Mount Fuji

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Our last few days in Japan we spend at the lakes around Mount Fuji, I find a Ryokan online for us to stay at and print out the directions for us to get there. We end up having to take three trains and a local bus. We find that out in the sticks English is even less well spoken so we are on the bus hoping that we get to the right place. Eventually we spot the Ryokan from the bus and jump up, the bus just stops and lets us off so we don't have far to walk. The place is right on the lake and even though it is a rainy afternoon the place looks wonderful.

As soon as we get into the Ryokan we are met by a Japanese lady who thrusts a mobile phone at me. I am greeted by an amercain voice who says "oh good you have arrived already" I really have no clue who this is and after a bit of a confusing conversation she explains that she is the daugter in law of the owner and the mother speaks no English so she wanted to make sure we checked in ok. The place is very traditional with laquered floors and sliding paper style doors. Our room has mats on the floors and paper windows which open out to a fabulous view of the lake.

We spend the afternoon getting settled in and take a traditional hot bath which is on the gorund floor of the Ryokan and it so relaxing that after this I end up falling asleep before dinner. At 7 we go down for our 7 course meal which is served on low tables where we sit on the floor. We both wear our traditional robes down to dinner and the food is amazing. We would not be able to order all these foods at a restaurant and are very impressed wth the variety of the food presented to us.

Next day we take a walk up a mountain by the lake and are rewarded at the top by the clouds parting and we get our first magical glimpse of Fuji. It is very impressive and we both wish we had the time to walk up but it is looking more doubtful now. On the way up we reach a signpost at a cross road and it is a good job that the lady at the Ryokan gave us a leaflet on this place as we would not know which way to go as the sign is in Japanese. After the walk back down the mountian we decide to take a row boat out on the lake. Shenton is shocked that I manage to row us back from the other side of the lake, and to be honest so am I.

We have another lovely 7 course meal tonight and today the Ryokan also has some Japanese fishermen, a couple and 2 Australian girls also staying. The Japanese men keep trying to tell us how to do things but of course they don't speak English so there is a lot of nodding and smiling between us.

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