Hakone, Japan

As Hakone is a very touristic and expensive place, we booked a hotel in advance on the internet. Of course, as we didn’t get the help a an info centre we knew the address of the hotel but we didn’t know exactly how to get there. Once we arrived at the station, we took a bus but after a few kilometers we realized we took it the wrong way. We therefore stepped off the bus somewhere between Odawara and Hakone with no more bus going to our hotel because there is only a limited service ending at 19 :00 and we are too late. By chance, a couple with a child stopped by and after we explained them the situation they made a detour of 1 hour just to drop us off at the hotel. It’s amazing how nice people are here. Once we arrive at the hotel, we have another surprise, we have to pay twice the price mentioned on the internet as it was a price per person and not per room. We have no other choice because it’s already late and as the hotel is very nice and includes breakfast and thermal baths, we accept to pay and even ask to extend our stay by one night. Next morning we eat a lot for breakfast because they serve nice, freshly baked couques, yummi. Then, we decide to go and relax a bit in the baths, .. Men and women are separated but it doesn’t matter, it’s so good ! Once we are ready we head to the famous Hakone lake from where we have the nicest view on Mount Fuji. We take some pictures, walk in the ceder alley and then we take the ropeway that brings us to the top of a sulfur montain where we taste the traditionnal black eggs (cooked with the sulfur boiling water).