Monday - we drove through the prettiest postcard perfect areas today. Treed mountainsides, rice paddies, rivers and valleys, to an Old Post Town called Tsumago. During the Edo era (1603-1868) this road was used by horsemen and pedestrians alike to move from Edo (nowadays Tokyo) to Kyoto. There were 69 Post Towns en route to provide a stop over. This town was 42nd from Tokyo. This historic town has been preserved because of the traditional buildings. We then visited another Post Town called Narai-Juku, the longest Post Town in Japan. In this small village we ate lunch of a local delicacy Sansai Soba, which is a soup with wild mountain vegetables and buckwheat noodles. We ate in the traditional manner, sitting on the floor at a low table (shoes off at door of course). Onward then to our overnight stop just near Mt Fuji, but as rain clouds have moved in, we cannot see the top of Mt Fuji, where apparently snow is now falling. Sadly rain predicted tomorrow.
Photos: see cherry blossom found in Narai-Juku.
Tuesday- the forecast was correct. Rain pelted down. After a quick visit to Mt Fuji Info Centre (along with all the other wet tourists) we had an equally wet boat cruise on Lake Kawaguchiko, one of the 5 Lakes surrounding Mt Fuji. Another stop at Oshino Hakkai, famous for crystal clear spring water bubbling out of the ground, formed by melting snow from Mt Fuji. It also is usually a great viewing spot for the mountain, but not today.
Onward to Yokohama for the night, where we strolled the waterfront and had a Taiwanese meal and cherry sake.
Photos: Filling water bottle with clear spring water.
(Sorry some photos have duplicated)
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