Dead skin eating fish

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We went to breakfast a bit earlier today and there was a different crowd. But we ate well and checked out and set out on the next leg of Bec’s journey. It was raining this morning but we didn’t care. We had had two great days experiencing Tokyo without getting wet. We had to negotiate our bags on the subway in peak hour to get to Shinagawa where the shinkansen (bullet train) left from. Happy to say we survived and had a few minutes to spare. We took the Shinkansen to Odawara and then transferred to Hakone Yumoto where we were spending the night. We booked the last row of the carriage we were in as there is storage behind the last row for suitcases. The trip took only ½ hour and was very smooth. Once going the train was so fast that the scenery sped by in a blur. Every piece of space has a purpose. Along the tracks we saw houses and rice paddies but no bushland in sight.
The rain continued in Hakone, so we changed plans slightly and decided to see if the weather is better tomorrow so we can take the loop and hope to get a glimpse of Mt Fuji. We sent our bags ahead to our hotel through a baggage service and hopped the bus to a water park in the mountains called Kowakie Yunessan. It is different spa areas with themes. We bathed in chocolate, strawberry, coffee (where they poured the brewed coffee directly in with us), red wine and green tea. The water was deliciously warm and smelt good too. Outside there were water slides and other spa bath areas to relax in. There is a Dr Fish room where you put your feet in the warm water and the little fish eat the dead skin from your feet. Justin plunged his feet in and the little fish devoured the skin on the soles of his feet. He said it was ticklish. And lots of girls were squealing as they put their feet in. We will have to take his word for it because Bec and I could not overcome our fear of these tiny little creatures and put our feet in even for the briefest of moments.
After a fast food lunch Japanese style (cheeseburger and potato chips for Bec and fried chicken and potato chips for Justin and I) we left and rode the bus down the mountain. The weather had cleared a bit and we had a good view of the area as we came down. We followed the excellent directions given to us by the hotel and checked in - our bags were waiting for us in the room.
We chose the Hotel Senkei as our ryokan choice. Many of the ryokans in the area were more than $AUD 1000 per night for dinner, bed and breakfast. Our hotel gave us the ryokan and onsen experience for a little over half the price. On arrival we were served green tea and immediately relaxed into the change of pace. We were shown how to wear the yukata(house robe) and changed into them. We then went to the onsen to bathe prior to dinner. There is a separate bath house for men and women. So you go into the bathroom after leaving your gear in baskets in the first room. You are naked and squat down on these little stools (think back to kindergarten) and proceed to wash yourself (and your hair if you choose) using the hand held shower thing, a bucket and soaps and shampoo provided. Once you are clean and washed off you can enter the onsen. My goodness it was so hot that I found it difficult to sit for a moment. And I like a shower hot. I have no idea how hot it was but when you got used to it - it was divine. You cannot help but relax. We spent about ½ here and had the bath to ourselves (Bec and I). Back in the outer room we dried our hair and put our yukata back on. We relaxed in the room reading until our dinner arrived at 6.30pm. Dinner was served in our room on a low table. It was very elaborately set and there were many courses of small portions. Many of the things we had no idea what we were eating but gave it a go. Bec would ask our server what things were in Japanese and she would answer in Japanese but Bec could not translate specifically. So we just tasted some stuff. It was another amazing meal as we are definitely not adventurous eaters. Soon after dinner the lady looking after us moved the low table to the end of the room and set out the beds for us. The mattresses were quite thin but the covers looked light and fluffy. After dinner Bec and I went to the outdoor onsen and went through the bathing ritual again. We sat outside in the rain in the outdoor bath which was not as hot as the one we tried inside earlier. Justin will have to wait until the morning when men have access to the outdoor bath. It was another relaxing time and now we are off to bed - hoping for better weather tomorrow.

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Photos

Fish eating Justin's feet
Bec and I weren't brave enough to try

The onsen
Wash on the stools - relax in the bath