Yay! Photo dump time!
Okay, so I’ve gotten pretty exhausted from blogging about Japan, mostly because I keep thinking of all the other things I still want to do. Also, maybe because for this post, I only have a bunch of pictures of fog over a lake (still pretty of course), instead of something like this:
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| Photo from http://www.luciedebelkova.com/Travel/Asia/Japan/i-JDqMF2b |
WTF. Why fog whyyyyy?
So, anyway. We came, we did not see, and we definitely did NOT conquer, Mt. Fuji. We should have been able to see it from Lake Kawaguchiko, but it was too foggy. But here’s what I have anyway.
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| On the bus ride over |
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| On the bus ride over |
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| On the bus ride over |
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| Lake Kawaguchiko |
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| Lake Kawaguchiko |
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| Lake Kawaguchiko |
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| Lake Kawaguchiko |
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| Lake Kawaguchiko |
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| Lake Kawaguchiko |
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| Pretty sure Mt. Fuji was hidden behind all that fog/clouds |
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| Lake Kawaguchiko |
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| Lake Kawaguchiko |
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| Lake Kawaguchiko |
Lunch was verrry simple fare, almost Korean-style with all the side dishes on tiny plates. We were brought to a pretty touristy spot by the lake where we were served food on the second floor and had to go through a gift shop to exit on the first floor.
This fish was probably my favorite dish, despite the fact that it looks completely unappetizing. I believe I had it twice in Japan, and it tasted like it was marinated in some sort of sweet soy marinade.
One of the side dishes was fried chicken. It was delicious, because it tasted like fried chicken.
They also had some noodles with I think a bit of tofu and squash.
After lunch we were driven by the bus partly up Mt. Fuji. This was mostly frustrating because we could see all the hikers getting ready to make the ascent, while we lamely putzed around the gift shop, still not seeing the summit due to the fog. We felt a bit better after going into one of the gift shops and buying a bunch of boxes of uniquely flavored Kitkats, and some magnets.
After the Mt. Fuji stop, we were brought to the Hakone Ropeway. There’s supposedly a great view of Mt. Fuji from the cars as well.
From the visitor center at one stop of the ropeway you can see Owakudani, a volcanic area where you can see sulphur vents and hot springs.
Going back down from here was an amazing experience. We could barely see anything due to the fog, and at certain points could only see the other cars coming from a few feet away.
After the Hakone ropeway, it was time to go back to Tokyo. We took a few trains back, tired and ready for dinner.
Our last dinner in Tokyo was at Panic Teppanyaki, where I had the most amazing, melts-in-your-mouth beef I’ve ever tasted. The name doesn’t sound very traditional, and the food looks simple, but it’s one of those places that are all about taste.
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| Potato & cheese with chili beans |
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| Beef & Bellpepper |
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| Fried shrimp with oriental sauce |
The garlic rice and cheese side dish was just sooo bad and yet sooo good. I’ve tried to copy it at home, to no avail. If anyone out there has a recipe, I would really owe you one.
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| Garlic rice and cheese |
My ABSOLUTE favorite dish was the Japanese beef. It was INSANELY good.
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| Japanese beef |
The next day, we tried to stop at a coffee house in Shibuya, not realizing that NONE of the places were open.
To make up for being lame and sad, we went back to Shibuya’s MyLord mall to shop from my new favorite Japanese clothing store: Natural Beauty Basic.
And then we had a glorious meal of bread on top of bread, and then bought some more bread for the plane ride.
After carbing up, we hung out at a rooftop area on top of one of the three connected malls. It somehow felt like such a Tokyo experience for me.
At home, I despaired over not having bought more of all these treats we’d gotten in Japan. Maybe someday we’ll return and stay a lot longer!
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| A “Pullman loaf” that tasted like croissant |
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| Honey Bears! I should’ve bought a few boxes. |
Sushi, Pastries, and a Tiny Hotel Room in Akasaka, Tokyo