Leaving Hakone
Dinner last night was delicious and not overly adventurous, although I did eat a lot of things I don’t normally (like beef.)
The restaurant uses (of course!) all local ingredients and bases the recipes on the history of the Tokaido road, which is the path between Tokyo and Kyoto.
I woke up at 4:45 am but I really don’t mind. It gets dark earlier here and I want to savor the day. I knew that watching the sunrise would be glorious from this spot.
A few people have asked about the onsen / baths. It’s a big part of Japanese culture and of course I couldn’t take pictures in the public ones. Those have individual shower stations and then 3 or 4 large hot tubs, usually at least one outside or in the fresh air. In my Tokyo hotel it was on the roof. This hotel has a beautiful public onsen in the basement, and the outside tub is surrounded by trees and birdsong. But in addition, each room has a cedar tub on the balcony with perfectly heated spring water. I think I’ve had 4 baths in 12 hours 😆.
I will be sad to leave this cozy hotel, where everything is “just so” and perfectly placed. They give you pajamas (more like cotton sweats) with your room and encourage you to wear them everywhere. It’s been a lovely treat. I’m going to head out and try to fit some sightseeing in before my train to Kyoto this afternoon.
