Freezing cold Hakone
shit.. it was damn f***ing cold in Hakone. think the temperature is less than 5 degrees celsius. freezing freezing especially when night falls. it doesnt help much either when its rains upon reaching the place after a close to 2hr train ride, this time my butts hurts more than my legs. ouch!!
Hakone is the place where one suppose to go see the majestic mt fuji. but for me i did not even bother to check it out, thinking that since i had only a day or less (i dont wish to spend extra $$ for a nite stay in hakone though i had a 2 day freepass, moreover it was dead boring after 7pm) and the weather seems bad with clouds and mist. it was bad enough when i decided not to bring my umbrella after looking at the wonderful forecast. so anyone who wish to look at mt fuji, there is another alternative, can go to this webbie to look at the live shot of the fuji-san, http://www.fujiyama-museum.com/eng/fujiyama/
(are singaporean so easily identified? when i step into the train bound for Hakone-Yumuyo, i immediately knew that the 2 ladies, standing apart from each other, are singaporean. another case is when i queue up to buy my 2 day freepass, this group of 4, with 3 guys and a lady, knew from a look they are singaporean. all before the speak up. hmmm.. wondering do i look so at first look??? however, at the Hakone-Yumuto station, 2 jap girls speaking in japanese approached me in japanese to ask me to help them take photo, fortunately i understood what they mean with my beginner's japanese. hahaha.. maybe i cn blend in, at least nt so obvious? X_X)
therefore, instead i went to go sight-seeing, with my first stop been the Kitahara Toy Museum. The hike up the slope to the museum wasnt welcoming, considering it was a very steep and the ground was slippery from the rain. *pant pant. never knew just going to see the museum was so difficult. anyway was pretty excited to take a look at them with collection that was way back to the 1920s. so cool. after i had left the place. went out and realise that there was actually a shuttle bus. oh god, how stupid i can get.
next up, i decided to go to the hakone checkpoint museum after checking the time, it is late and they closes at 4.30pm. took the bus and the train. finally reaching the place and of course drop off at the place somewhere nearby and had to hike all the way there while at same time marvel in the great scenery and of course the cedar tree avenue where all the people in the past have to walk through despit the weather. the preserved area was 2km long and wasnt an easy walk through with all the stone paved area. it was hard but great experience. the place really breaks the wind. what an ingenious idea by the shogunate at that time to build this to help his people sheltered from the weather.
after which i went to the museum and check out how the people around stays there. then tried to head out to see the mt fuji thinking i may still stand a chance since the time was like close to 5pm, sun was suppose to set at 5.30pm. however with the long ride up the mountainous area, time was not on my side. and not to mention i was caught waiting for the train in the freaking cold weather, not very nice experience when u started to tremble. didnt realised that the sun sets down real quick in japan, before you knew it, the day was dark and pretty much the shop near the area were all close. therfore, i started to head back to shinjunku and then back to my ryokan. and not to forget i was stuck at the shouzan station, with nothing to do and feeling cold for about 20 mins. the time seems to pass by real slowly at that point.
the weather was so cold that day especially the night plus the wind blowing that how i wish i could get into an indoor place with the heater.
therefore a late dinner at Yoshinoya (it is 24hrs) near my ryokan was welcoming. not to mention the bath plus onsen. ahhhh. what a wonderful life.
Hakone is the place where one suppose to go see the majestic mt fuji. but for me i did not even bother to check it out, thinking that since i had only a day or less (i dont wish to spend extra $$ for a nite stay in hakone though i had a 2 day freepass, moreover it was dead boring after 7pm) and the weather seems bad with clouds and mist. it was bad enough when i decided not to bring my umbrella after looking at the wonderful forecast. so anyone who wish to look at mt fuji, there is another alternative, can go to this webbie to look at the live shot of the fuji-san, http://www.fujiyama-museum.com/eng/fujiyama/
(are singaporean so easily identified? when i step into the train bound for Hakone-Yumuyo, i immediately knew that the 2 ladies, standing apart from each other, are singaporean. another case is when i queue up to buy my 2 day freepass, this group of 4, with 3 guys and a lady, knew from a look they are singaporean. all before the speak up. hmmm.. wondering do i look so at first look??? however, at the Hakone-Yumuto station, 2 jap girls speaking in japanese approached me in japanese to ask me to help them take photo, fortunately i understood what they mean with my beginner's japanese. hahaha.. maybe i cn blend in, at least nt so obvious? X_X)
therefore, instead i went to go sight-seeing, with my first stop been the Kitahara Toy Museum. The hike up the slope to the museum wasnt welcoming, considering it was a very steep and the ground was slippery from the rain. *pant pant. never knew just going to see the museum was so difficult. anyway was pretty excited to take a look at them with collection that was way back to the 1920s. so cool. after i had left the place. went out and realise that there was actually a shuttle bus. oh god, how stupid i can get.
next up, i decided to go to the hakone checkpoint museum after checking the time, it is late and they closes at 4.30pm. took the bus and the train. finally reaching the place and of course drop off at the place somewhere nearby and had to hike all the way there while at same time marvel in the great scenery and of course the cedar tree avenue where all the people in the past have to walk through despit the weather. the preserved area was 2km long and wasnt an easy walk through with all the stone paved area. it was hard but great experience. the place really breaks the wind. what an ingenious idea by the shogunate at that time to build this to help his people sheltered from the weather.
after which i went to the museum and check out how the people around stays there. then tried to head out to see the mt fuji thinking i may still stand a chance since the time was like close to 5pm, sun was suppose to set at 5.30pm. however with the long ride up the mountainous area, time was not on my side. and not to mention i was caught waiting for the train in the freaking cold weather, not very nice experience when u started to tremble. didnt realised that the sun sets down real quick in japan, before you knew it, the day was dark and pretty much the shop near the area were all close. therfore, i started to head back to shinjunku and then back to my ryokan. and not to forget i was stuck at the shouzan station, with nothing to do and feeling cold for about 20 mins. the time seems to pass by real slowly at that point.
the weather was so cold that day especially the night plus the wind blowing that how i wish i could get into an indoor place with the heater.
therefore a late dinner at Yoshinoya (it is 24hrs) near my ryokan was welcoming. not to mention the bath plus onsen. ahhhh. what a wonderful life.