From Fujikawaguchiko to Hakone.
This was just a travel day, although a long one, and the most uncertain one yet. Meaning, it was not clear to me just how to get to our ryokan in Hakone, and that turned out to be the case. We made it fine, though.
Laurence woke up not feeling so well, as was the case yesterday, and still considering an early return to Toronto. Also like yesterday, once up he starts to feel better, but still not well. Pain in his shoulder and both thighs, and very easily fatigued, needing to walk slowly and take regular breaks. I’ve added some of heavier stuff to my backpack, which is now very full, to lighten his, which helps.
We took an early morning walk near the hotel, with views of towering and snow capped Mount Fuji everywhere you look. The ryokan, in Fujikawaguchiko, is maybe 1- 1 ½ miles from Kawaguchico Station, in a very nice rural residential area, which we enjoyed walking through, with a view of Mount Fuji around every corner it seems.
As we walked, we said hello to the locals. It is certain that the culture here is very polite, and although not everyone initiates a hello, they respond warmly and in a friendly and genuine way in replying. Very nice.
We left Fuyo Sankyo Enka, our ryokan, around 1O to get to Kawaguchico Station where we catch a bus en route to Hakone, where we spend tonight. We really liked our ryokan here in Fujikawaguchiko, and would definitely stay here again. Its communal onsen and bathing area was also very nice. Nothing like our low rent flop house ryokan in Tokyo, although that was a great location and served us well.
The station was very busy, and a major hub for this tourist/resort area, especially now, in cherry blossom season. But it’s well organized with two English speaking helpers at the station to help people like us get train and bus tickets. I knew the first half of our journey would be straightforward, catching a bus to Gotemba, but after that it was confusing and uncertain, and I haven’t been able figure out clear and certain directions, either to where we need to be in Hakone or exactly where the small hotel/ryokan is. Like I said, that turned out to be the case, and our afternoon was taken up with figuring out how to get there.
We put our packs into storage lockers and got tickets for the noon bus and then had some time, so walked to nearby Lake Kawaguchico. Now I sort of know my way around, in hindsight I would have planned this differently, either staying here for two days and skipping Hakone, or skipping Fujikawaguchiko and staying in Hakone. Who knew? As it is, we really didn’t get much more than just enjoying the views and feel for both Fujikawaguchiko and, later today, Hakone, both beautiful areas, both with views of Mount Fuji, and both with lakes surrounded by mountains.
Interestingly, of the surrounding mountains only Mount Fuji is snow capped, and that’s because it is is considerably higher than the other mountains, and is a conical shaped stratovolcano that stands alone, not surrounded by other mountains. It’s height and separation from other mountains create its own weather conditions, leading to there round snow and ice approaching its summit, unlike all the other mountains, which are green and lush.
We walked along the shoreline of Lake Kawaguchico, but didn’t have too much time. Laurence took a break and I walked a little further along the shore, in Oishi Park, where there were some excellent shots of Mount Fuji, rejoined Laurence, and not wanting to risk misting our bus headed back to the station.
Off we went. About an hour journey, our bus took us through Gotemba Station, where I suspected we needed to catch our next bus, but we got off instead at Gotemba Premium Outlets, a veritable village of stores like The Gap, Abercrombie and Fitch, Prada, and you name it. It was actually quite nice. Here, my online directions and directions I’d gotten back at Kawaguchico Station assured me we could catch the correct bus to where we needed to go in Hakone. I thought that might be wrong. It was.
Happily, there was a tourist information center there and we learned I’m the bus we need, of the many routes padding though Hakone (which is not a large place) leave from Gotemba Station, which I had suspected. So, back to Gotemba Station we went, on the free shuttle, just a 15 minute ride.
Once there, we found another really helpful tourist information center, and learned which bus to take. We needed the route W bus going, and the first bus that came along seemed yo be the correct one based on its destination marker, but said route V. Si, we skipped it, and started to board the route W bus that was immediately behind it. It turned out that first bus, marked route V, was indeed the right bus, just as it was pulling away. The route V sign in the window simply must have been mis-labeled from an earlier run. Oh well.
Now we were sitting waiting for the next route V bus, in a pretty empty bus area, unlike the January packed Kawaguchico Station, and after a while the tourist information center person cans out to ask what happened as she saw us still there. She showed us the bus schedule and assured us it was the route W bus, and showed us on the schedule where our destination bus stop was, and was both lovely and really helpful. The next bus was an hour away.
