August 7
We get up early to catch the train that will take us to and from there bus to Odawara Hakone, famous tourist destination because of its proximity Mount Fuji, for its hot springs and Lake Ashi.
Two words on Japanese trains: It's time to say the least, it is more appropriate to say that you can set the clock.
Not only on the quay, by land, There are signs that indicate where it will stop the car number X, head or tail, just where the doors will open. This is for all trains, not only the Shinkansen. And the best part is that you really stop there! In short, as in Italy.
The interior is spartan but spacious "between you and the seat in front of you there safely is a suitcase. The controllers in the train just very typical: uniform and white gloves. Not only that: when entering the carriage, bowing. But the great thing is that when they get to the bottom of the carriage, and then you give away, turn around, we re-bow, and if they go. And that every time they enter a coach, we also spent twenty times.
Of Racing, the doors open by themselves, the Star Trek. Well, again, as in Italy, where the doors are open, giving the Tironi with all the force of my wretched Armstrong.
arrive at Odawara, we seek a coin locker to put your bags: it was written that on the website of the buses from there go to Hakone not have room to pack up: there are many, but no one is able to keep our huge luggage. Came a little man, who was also divided and white gloves, which beckons us to follow him and leads us to the last two coin locker sized to fit our needs. Ultimately, again, as in Italy where there are no men, if there are signs to follow and you do it because they want to take you to a secluded spot to snatch, at best, and those few that were coin locker , at least in the stations that I frequent, after September 11 were finally removed for security reasons.
take our bus, but this time the map came from is clear and we had no trouble finding our destination.
L ' hotel was nice and definitely cleaner than the one in Tokyo, especially not to be neglected, since that there was no bathroom, but only on the same floor. It was also equipped with a uniquely Japanese hot spring in it, to be booked for free.
Obviously we did not miss the chance and we immediately booked our half-hour for the evening.
Put down your bags and go out to go to our destination: Lake Ashi. The guide is written that you can take a boat and take a tour of the lake and, once dropped, take the cable car to admire Mount Fuji. Cute, we think, let's do it! I never imagined to find myself in front of a ship like this:
Perhaps the photo does not perform well, but it was a classic pirate ship model Gardaland, pacchianissima XD Of course there had to be inside the busts of buccaneers and pirates in various poses, all of which cling to take pictures. Could we not avoid? Obviously NO XD
;
Once across the lake, we decided to make a break to eat our bento bought at the station, sitting down on a bench. To the kind reader called Tania, whom I greet with her hand, who lack the cultural references giappici, should go here or here to get an idea of what the bento. What
easier said than done: in fact it drew a wind chill that 1) I blew my hair everywhere could do harm, from bento, my mouth, catch on sticks, 2) being cold, had numbed my little hands, cold even in August, inhibiting my movements, and then on the grasping chopsticks.
Small note: We were not the only ones to have lunch enjoying the view of the lake, there were also families, couples and a lone rider. At one point, the rider walked away to fetch a drink leaving helmet, jacket and backpack close to the chain. For us this would be unworkable and incomprehensible. Instead there is the practice: no one touches anything, petty crime is virtually nonexistent. If you, girl, never walk alone down the street, and I mean NEVER, be bothered by idiots who will apostrophe with assorted vulgarity in assorted languages, perhaps making you not quite elegant gestures, or that they turn to look at her butt. At the station there are knots of people obviously suspicious asking you if you have a cigarette or some money because they must buy the ticket and have forgotten his wallet. By metro you do not have to tattoo the bag under his arm for fear of being mugged or pick pockets. Just like in Italy.
back to us, now we had finished the bento when a middle-aged lady, who was eating a couple of more benches in there with his family, comes to us saying: "Mikan, Mikan," we put 2 frozen orange ball in his hand and went away in less than 15 seconds.
My traveling companions are basite not understand what gave us the lady, but my cultural background of anime and manga I can help ^ ^ 0 are mandarins (in Japanese mikan) frozen peeled. In Japan, fruit and vegetables cost a lot: I have seen individual fish for sale at € 5, then the lady we had done a really regalone. Indeed, the mandarins are frozen in many supermarkets, a bit 'as we asparagus.
