Jan 1, 2013

Hakone 箱根

Hakone is a town at Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, were Mount Fuji is located.
On our way to the park, we were able to see Mount Fuji on the highway, through the clouds in an overcast weather.  Once we arrived in the park, we were not able to see it due to weather.

Mount Fuji
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We took a boat ride in Lake Ashi, a.k.a. Hakone Lake.
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The boat took us to the bottom of the Hakone Ropeway.  The first section going up, you can see the town below.
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Midway through the ride, we entered a sea of clouds, and strong winds was rocking the tram.  We can hardly see the tram behind us.
Hakone Ropeway

We stopped at Owakudani Valley, where there were hot springs (yes, with strong sulfur odor).  We ate black egges, which were supposedly cooked in hot spring waters.
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Back down, we had lunch in the old town of Hakone, which is a few hundred years old.
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The metal plates on the street floors had interesting meanings, but I was concentrated on taking good photos that I missed the tour guide's explanation.
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As in any tourist areas, there are many stores that sell souvenirs.
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