<![CDATA[

Fujikawaguchiko-machi, Japan

It was a great feeling boarding the express train to Mt Fuji and departing the hustle of Tokyo city. and amusing walking to the station with our front and back backpacks on. We received more looks than the people dressed as cartoon characters. After two hours, we arrived at a tiny little town, Fujikawaguchiko on Lake Kawaguchiko 850m above sea level. It has the same look and feel, and crisp fresh smell as the South Island of NZ or Canada. This was our one night of the 365 that we splashed out and spent 5 nights worth of the accommodation budget. The traditional Japanese Guest house or Ryoken (pronounced: yocan) has the luxury of a 5 star hotel. Who would think that the privilege of sleeping on the floor could be so expensive.Mt Fuji could be seen from our balcony with lake views and from our private hot spring tub. We were welcomed to our room and served tea, on the floor, by a little kimono clad lady. For dinner we were escorted by the little lady to a private dining room. Never in our lives have we eaten a meal like that. The three course meal had about 40 dishes to it, most of which I had no idea what they were but each was beautifully presented. A long way from my ‘old’ staple diet of club sandwich and Hawaiian pizza. From what we did recognise, the sashimi and miso with whole crab were the best we have had.
Following dinner was a foot bath on the roof which psyched us up for the naked hot spring bath. We robed up and memorised the list of instructions. Get this: get completely undressed, put on Japanese dressing gown for walk down, remove, rinse body from tap using wash bowl, use little towel to get to bath edge, enter the indoor/outdoor baths, soak, get out of bath and sit on tiny little stool on ground, use soap to wash ones naked self in public, re enter bath. It was quite an enjoyable and unique experience – strategically timed over dinner time I may add so both female and male baths were free from other bodies.

You can only see Mount Fuji for 76 days a year so we were thankful to have stayed the night to see it first thing in the morning, at least for a full 5 minutes when it was cloudless. Breakfast was equally as unique and interesting as dinner. Many flavours – none of which tasted like our daily Weetbix served in a coffee cup. This experience was the highlight of Japan and definitely worth every Yen. With 1.3 minutes to spare we made it to the train station before our first of 5 trains to Kyoto or 5 hours and 5 episodes of Big Bang Theory.

]]>