Mount Fuji & Hakone

Well folks...the weather didn't really cooperate today and it was a bit cloudy.  But we could catch glimpses of Mount Fuji from the station 5 on the route up to the top.  You can only hike to the top but station number 5 can be reached by car and has like 3-4 souvenir shops.  Man they love to shop here!  Tons of souvenir shops even in religious areas.  After Mount Fuji we went to Hakone and up the Komagatake Ropeway to Owakudani Valley that is known for its hot sulphur volcanic springs.  Next we took a boat ride on Lake Ashi before we retired for the evening.

Here is like 2/3 of Mount Fuji. Still impressive though.

Up at station 5 they have a little Shinto Shrine.

View from the ropeway coming back down towards Lake Ashi.

Owakudani Valley, back in the day...the people thought the gases being released were fumes from hell. Who knows...maybe brimstone smells like sulphur?

Okay...sounds weird but they all do this...They take eggs and boil them in the hot spring source.  It turns them black.  For every egg that you eat, your life is extended 7 years.  Hm...

Why Not? Just tastes like an egg.

And boy will they commercialize on the black egg thing.  The shop had a ton of egg themed Hello Kitty. Weird!  They had Mt. Fuji Hello Kitty at the Mt. Fuji Visitor's Center.  And I thought the US was bad about commercializing everything. 

Lovely Lake Ashi.

And when we got off the boat, we were treated to a lovely surprise of Mt. Fuji peeking out from behind the nearest mountains.  We were told this is a rare sight from the lake.