Hakone

Ahhhh - the country side! We took an hour RomanceCar train ride (not a love hotel! just a nice train) to Hakone in the south east of Japan for a day away yesterday. Here is the breakfast of champions:

Here is a passage I read in a book while on the train that sums Otto up except for the part about the severe effort of will:

Many people start their hike up Mt. Fuji from Hakone but we couldn't book a tour, it was very overcast so we probably couldn't see it anyway, and were happy just to be in run around nature instead of on a crowded sidewalk all day. Here are some snacks we purchased (turned out to be fish cake with onion for me, with shrimp for Tim):

I did enjoy this very salty deliciousness:

After that we went to a 7 Eleven to purchase something for Otto and to picnic with in the rain it turned out. Tim and I shared carrots and pineapple and Otto had a hot dog on a stick.

Here is some beautiful food that I didn't purchase but admired:

Here is Otto doing what he does best - ocean, river or stream:

Hakone is known for hot springs and outside the hotels would be samples - Otto had just sampled this one - youch!

Hakone is built around a lovely stream and we thought we had found the falls:

when we got to these falls!

This is another Shino shrine so we felt timid about walking out on the stones but one of the pool was full of rainbow trout

and another with ducks and koi. We bought a bag of duck food and fish food for a dollar each and Otto was in heaven.

Here are steps up a hillside that had crabs in the steps - we begged that crab to pinch Otto for bugging it but it was too peaceful...

A very cool fountain where Otto did the ritual offering - wash left hand then right, drink from left hand rinse ladle all while being thankful for nature.

We were all pooped by the time we got back to the train and walked around good old Tokyo looking for something to eat and ended up having a classic moment. Went into a curry shop and asked about the vegetable curry. "No meat?" "no meat!" showing menu, making fuss for us. All ready to order and waiter asked if I wanted pork or beef sauce and was sort of confused when I declined. I ended up having something resembling hashbrowns at McDonald's but filled with curried potatoes and peas, salad and rice which ended pretty yummy. Then we went shopping at Tokyu Hands which is amazing, part Patina, part Cliff's hardware, part over the top Tokyo but couldn't take any photos because camera was full...