Gora

For two days earlier this week, we visited Gora in the Hakone region of Japan, famed for views of mount Fuji. The trip was relaxing. The hotel we went to was literally empty except for us. It turns out that the tourist attractions in the whole area had been shut down for about a year due to increased local volcanic activity, and were only recently reopened. I'd hoped for a short hike, but the authorities still seem to want to keep everyone more or less together, and all the hiking trails were closed. Also, the volcanic activity had damaged part of spa water collecting apparatus, so the hotel's onsen was short of water and the larger of the two baths was dry. This didn't matter, because there was only us there, and also the main draw of the hotel (for me anyway) was the food...

Dinner is amazing. It looks amazing to start with, everthing tastes amazing, and even though there is loads to start with, they keep bringing more. Japanese food at its best.

Since no hiking was available, the next day we decided to go over the mountain to lake ashinoko, famous in Japanese woodblock prints as a mirror for Mt Fuji.The cablecar that spans the volcanic valley of Owakudani, which was pretty scary the times I've been on it before when the valley is just venting a few wisps, was worse this time because the cables (at least 50 metres about ground level) literally disappeared into billowing clouds of sulpherous steam. So, just that little section of the trip wasn't so relaxing, I guess. 

But the cablecar was equal to the harsh environment, and we headed down the other side of the mountain to lake Ashinoko. We took a boat trip on a Disney-esque pirate ship to the other end of the lake, where Fuji viewing of the highest order is to be had, but Fuji remained shy; hidden behind a massive cloud bank in an otherwise blue sky. Still, it's a nice wee boat ride anyway.

So we grabbed a bite of lunch (not too much, because we needed room for dinner!), and took the cablecar back up the way, and lo! Fuji revealed itself! So we got off the cablecar at Owakudani, to take some pictures and also to eat eggs boiled in the waters the volcano vents, which go black by some chemical process I've yet to discern but which are nevertheless good to eat, and are in fact regarded as especially healthy. Regarded by whom, I hear you ask? Shut up, I'm on holiday :-)

Then back across the valley of doom and down to Gora and the hotel, where dinner extraordinaire awaits again. The next morning, breakfast and then the mountain train back to sea level, and the 'Romance Car' train back to Tokyo.