Shimada

Day 9

Decided to combine these days as not a huge amount to report!
We are in such a lovely area though, littered with mountains and small farms it feels very rural and haven’t seen any other tourists. We decided today was hiking day today so Jacob found a trail he wanted to do which took us across a mountain range and over a few peaks so we set off up the incline. We stopped every now and then to enjoy the beautiful views of Mt Fuji which was finally clear of clouds so we could actually see the peak! As the altitude increased so did the snow and therefore ice, it was becoming increasingly tricky to continue the route safely as the last thing we wanted was to slip on the ice and hurt ourselves on top of a mountain and have to hobble back down! So we reached the first peak in about 2ks which was lovely, there was a small shrine on top and no one else there and a pretty view of Mt Fuji! It was really breathtaking.

Unfortunately we decided this would be as far as we would go as after this the trail was pure ice and snow and without spikes or poles it would just be stupid to risk it really. Disappointed we clambered back down and then found a cable car which we took down the mountain we had just walked up and headed towards lake Kawaguchiko. This is one of the “five Great Lakes” that surround Mt Fuji and this is meant to be the best for views of Fuji and it didn’t disappoint it was beautiful but incredibly cold still! Sadly we couldn’t kayak or fish on the lake as the “stormy conditions keep us off the water”, please look at the photos attached and see if you think it looked stormy!! It was extremely frustrating but there was quite a gusting wind that was bitterly cold so I’m sure that this was what kept us off the water.

Since we were in the area we went to the gem museum which had huge crystals as big as me! We then caught a bus around the other side of the lake to see if the boathouse there would let us kayak but with no success!! Feeling rather frustrated we started to walk back along the lake which is very pretty but again quite chilly so my scarf was wrapped tightly around my neck and I was desperate to get a warm coffee or some food to warm up and regroup!! However everywhere we walked past was shut. I guess this is what happens once you leave Tokyo everything shuts much earlier! After an hour and 30 minutes we came across an open food place and I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to eat in my life!! I had a rice dish with beans and curry sauce with melted cheese on top, this sounds disgusting I know but it was delicious, but then again I could have probably eaten a whole horse I was so hungry so it may not be as good a second time around!!

Day 10

We moved on again today so packed our bags and headed off to the bus terminal and we were met by hundreds of people which was quite a shock in this very small quiet town! Grabbed some breakfast and then loaded onto the bus. This bus didn’t have any compartments for bags and as we piled on Jacob quickly realised that there was only one free seat left so he gave me the seat. Bless him, Jacob had to stand for an hour with his massive backpack on before someone got off and he managed to get a seat. For those thinking I should have offered to swap half way through I did but he was adamant that I should sit- probably because he knows he copes better with sore tired feet then I do! We then hopped on another bus where we both got seats and arrived in Shizuoka prefecture and we are staying in Shimada which is known for its green tea so will have to try that at some point! We then headed to a super market to get some snacks for tomorrow and found matcha flavoured kitkats - I thought they were foul but Jacob loved them! We found all sorts of strange things in the shop like whole octopus!Read more