited in Japan, I knew that getting to Hakone would take some time.  I boarded the Shinkansen train again to Hakone and blogged during my long commute.  

This woman serves drinks, snacks, and some light lunches on the Shinkansen.  Doesn't it seem like I'm on an airplane? 

After a 5 hour commute, which included a transfer on the Hakone cable car, I finally made it to my destination.  

Once I stepped out of the train station, I was mesmerized.  Hakone is magical! There was such a calm and peacefulness in the air that it instantly melted away the stress from the commute.  

I purchased my Hakone Freepass, which allowed me to use their trains and buses at no charge.  It was definitely worth it, considering that I would be moving around the town.

I took a bus to my hotel and this is where it gets a little interesting.  I'm not sure why it hadn't clicked before, but Hakone is on a mountain.  And so was my hotel.  The ride going up the mountain, down narrow, winding roads was a bit scary.  Luckily, my hotel was only 10 minutes away.  During my planning, I decided that I would stay in a traditional Japanese ryokan.  A ryokan is similar to a bed and breakfast.  You have a host, or in my case, a hostess.  Your room in the ryokan is almost like a tiny apartment, with a sitting room and separate little rooms for eating and a restroom.  The doors are traditional Japanese sliding doors and for bedtime, I would be sleeping on the floor.  Since this is once in a lifetime, I just had to give it a whirl.  

This is the view of my little sitting area.  Look at that view! Beautiful! 

This is my dinner table.  I would be sitting on the floor with a very low lying table for dinner.  Do you see the tatami mats on the floor? It's traditionally found in homes in Japan.  Shoes are not to be worn on tatami mats, with the exception of indoor slippers.  

After checking in to my ryokan, I ventured off to The Little Prince Museum.  I outlined this museum in my proposal, so visiting was a must, although I was very tired.  I hopped on a bus and the next thing I know, I was holding on to anything I could get my hands on.  The museum is up the mountain and the ride took about 20 minutes.  It was the scariest 20 minutes of my life.  All I could see were cars headed straight towards my bus and raging rapids way down below to my left.  The winding road was so narrow that it seemed as if there wasn't room for the bus, let alone a car coming from the opposite direction! I really think my knuckles turned white from holding on to the seat! 

The bus finally came to a stop and I nearly jumped out of my seat and onto the street in one step! With my heart beating a million miles an hour, I spotted the most adorable little sign and I immediately smiled.  The Little Prince Museum! 

If you've never read The Little Prince, I highly recommend it.  It's a classic.  There are many theorists out there who analyze the novel from front to back, however I just enjoy the novel for what it is: a story. This is a picture of the grounds upon entering the museum.  Isn't it just beautiful?

The Little Prince! 

It really feels like you've stepped into the pages of the novel as you walk through the museum! I loved it!

Am I in France or Japan? So pretty! 

After touring the museum, I decided to grab a late lunch; I was starving! I decided to eat at the museum cafe, which was a menu of French cuisine.  Here's my appetizer - pate.  It doesn't look very appetizing, but I loved it.    

It was such a nice treat to have french fries after eating Asian food all week.  

After lunch, I browsed the museum gift shop, and then decided that I had better get back on that bus to my ryokan.  So, off the bus went...down the mountain and just as scary as the way up.  I decided then and there that I was going to stay near my ryokan and not venture up the mountain anymore.  

My hostess, Kana, talked me through all the rules of staying in a ryokan.  The rules were pretty standard and it was really more so that you can enjoy the experience to its fullest.  Here I am, hanging out in my yukata.  Unlike a kimono, a yukata is informal and made of cotton instead of silk.  Everyone walks around the hotel grounds in their yukata! While it was a bit awkward at first, I got used to it in no time.  

That evening, Kana served me dinner in my room.  I ate a traditional Japanese kaiseki dinner, specializing in pheasant.  Other than the pheasant sashimi and the pheasant soup, don't ask me what else I ate because I really have no idea.  Some of it was delicious and some of it was just not to my liking.  The experience, however, was wonderful!

After dinner, I used the ryokan's onsen and then it was off to bed.  Kana made up my futon for me to sleep on.  I never thought that sleeping on the floor like this would be comfortable, but it was.  I had a great night's sleep, which was much needed! 

The next day, I woke up and this is what I saw.  Just beautiful! It was nice and clear out as I said goodbye to Kana and Hakone. 

Kana spoke English very well and she loved it when I complimented her on her English! She was a wonderful hostess.  The ryokan was a fabulous experience! 

Since the weather was so clear, I had hoped to catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji.  I didn't think I'd see 

Fuji-san while I was in Japan, but on the train back to the station, there it was.  Banzai!! 

Hakone was truly magical and other than the winding roads up and down the mountain, it was definitely one of my favorite cities in Japan I had visited.  

Back to Tokyo I go...

-Mrs. de Leon :)