Nikko

I was quite excited for my trip to Nikko, I got up early to catch my train from Shinjuku and got some breakfast. It was a trip that I postponed a lot and it was finally time to go see this awesome day trip from Tokyo. I was expecting to see a lot of autumn foliage but I had missed my mark by a huge margin. When I arrived, I went to check out the nearby lake, Chuzenji. I hanged around here and took some nice photos. I then went to Kegon Falls which surprisingly became one of the highlights of the day. It was mesmerizing, with snow and its water cascading down several layers, definitely worth the entrance fee. I went to get some lunch in the form of Yuba, Nikko's specialty which is basically the skin from soy milk made into flat noodles on soup. It was definitely an interesting dish. After eating, I made my way up to the winding path which was supposed to be filled with autumn colors but much to my dismay, it was now all barren and empty. To top it off, I got down at the top only to find out the cable car was closed as well which was included in my Nikko pass. I waited for the bus again, a bit disappointed but still hopeful that the day would be great. I went to another waterfall, smaller in size this time around but as I was leaving, some kids were yelling at their parents to check the other path to which I went back for. The other path was a bit of an uphill but there was a really great flow of a cascading river that split into smaller streams ultimately leading down to the two waterfalls I saw awhile ago. A very good detour as I hurriedly made my way back to the bus stop, trying my best not to slip on the snow. I got on the bus and was dropped near the Toshogu Shrine, a Unesco World Heritage site. I walked up a hill and made it to the entrance. I bought my tickets and tried to enter but was stopped because I didn't have a mask. Luckily, there was a lady who gave me her last one, and I was able to get inside. The temple complex was huge and very intricate. The designs were very next level even compared to the big ones back in Tokyo. I made sure to go around every spot I can, entering every temple and even doing another hike up to see the tomb. I left the complex as the sun was setting and stopped by another temple on the way by accident as the cherry blossoms outside the temple attracted me. On the way back to the main station, I wanted to pass by the famous red bridge to snap a photo. The sun was setting as I got the train station, I took a lot of photos of the nearby fountain with the sunset as a backdrop and then took the train back to Tokyo.Læs mere