It was a long hour, and we drank banana milkshakes while we waited in a small coffee shop by the bus stops. Every time a route W bus came along, I asked the driver if this was the one (we never saw a route V bus again), and each time they said next bus, as I guess they are the correct route but perhaps heading the other direction. Finally, a little late, the right route W bus came along, and on we got.
The ride was maybe 3O minutes, up the mountain along winding beautiful lush and densely pack wooded roads and I was able to track our progress on the bus timetable as the bus stops were numbered and I could see we needed stop 258. And then we were there, and our bus driver also let me know this was our stop.
I had expected (thanks to repeatedly incorrect online directions) a large stop at a local hotel, from where directions to our nearby ryokan could be had, or en a taxi if need be, but this was just a lovely rural stop along the road. Now where? It turned out this part of one of set of directions I got was actually correct, which said it was 3-minute walk to the hotel… but in which direction?
There was someone working near the bus stop and I asked him, and although we couldn’t easily communicate, although he didn’t know, friendly and helpful like everyone we’ve met, he told me to wait and rushed off to get some help. Meantime, although Apple Maps had no clue where the Ryokan was, Google Maps hit it right. It was a four minute walk. Then, our friend reappeared with two other guys, also smiling and helpful, and one of them figured out where we needed to go – although by now, Google Maps had it just right – and walked us there. Laurence had to lag behind a little, especially as it was slightly uphill, but that was fine, and I went back for him once we found the place, which was just a few minutes down the road, and really in the middle of nowhere, in very serene and beautiful forested surroundings, with a view of Mount Fuji, although now cloud covered. I thanked our friend for his kindness and help, which I really meant, and in we went to another lovely ryokan, Cho-ju Yu Hakone Sou. More language difficulties, but they’re used to foreign hikers there so had communication figured out, and one of the staff could speak some limited English.
Not only was the ryokan another lovely place, but so was our room, in really beautiful surroundings, with a small ante room overlooking the forest. Beautiful. Another lucky find for us.
With a combination of Google translate and his limited English, our host showed me exactly how to get to Odawara station tomorrow, from where we catch the bullet train to Kyoto at 10 am. Again, unlike the faulty online instructions (although in fairness, this is somewhat of an out-of-the-way place)that said we needed to take a bus and train, in reality we can catch a bus directly to Odawara Station from right opposite where we got off the bus today. It’s just a one hour journey, so that should be pretty straightforward tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed tightly. Our host showed me the bus schedule, which was pretty clear, so I’m pretty sure we’re good. And he walked me to the bus stop to make sure I knew which direction to go in. Lovely people.
Our ryokan host also showed us our eating choices in nearby Moto-Hakone, or at least the main road that runs along Lake Ashi. Hakone is actually a large mountainous region made of several areas that are spread out, hence all the different Hakone bus routes. But, although close to the ryokan, it’s a 30-minute walk along the rural road, and soon getting dark, and Laurence not wanting to take that walk at this point. He’d done well all day, and despite our difficulties in getting here, it was a pretty easy travel day. Still, he was pretty fatigued, and you could see it.
Instead, two local restaurants offer a ride service, and will come and pick us up and return us after we eat, so we picked one. Our host called them, and they came and got us. It was a little earlier than we wanted to eat, but they were full after 6, so it was now or never, but it worked out really well actually.
The ride was only about five or six minutes, to a nice little restaurant, and part of the deal with the ride service was each one of us had to order at least one drink, and neither one of us drinks, although Laurence does once in a while. But we both ordered Asahi beers, and I actually drank most of mine. I haven’t drunk a beer in, I don’t know, 2O years?
We ate, probably the most expensive meal to date at $18 each, including the beer, after which dusk was falling, and I took a walk around town and along the Lake Ashi, which is a crater lake. Again, knowing what I know now, we would’ve either stayed here for two days to enjoy the area, or vice versa in Fujikawaguchiko. Still, I’m really glad we’ve come to both places, as I’m always interested in seeing the larger lay of the land.
Laurence was pretty much bushed by the time we got back to the ryokan, and although I didn’t feel tired, as I was reading the news I found myself starting to fall asleep, and fell asleep not much longer after Laurence, probably around 8:30 or 9, I guess. Just like last night, I slept solidly, but only until about 2:30, after which I was pretty much up for the rest of the night, but felt fine.
Tomorrow, we go to Odawara Station, and catch the bullet train (Shinkansen) to Kyoto, traveling at around 2O0 miles per hour. Yowza!