Odawara / Hakone / Gora / Lake Ashi - Tuesday 15 October

Today was our scheduled visit to the Hakone area to allow Alison to see some scenic wonders including a closer view of Mt Fuji. We met a former teaching colleague of Alison's, Sachiko, who now teaches at an international school in Tokyo, at Odawara Station. Unfortunately Typhoon Whipa decided to join us for the excursion! Inspite of the weather conditions we purchased our Hakone Passes and headed off to make use of the various modes of transport to get us to Lake Ashi.

First by local train to Hakone-Yumoto, then another smaller local train which uses a switchback line to take passengers up to Gora. The trip involves a series of stops where the conductor and driver swap ends and the train heads off again in the opposite direction. Beautiful green forests along the way (where are the autumn colours?) and much low cloud and drizzling rain. Sachiko last visited this area when she was very young so it was interesting for her as much as it was for us.

This train terminates at Gora and then there is a transfer to the Hakone Tozan Cablecar (a funicular railway) which heads up a very steep mountainside at right angles to the train line. Fairly crowded so Philip and Sachiko stood for the journey. This mode of transport terminates at Sounzan.

Philip and Sachiko on the cable train

Next transportation is on the Hakone Ropeway which is a cableway with suspended gondolas which each hold about 12 passengers.

Alison and Sachiko on the gondola ride

When the clouds were starting to come over

Weather looked better on this gondola so we thought that we should take the opportunity

The journey involves a change of gondola system at Owakudanai where you can smell sulphur and see sulphurous gases emanating from the ground on the mountainside below the ropeway station - that is if the cloud level is not at or below the ropeway station!

P and A in the sulphur fumes and cloud and drizzle at Owakudani

Whilst silently floating through the sky or in today's case the clouds, a commentary is provided pointing out the various scenic highlights, e.g. "to the right passengers will see spectacular views of Mt Fuji and the Japanese Alps." or as the gondola descends towards Lake Ashi - "Passengers will see the sun glinting off beautiful Lake Ashi." In addition the brochures describe the period from September to November as "Silver Grass Season" "with magnificent scenery of fields of silver grass stretching out across the base of Mt Daigatake." Oh that's right someone forgot to tell the climate that this is Autumn and things should be dying off and colouring!

At Togendai-Ko one leaves the gondola ride and heads down to a pier to catch one of the replica sailing / pirate ships which then cruise across Lake Ashi

Our cruise boat

and if you don't wish to disembark, back gain to the starting point. Why disembark when it is raining

Hakone Machi-Ko end of Lake Ashi

and that would not make walking along an ancient 2 km long cedar avenue planted in 1818 during the Edo Period a very pleasant experience!

Red tori gate on Lake Ashi

These swans only come out in summer!

Back at Togendai-Ko we gave the restaurant a quick once over and decided that even though it was now noon that we hold out for food until we returned to the starting point of our journey at Odawara. Into a gondola for the ride up not into but through the clouds and now fairly persistent rain and for some reason we were not allocated a gondola of our own, as had been happening right in front of us, but were "bundled" with a pushy father in a Japanese family of three. As soon as the gondola swung out and was on its way, the father in the group removed his shoes. Alison commented quietly to Sachiko and Philip that someone must have taken off their shoes. Shortly after, Sachiko began translating a conversation coming from the adult daughter of the group telling her father to put on his shoes as the international guests would notice the smell. We (the three of us) all had a good laugh.

At the gondola change station at Owakudani, Alison noticed a picture of an interesting food item available at the cafe. A curried pirate bun which was coloured black with squid ink. Alison insisted on buying one and then the three of us shared it -and surprisingly it was quite delicious.

Pirate curry bun

Sachiko enjoying her third of the bun

Back into a ropeway gondola and down to take the cableway train down the steep slope.

Short wait then at Gora for the little switchback train and so standing on the platform we are joined in the queue by a European woman. Alison looks at her and says "I know you, you're from the Gold Coast" and the woman replies "Alison isn't it?" Turns out to be a couple who at one stage owned the deli outside Woolworths at Runaway Bay! Anne and Warwick then sat with us for the 40 minute journey down  and chatted about their and our adventures in Japan. Unlike us they were flying Jetstar Business Class!

Finally back to Odawara just before 3pm and lunch in a coffee shop with a latte made by a barista not by a push button machine. We farewelled Sachiko and after reserving seats for the next Shinkansen headed down to wait on the platform. At this stage in a short period of time Alison felt the earth move, not once but twice! Philip was not responsible and no there was not an earthquake in addition to the typhoon. In fact the whole incident was caused by not one but two Nozomi Shinkansen passing through the station whilst we sat on the open platform. As these trains make few stops along the way they travel at full speed and come from nowhere and the noise and pressure gust on the open platform is something to experience! Alison is still getting over it. The trains are VERY FAST!

Tonight we have given up on Japanese cuisine and dined on Big Mac meals at the McDonald's store near our hotel entrance. We will sleep in tomorrow morning and see what the weather brings. Reasonably heavy rain is forecast for the day at this stage.

All things being equal and without the impact of climate change this is more of the view that we should have captured today (minus the snow of course!!!). Thanks to the friendly staff of the railway company for providing strategically placed posters which digital cameras can capture when the real things are hiding!