My Family: Day 6 of Japan Trip

We checked out from the hotel today and made our way to Shinjuku Highway Bus station for the transport to Lake Kawaguchiko. We only took along a piece of our luggage bag and left the rest at Toyoko Inn. It's really very inconvenient to move around with so many pieces of luggage. Just hope that the luggages will not go missing.

A short introduction to Lake Kawaguchiko. It is a lake near Mount Fuji and is the most popular of the Fuji Five Lakes (Mt Fuji is surrounded by five lakes: Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Yamanaka, Lake Sai, Lake Motosu and Lake Shoji) in terms of tourists and is the most assessible among the five lakes . It also serves as a major hub for those wishing to climb Mount Fuji during the climbing season (July & August). Kawaguchiko is also home to the amusement park Fuji Q High Land, featuring one of the world's tallest roller coasters and other thrilling attractions with Mount Fuji as backdrop.

The bus journey took less than 2 hours stopping along the way to pick up passengers.

The bus dropped us beside the Kawaguchiko train station and the weather is freaking cold. The weather for that day is between -2 to 10 degree today. Kawaguchiko town is situated at an altitude of approximately 800 metres, which accounts for its colder weather as compared to Tokyo. We got really very excited as there's actually snow on the ground. Actually the ground is not covered with snow. It's just some leftover snow pushed to the side of the pavement. But well, at least it's a nice view for us since it's our first time seeing snow. So we started taking photos with the leftover snow. Keke. Some photos actually looked as if we were really surrounded by snow.

We bought the combo tickets from the train station which include 2 days retro bus tickets, Mt Kachi Kachi ropeway and sightseeing boat for 2000yen (adult) and 1000yen(child). We boarded the retro sightseeing bus and alighted at the bus stop for ropeway and sighseeing boat. The route for the retro bus consists of many tourists attractions at Lake Kawaguchijo where it will depart at the scheduled timings. It will be a loop where tourists can choose which sites they wish to visit and alight.

Walking up a steep slope to take the Ropeway, only to realise that we had actually taken the wrong route. Super Siong for me walking up and down the slope with the luggage.

The kids enjoying themselves while I'm suffering

Finally reached the entrance of Mt Kachi Kachi Ropeway. Very tired.

Inside the cable car

nice view of Lake Kawaguchiko from the cable car

The ropeway brought us to the peak of Mt Tenjo where we had a great view of the Fuji Q amusement park and its surrounding, and also the majestic view of Mt Fuji. Too bad Mt Fuji is very shy today and most of it was hidden inside the cloud. We waited quite a while for the cloud to shift but it's was just too cloudy today. Nevertheless, the view was still stunning. After seeing Mt Fuji, I have decided to come back again during the climbing season to conquer Mt Fuji. I will be back!!!!

Think this is called love symbol bell

Wow.. food vending machine at the peak of Mt Tenjo. Just what I want while waiting for the cloud to clear. We tried the takoball, fried noodle and french fries.

Tea Break at the foot of Mt Tenjo. Everything look so yummilicious.

After that we walked to the lake to take the sighseeing boat around Lake Kawaguchiko. It was really very cold with the cold wind blowing at us. But the experience was really good with the 360 degree view of the lake and the mountains around it.

Back to Kawaguchiko station. We got the help from the Tourists Information Office located beside Kawaguchiko station to call our hotel to come to fetch us. Our Hotel (K's house) provides free pick-up service (7 seaters Nissan) from Kawaguchiko station.

Some photo of Mt Fuji taken at the station. No wonder we couldn't see Mt Fuji when we reached in the morning cause it was actually covered by the cloud.

The hostel itself is exceptionally clean, spacious and really lovely decorated. They have a common lounging area with internet PC, a dining room, fully equipped kitchen, dining area and a TV corner. K's house is actually not a hotel, it's more like a hostel which explains why there are common facilities. It's more for backpackers whom they shared rooms with strangers. But they have also private rooms like the one we are staying.

We were especially please with our spacioius room. We were provided with futons to lay on our tatami mats to sleep on which were very comfortable and their duvets were nice and warm.

Using the map that was given by K's house, we went searching for nice food. After walking for around 15 mins, we found this nice looking restaurant that served Hoto noodle, the local specialities. Hoto Noodle (wheat noodle soup garnised with lots of vegetables). They served very nice Hoto Noodle with hot iron bowl. Hoto noodle tasted a bit like Udon but instead of looking fat and round, it's thick and flat. Beside the normal mushroom, vegetables types of Hoto Noodle, they have exotic menu like wild boar and lizard hoto noodle and they also have horse sashimi. It's too cruel to eat horse meat and the thought of lizard made me want to puke.