We were picked up by coach at 8:10am for the Mt. Fuji and Hakone Day Tour. We were taken to a bus station and boarded our bus at 9am. There were about 30 of us onboard and our tour guide was Hiro. Fraser kept saying she was his Hero ha ha.
The drive to the Mt. Fiji Visitors Center was 1-hr & 40-min. It was very small. We watched a short video (Fraser & I had the pleasure of seeing the ass crack of a larger American man who decided wearing a belt was not necessary). There was a cafe, shop, and information about the mountain, the hikes, history, etc.
Hiro rushed us because she wanted to make sure we actually saw the top (at the moment it was covered in clouds). It was a 50-min drive to the top. We kept looking out the window and could only see white. We got to the top and as the bus was parking all the clouds disappeared! Within an instant Mt. Fuji appeared. It was beautiful. Hiro had mentioned the weather can change rapidly and we may be able to see the top if we we're lucky, or not see it at all. We figured she was joking or did not know what she was talking about. Obviously when we got to the top and it cleared, and 20 minutes later it disappeared again we felt stupid for doubting her. Regardless, we were so lucky to have seen it! Fraser and I want to return in a few years and climb Mt. Fuji. You can only climb during summer months and must reserve a spot well ahead of time. At the 5th station (the furthest up the bus was allowed to go) there was a cute village of shops & restaurants, horses to ride, and a path to a waterfall. Unfortunately the waterfall was snow melting= a puddle! Perhaps it gets bigger later when more snow has melted.
We walked back to the bus (avoiding stepping in horse-shit) and drove about 30 minutes to a resort for lunch. The resort was beside a small amusement park which had a few roller-coasters. Apparently the hotel hosts a lot of weddings, conferences, and family vacations. Fraser & I both enjoyed a Japanese lunch (salmon, rice, miso soup, vanilla ice-cream, green tea, and other tiny dishes).
Back on the bus again and off to Hakone. Our first stop was Lake Ashi to catch a ferry to a cable car ride to the top of another mountain. We had time to walk around the gift shop in-front of the ferry before it boarded. Apparently I did not have enough ice-cream yet, because I got an ice-cream sandwich. Fraser did not want one (until he took a bite of mine) and realized it was the best ice-cream sandwich ever! We enjoyed a short ride over the beautiful lake with gorgeous surroundings. It reminded me of Kauai. We had 25 minutes to walk around in a small village with tons of shops before boarding the cable car. It could hold 110 people so it was fairly large. Thankfully I found a 'western' toilet & we walked around the insane arcade.
We boarded the cable car and took a slow ride all the way to the top. We had great views of the surrounding mountains and Mt. Fuji (covered in clouds). We got off the cable car and were covered in clouds/mist. We had 30-45 minutes to walk around. There was a beautiful temple (covered in mist) so 6 of us got brave and hiked through the mist. I'm still surprised we found our way there and back! We hurried back and caught the last car down to the bottom & back on the bus.
Next stop: 1 hour bus ride to the bullet train! Only a 25 minute ride back into central Tokyo. The bullet train was sooooo fast and the inside cabin was very nice.
The drive to the Mt. Fiji Visitors Center was 1-hr & 40-min. It was very small. We watched a short video (Fraser & I had the pleasure of seeing the ass crack of a larger American man who decided wearing a belt was not necessary). There was a cafe, shop, and information about the mountain, the hikes, history, etc.
Hiro rushed us because she wanted to make sure we actually saw the top (at the moment it was covered in clouds). It was a 50-min drive to the top. We kept looking out the window and could only see white. We got to the top and as the bus was parking all the clouds disappeared! Within an instant Mt. Fuji appeared. It was beautiful. Hiro had mentioned the weather can change rapidly and we may be able to see the top if we we're lucky, or not see it at all. We figured she was joking or did not know what she was talking about. Obviously when we got to the top and it cleared, and 20 minutes later it disappeared again we felt stupid for doubting her. Regardless, we were so lucky to have seen it! Fraser and I want to return in a few years and climb Mt. Fuji. You can only climb during summer months and must reserve a spot well ahead of time. At the 5th station (the furthest up the bus was allowed to go) there was a cute village of shops & restaurants, horses to ride, and a path to a waterfall. Unfortunately the waterfall was snow melting= a puddle! Perhaps it gets bigger later when more snow has melted.
We walked back to the bus (avoiding stepping in horse-shit) and drove about 30 minutes to a resort for lunch. The resort was beside a small amusement park which had a few roller-coasters. Apparently the hotel hosts a lot of weddings, conferences, and family vacations. Fraser & I both enjoyed a Japanese lunch (salmon, rice, miso soup, vanilla ice-cream, green tea, and other tiny dishes).
Back on the bus again and off to Hakone. Our first stop was Lake Ashi to catch a ferry to a cable car ride to the top of another mountain. We had time to walk around the gift shop in-front of the ferry before it boarded. Apparently I did not have enough ice-cream yet, because I got an ice-cream sandwich. Fraser did not want one (until he took a bite of mine) and realized it was the best ice-cream sandwich ever! We enjoyed a short ride over the beautiful lake with gorgeous surroundings. It reminded me of Kauai. We had 25 minutes to walk around in a small village with tons of shops before boarding the cable car. It could hold 110 people so it was fairly large. Thankfully I found a 'western' toilet & we walked around the insane arcade.
We boarded the cable car and took a slow ride all the way to the top. We had great views of the surrounding mountains and Mt. Fuji (covered in clouds). We got off the cable car and were covered in clouds/mist. We had 30-45 minutes to walk around. There was a beautiful temple (covered in mist) so 6 of us got brave and hiked through the mist. I'm still surprised we found our way there and back! We hurried back and caught the last car down to the bottom & back on the bus.
Next stop: 1 hour bus ride to the bullet train! Only a 25 minute ride back into central Tokyo. The bullet train was sooooo fast and the inside cabin was very nice.
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