Day 13 When we eventually located breakfast, after being on so many different floors, it was in what looked like an old ballroom, with red velvet drapes and balconies. There was a reslly nice view out over the sea and the hotel actually had its own small waterfall. There was a bit of scrum for window seats, and even more of one at the buffet. We left our last Onsen hotel behind, and started the long drive to our next destination at Hakone. We had been advised that it was to be a winding road, and as we left we immediately started to climb up and out of the valley, and once again the scenery was stunning.We eventually reached the bottom of the volcano, and we were to take a cable car to the top. It ... read more

Day 11 Once again we were up early as we had to go to the station to buy tickets for the "romantic" train joureny from Arashiyama to Torroko. It was a clear day, but the temperature had dropped quite a bit, meaning that those of the tour group from south of the equator were frozen! The tour company had tried to buy the tickets in advance, but they had all been taken by the large Japanese tour companies. There was however, one car for un-reserved tickets that is open air. We were there that early, the shutters were still down. Our tour guide managed to get tickets, but for standing only. We got onto the train, and the conductor, dressed as a devil, ushered a couple of the party to seats. To be honest we were ... read more

Day 9- Breakfast was a mostly Japanese affair, with a little fruit, but no yogurt. There were some rolls you could toast, and the butter and jam came in a squeezy packet removing the need for a knife, but meaning you had to have both parts. As we left the hotel, the sun had not come up on this side of the gorge, and the cloud was down. We went through a tunnel to the other side of the mountain, and it was bathed in sunshine. Our first stop was the bridge at Kazura-bashi which dates from 12th century during a time when they were made from mountain vines and bamboo so they could get cut down to block an enemy attack. It is 45m long, and the vines are replaced every 3 years. It does ... read more

Day 7 When we woke up, the weather had taken a turn for the worse, and it was decididly murky outside. Breakfast was good again, with bread rolls, but no toaster! We packed up and headed downstairs, the temperature had certainly dropped and it was beginning to drizzle. Our first stop of the day was Mount Aso. We drove for a couple of hours through the countryside, and passed some lovely autumn trees, bamboo, and saw the grasses that make the tatami mats that form the flooring in a traditional Japanese home. Actually it is part of a series of 5 volcanic cones. The existing crater is 128km in circumferance, where volcanos had previously erupted leaving a huge crater floor. The active volcano (Mt Nakadake) was the one we were hoping to see. As we started ... read more

Day 5 Our wake up call at 6.15am was not very welcome, but the guide was insistant. We went for breakfast on the top floor of the hotel, in the Sky Lounge, which had a 360deg view of Hiroshima bay. We watched the sun rise above the mountains, whilst enjoying a good breakfast of fruit, rolls and yogurt. We even had the option of an omlette if we wanted. We met in the lobby at 7.45 for an 8am departure. The temperature had certainly dropped, and although there was a clear sky and it was sunny, it was cold. We set off for the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and Museum. When we got off the bus, the first thing we saw was the ghostly image of the A Dome building. It was very close to the hypocentre ... read more