This isn't a new trip, but our trip to Japan in 2015 mainly consisted of exploring in and around Tokyo, as it was all of our first time in the country, and there was lots of do in the city. As I was responsible for part of Hong Kong and Seoul, this leg of the trip was planned mostly by my travel buddies, but my one request was that we visit Mount Fuji.
Originally being extremely overambitious, we flitted the idea of climbing it before deciding we were horribly under-prepared, equipment, time, and fitness-wise. A wise choice that would later be confirmed.
An early morning bus took us from Tokyo Station to Kawaguchiko Station. As we drove out of the bustling city into the countryside, our view slowly changed from lush forests to mountainous ones, and finally, the tip of Mt. Fuji peeked out above the treetops. I hadn't seen such a grand mountain in years, and I took a video in which I kept gasping at the beautiful sight of it.
It was coincidentally the end of the Shibazakura Festival, and the bright pink moss amid the backdrop of Mt. Fuji were plastered on photos all around the station. It was a lot sparser in reality, as it was almost the end of the season, but it was beautiful nonetheless.
There was a viewing platform to get a better view of the surrounding area, and we dodged cameras and other tourists to take photos of our Mt. Fuji-themed drinks amid the backdrop of said mountain. Mt. Fuji-themed foods would continue to make an appearance throughout the day, as the lure of the mountain made our (read: Dan and I) wallets open.
We didn't plan ahead, so we were left to eat expensive festival-themed food featuring sakura. We all got the sakura soft serve, and Ranee and I opted for an egg biscuit with different meats, while Dan got taiyaki, all stuffed with sakura paste.
We left the festival and made our way over to Kachi-kachi Yama Ropeway, passing some shrines on the way. The path we took along the road was so beautiful, and we stopped by the lake to watch people goofing around by the water. I don't know why I took such few photos back then, but many of my favourite memories went uncaptured.
A funny aside; we were unsure of what to do with the water, and an unnamed someone said we should drink it... so we did. Only to later find out it is for washing hands. Please research before you travel...
At the top of Mt. Tenjo, the grandness of Mt. Fuji was clearer, despite a fine haze that now surrounded the mountain.
More Mt. Fuji-themed treats, a weird folktale, and countless pictures later, we decided to take the hiking trail down for fun (we had bought round-trip tickets), and the last few years of undergrad inactivity caught up with us. Going down and then subsequently going back up winded us, and we were all sweating and thirsty when we got back to the viewing platform.What would have become of us if we actually endeavoured to climb the mountain that day?
These were also the days in which I didn't drink or carry water, but a too-sweet peach drink later, we headed back to Kawaguchiko Station.
The trouble of travelling in threes is that most things are made for pairs, but I was lucky to get a solo seat for the trip back.
Back in our part of town, we wandered about in search of dinner, and found a local restaurant clearly not aimed at foreigners. In fact, our entire area was not tourist-friendly, but it was one of my favourite parts of our trip, which will be touched upon in the near future. The waiter who seated us called for another waiter who evidently knew English, and bless his heart, he tried his best, and lots of hand motions later, we ordered some food, not exactly sure of what to expect.
We got what we thought was okonomiyaki (お好み焼き), but as we waited for it to cook through, our waiter came by to inform us that we could scrape it up and eat it, despite its gooey appearance. We later discovered it was in fact monjayaki (もんじゃ焼き), a lesser known variation that was delicious. A great ending to a great day.
At the top of Mt. Tenjo, the grandness of Mt. Fuji was clearer, despite a fine haze that now surrounded the mountain.
More Mt. Fuji-themed treats, a weird folktale, and countless pictures later, we decided to take the hiking trail down for fun (we had bought round-trip tickets), and the last few years of undergrad inactivity caught up with us. Going down and then subsequently going back up winded us, and we were all sweating and thirsty when we got back to the viewing platform.What would have become of us if we actually endeavoured to climb the mountain that day?
These were also the days in which I didn't drink or carry water, but a too-sweet peach drink later, we headed back to Kawaguchiko Station.
The trouble of travelling in threes is that most things are made for pairs, but I was lucky to get a solo seat for the trip back.
Back in our part of town, we wandered about in search of dinner, and found a local restaurant clearly not aimed at foreigners. In fact, our entire area was not tourist-friendly, but it was one of my favourite parts of our trip, which will be touched upon in the near future. The waiter who seated us called for another waiter who evidently knew English, and bless his heart, he tried his best, and lots of hand motions later, we ordered some food, not exactly sure of what to expect.
We got what we thought was okonomiyaki (お好み焼き), but as we waited for it to cook through, our waiter came by to inform us that we could scrape it up and eat it, despite its gooey appearance. We later discovered it was in fact monjayaki (もんじゃ焼き), a lesser known variation that was delicious. A great ending to a great day.
No comments:
Post a Comment