Hakone, one of our favorites and our final day

We headed just south of Tokyo for our final day in Japan to a lovely mountain town called Hakone. We took a slew of trains and made it to our ryokan, Ichinoyu  Honkan with our own private outdoor onsen by the river. This ryokan was built in 1630 and is one of the oldest spa ryokans in Hakone. Interesting, it has been famously featured in wood block prints. 

After finding our final atm and realizing that everything closes at 5pm- we sat down for our last multi-course Japanese ryokan meal which was delicious as usual. We relaxed in the private onsen with some Japanese beers and fell asleep promptly in our futon heaven. This morning, we awoke early, and ventured further up the mountain to the rope way which takes you right by the majestic Fujisan (Mt. Fuji). As our rope way car crested the mountain and Fuji came into view, a loud cheer came from our international group. It was definitely worth the elation, it was a long journey to get here and it is a sight to behold. 

My pictures don't do it justice, I will post Adam's once he processes them. 

Then we made it up to Owakudani with its sulphur thermal features in the mountain and the location for the famous boiled black eggs. 

In the freezing cold, we posed with the mountain. 

And next to "my little kitty" as a black boiled egg. 

Travel mishaps; lost in translation

So every trip is bound to have it's glitches, and we experienced one of ours yesterday when attempting to get to the Kumano river for our traditional boat tour. We stood at the right bus stop, at the right time, and when the bus pulled up, we asked the driver- "going to Hitari"? He nodded yes, pointed to the ticket machine (so he can determine how much to charge us) and we innocently sat down. 23 minutes later Adam says, why aren't we in Hitari? I ask the bus driver this same question and he looks at me and shakes his head no- and streams of Japanese pour from his mouth. In 95% Japanese and 5% English- both he and a female passenger helped us off the bus in the middle of nowhere, after we had to pay about 1200 yen, (about $10) and explained in 1 hour another bus will come to take us in the direction we want to go. Although, of course, our traditional boat tour had left its shores by now and other than giving the bus driver angry looks,  there was nothing else we could do but wait. 

Eventually we got to Shingu and then to Nachi and hiked our way to the Nachi shrine and waterfall. We climbed many more steps, passed the impressive Meitosugi, husband and wife cedar trees whose roots are entwined beneath the path. 

We made the rest of our buses that day and found our way to Kii-Katsuura and of course, had some black sesame ice cream as a treat for a long day. 

We took the ferry to hotel Nakanishima, a huge ryokan hotel located on its own island. 

We got situated in our rooms, which were plenty and was taught how to appropriately tie our obi's (sashes for kimono) and headed down for dinner. All being said, I think we've had our full of extravagant meals. 

Our leftovers are many, much to our chagrin. 

We slept well, awoke, had a buffet breakfast (thank the gods) and took the ferry back to the JR line which we are on currently heading to the last stop of the trip, Hakone. 

Yunomine onsen; boiling eggs in the river

Arriving in Yunomine onsen, we came across more hot springs, although those hot enough to cook in. 

We ventured to the edge of the village to our ryokan on the hill. We got the tour, saw our room and immediately headed to the private onsen to relax and clean off. 

We were served dinner in our room and again was amazed by the beauty, presentation and amount of food before us. 

Our sunset from the room that night. 

Trekking the Kumano kodo

The Kumano kodo is a pilgrimage route in the eastern most part of the main island of Japan, Honshu. On March 20th we took a harrowing taxi ride on the switch backs of the Kii mountain range to our guesthouse in the Kumano Kodo region. We stayed at the minshuku omuraya in a town called kawayu onsen. There was a river right out our window with hot springs tucked in on the riverbed which we slipped into after dinner. The dinner was unbelievable with self grilling meat and fish options. 

People returning from the hot springs in their kimono. 

The next morning we caught an early bus and started hiking from Hosshinmon-oji to the pilgrimage site, Kumano Hongu Taisha grand shrine. 

We made it to the shrine, walked by the largest Torii gate in Japan. 

We sat down by the river to eat our lunch given to us by the Minshuku (guesthouse) that morning. But the circling hawks were very interested in our grub and kept swooping down with their large, sharp beaks, and ominous cries of hunger, scaring us into abandoning our bento boxes for safer ground. 

From there we climbed Mount Dainichi which was ardous and breathtaking, (when I could take a breath). 

We came across the Tsukimigaoka-jinja, a shrine tucked in a grove of ancient trees. 

And finally made it to our destination after hiking 7+miles that day. 

Out of the city, up to the mountains

Our nature/trekking part of our vacation has started. We left a rainy Kyoto and headed south towards Osaka. Took 5 trains, a cable car and a bus to our Ryokan, a Buddhist monastery in Koyasan (Mt. Koya). 

The monastery was one our favorite places in Japan, so quiet, comfortable and some of the best sleeping and meals of our trip (maybe our life)... 

The hot springs onsen in the ryokan.

The rain was still falling but we decided to  head to the famous cemetery, Okunoin. This was a great decision, we were basically alone, the mist had settled in and we had a magical, mysterious walk up to the masoleum of the famous monk, Kūkai who started the Kōyasan Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism in 819. 

Our lovely breakfast and morning in Koyasan.