The problem was eating, not only were frozen, and then you could not divide them into segments unless you have a chisel, but, not having the skin, as they melted, there impataccavano hands and clothes. In addition, it was so cold Executioner, then eat them was really an XD
Finished chip incisors with mandarin frozen, we headed to the cable car. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful but there was one little problem: time. Not only was cold, but on Mount Fuji hardly ever shines the sun, but there is always fog! But how, again? I was thinking of leaving it in the Po valley, and find me here too!?!?
In addition, being a volcano, there were several sulfur mines that, with their smoke does not help the vision of the landscape. Explicit Photos:
; At the top, or beginning to climb the mountain on foot, or going back. Obviously, given the hour, the weather and our lack of equipment, we go back, always with the cable car, we took the Pacchin ship and we returned to the village.
Here we stopped at a supermarket to buy dinner, so the usual bento, but not all. Sabina wanted to munch on something, then chips.
Easier said than done: there are the fries, but they have strange tastes ... for example there is the seaweed, with bits of seaweed in the chips. The only bag that appeared normal had a nice cow pictured on the package style manga. What a cute, we thought, will be the brand's logo, it is impossible to make the fries taste of beef, we were wrong ... XD I do not know if they were truly flavored with beef, but had a faint taste of nut soup was extremely salty ... as a crunchy nut made into thin slices, never tasted crisps most disgusting, perhaps only the vinegar made in England compare XD
Pondering whether or not the taste buds in the Japanese population, we return to the hotel, where the magnificence on the futon and wait for our turn to spas.
Obviously, being in Japan, before you wash out the tub and then enter the same. The water came directly from the source and do not know which was slightly sulfur and had a rather high temperature. The pool was very deep, from my back seat did not come out of the water. Soooooo relaxing, but also exhausting. After 25 minutes we had to leave, began circled his head.
back room, we looked a bit 'of TV and then sleep.
August 8
We planned to spend the morning at a spa where you could do in the bathroom in red wine, spaghetti and even in the XD
Unfortunately, it turned around, as my traveling companions were ailing due to female problems.
So, given good weather, we tried again to see if Mount Fuji was more willing to show. NO.
good weather, in fact from the cable car we were able to see the lake by boat in the distance
; but in the middle of cable car the fog returned. Fortuna infamous!
This time we used to get a rack railway that passed through breaches made in the mountain just to get through a wire, surrounded by huge trees hydrangeas. A wonder!
arrive, take the bus that will take us to the train station where, retrieved their luggage, take the train that brings us to our next destination: Kyoto.
The journey was long and we spent the afternoon train. Not only that this time finding the hotel was more difficult than expected, given that Kyoto is located in the hottest region of all Japan: We arrived at 18:30 at night but there were 40 degrees and a humidity of 120%. There is normal that the temperature is like the one we had in the summer of 2003. Not to mention that Kyoto is infested with mosquitoes in comparison with which the mosquitoes are lambs: they make you very hard that the bumps are gone after only one month O__O
We wandered nearly 40 minutes, with suitcases below and chased by mosquitoes before get here
really cute hotel with private bathroom and clean, even the common rooms! Also in the living room were scattered guides, newspapers in English and Japanese, suggested itineraries, festivals and feasts months in the city, metro and bus timetables and even a table with the weather. It was even available wi-fi access for those who had a computer at all! Really organized.
now it was night, so we just take a ride to Kyoto Station: one of the wonders of modern architecture. Designed by Japanese architect Hiroshi Hara is the highest expression of the pioneering theories of the latter, he wrote of future cities made of interconnected skyscrapers. Indeed, the construction is very high, with squares on each floor, with shops, gardens, shopping malls and there are suspension bridges, on which it is liable to pass between the structures. To get an idea you should insert the words "Kyoto Station" on google images and do a little research. The words do not make it at all.
In one of these squares we met three girls holding the dollfies dolls, which by chance had seen pictures on the net. Now, it seems that these dolls Where's My Car, highly articulated, highly customizable, all heights, color of skin, eyes and hair (small guide here ) and extremely expensive (eg here) are the latest trend in terms of fashon accessories. But the girls (note: girls, not girls) are not limited a dressing, etc ... there are also photos for picture stories that then bring on line. Do not believe us? Example
And here I was also lucky to find this site: Most of those I found only allow entry to members. It sounds like a sect
XD Maybe because this site is free access, the dolls are not so nice, neat and equipped like the ones I've seen around, but just to get an idea I would say that is ok.
However, after seeing this glimpse of Japanese life as a teenager, we went back to the hotel and went to sleep.
