Chris' onsen and mt Fuji

It's our last full day in Japan, and unfortunately Jane has hurt her hip. She decided she wanted to chill out and not do much, so it was up to me to yet again provide content for the blog.

As I write this, I'm on the shinkensen (bullet train), back to Tokyo, but the trip out to Hakone started a little slower... I accidentally got on the local train instead of the super fast bullet train, so a 30 minute journey became nearly 2 hours.

I finally arrived at my station, and got a bus to one of the oldest onsens (hot spring) in Japan...Tenzan.

Thoughts

-   It was the best bathing complex ever. Apart from all the naked guys. Budapest is extravagent, but the temperature, natural surroundings (it's in a forest with natural rocks making most of the pools), and ceremony of it make it better. Apart from the naked guys.

-   Cost Y1300 (£10) to get in, and for something so old and natural, you pay at a vending machine.

-   Your shoes go in a shoe locker. Clothes and bag in another locker. Obviously.

-   There were 8 hot pools, ranging from hot to 'OH MY GOD MY SKIN IS MELTING'. All the water is naturally heated by the volcanic activity below the surface, and it's really nice to sit in natural rock pools which have a babbling hot water source flowing into them.

-   There was one freezing cold pool and I seemed to be the only person who went in it. It may have been a fish pond.

-   There was a sweat cave. It was incredible. No more than a metre high, you walk in hunched over and sit on a mat to sweat with around a dozen other men. Oh, and you cover yourself in rock salt before you go in for dome unknown reason.

-   Most of the pools are natural, some are wooden handmade things, but all look awesome when you see the steam rising off them.

-   After 90 minutes, I was clean and 2kg lighter. (Also faint).

-   When you leave the pools, there is an airlock you step into which has 20 or so hair dryer nozzles that dry your body for you before letting you leave into the changing room.

-   You are supposed to spend time in the relaxation area afterwards, but I was in a rush for the bus.

Onwards I went on a bus to see the Hakone lake and hopefully a nice view of mt Fuji! But having got a sandwich and sat down by the lake, there was just cloud.....

After waiting an hour, it appeared and it's weirdly exactly what a kid ( or I ), would draw as a mountain.

Looked at it for 20 mins. Took a billion photos. Moved 10 minutes down the path. Took more photos. Went up a hill. Took more photos.

Then started to head home (it was 4.15). Got on a packed bus for an hour of standing, then onto the train... Back to see Jane soon, so hopefully she's back to full hip functionality.

Chris

PS. got to go through Tokyo at rush hour... I'll never complain about the tube in London again.