Japan Pilgrimage I Day 5 - Guest Blogged by 浪迹天涯小狗

Taking in the sunset of Lake Ashi with my little eyes.

The whole bunch of us woke up very early (6.30 am)and walked all the way to Metropolitian Hotel for the pickup bus. Destination: Mt Fuji.


Early morning street of Ikebukkuro

The pickup bus dropped us off at the bus terminal, where we have to check in to board the tour bus. It's a very long journey to reach Mt Fuji 1st station. And its FREAKING COLD ALREADY!!


Mt Fuji Visitor Center (aka 1st Station)

There's some tourist introduction on Mt Fuji, some rock displays, video clips, and a small souvenir store. Nothing very fascinating cos most of the displays are in Japanese.

Proceeded on to 5th station, which is the highest point tour bus can go. Any higher would have to be trekked, and only during July and August.

At the 5th station, there's a few shops and restaurants, basically earning foreign money.


Shrine at the 5th station


Mistress wrote a wish up there. (Still got one part haven fulfilled yet..)


SGD 6 grilled corn (500 Yen). Scarcity power. N it isnt that nice to worth SGD 6.

On our way down the mountain to some hotel for lunch, the tour guide got very excited as she claim that she saw Mt Fuji and "proved" to us that the tour WILL show you Mt Fuji.


Mt Fuji. I think. As per the tour guide.


Another shot.

Well, isnt Mt Fuji supposed to have snow at the tip? This looks like any other mountain.

We reached Hotel Resort for lunch.


Our pathetic lunch. Totally not nice. Can get better ones at that price.

I mean, its 2000 Yen. (Difference btwn the tour package with and without lunch, 13,000 Yen and 15,000 Yen). We were expecting something better.

After lunch, we made our way to the cable car station for a ride down to Lake Ashi. The original cable car station had closed operations for that day due to strong winds, so the tour guide was trying to reassure us that we would still get our cable car ride. Ermm, I don't think most of us are pretty worried abt that.. Mistress was already not placing much hopes on this tour. Anyway we went to another cable car station which was still in operations bcos it was facing another direction.


Along the way to cable car station.


Woahh.. 白茅樂園.. imitation.

These are not lalangs. They just look like lalangs. Mistress took a macro shot of the plant in a Kyoto garden, a few more days down the road.


Taking a picture with the geysers. Its freaking cold.. Brr.. And the winds are strong. And its a long fall to ground, thus the safety fingers to protect me. This is outside the cable car station. We had to climb a rather long flight of stairs to get to the station, and this is the top of the flight of stairs.


View of Lake Ashi from the cable car.


Another shot.


姥子的纜車站


Nice sky


Modified to look like old time battle ships. I wanna sit in that!!

We had some time to spend around the jetty before the cruise sets off which we spent near the shoreline, capturing the setting sun, the mountains, and the water.

Sunset pics galore~ (Mistress playing with the manual settings on her FZ5)




The sun was very glaring actually.




Can see me?

While boarding the cruise, the tour guide spotted "Mt Fuji" again. N got very excited AGAIN..


Very faint Mt Fuji. As claimed once again by the tour guide. (Optical zoom)


Zoom Zoom (48x on digital)

It was a 700 seater cruise ride crossing Lake Ashi. The cold wind from the movement of the ship penetrated whatever thick clothings we had. Mistress had on a converse jacket + her "thermoflask" and is still very cold. But although cold, we spent most of the ride at the deck, taking loads of pictures.


View of the shore town from the lake.


Lastly a beautiful sunset photo.

After the cruise, the bus took us back to Odawara station, where we left on our own bcos we did not want to run for the next train which is leaving in like 5 min. Anyway we know our way back so it isnt a problem.

The tour was bad. Never take Sunrise tours. Not worth it, and they jam-packed the schedule, taking the relaxation out of it. So from the start, you just keep chionging until the tour guide finishes her itinerary, then she'll relax.

What for.. no fun. No more tours for Mistress. She hates chionging. N she's without any time revealing devices..

The 15,000 Yen (close to SGD 200) is NOT WORTH. But its hard to drive along the narrow and without safety barricade mountain roads. The turnings are freaking sharp and visibility is very low at times. Try some other tours. Probably better. Or those small tours like the one we took at Alishan. That is much much better compared to this.

And the tour guide is really lucky that the fog cleared for a moment for Mt Fuji. If that is really Mt Fuji. If not, there goes the objective of the tour.

Still thou.. no more big company tours for Mistress.

Japan Pilgrimage I Day 6