As we opted for a more green service (no cleaning service for two days), we were awarded with 2,000 yen voucher for hotel managed shops. We used the voucher to buy our breakfast for our last day in Daimon. Bought cup noodles, milk and some cookies.
After our milk and cup noodle breakfast, we left Tokyo Tower Prince Hotel relunctantly. It was so comfortable though it was rather inconvenient. We carried our heavy luggage (a back pack and a trolley bag) and made our way to Hamamatsucho station (JR Yamanote Line) to take the train to Ikebukuro. Our last night's accommodation, Sakura Hotel (see Useful Links) was very kind to keep our trolley bag while we stay at Hakone. We read from the website that our Hakone accommodation, Kappa Tengoku is located on a slope. We will have to conquer many steps before we get there. Hence we decided only the backpack is going with us.
Ikebukuro was raining and so was the whole of Tokyo! Climbing the stairs in the subway station with the huge trolley bag was something else. We actually perspired underneath our cardigan in the cold weather.
It rained again at Ikebukuro. After making sure that our trolley bag was safe in the hands of Sakura Hotel, we took the train to Shinjuku to buy the Hakone Free Pass to Hakone. We bought the two-day pass that cost 5,000 yen each. http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_008.html
The pass covers one round trip between Shinjuku station and Hakone-Yumoto station (Hakone) and almost all the transportation in Hakone. This is a cheaper version if you are not using the JR Pass.
Note:
You can purchase the Hakone Free Pass days before departure or on the day itself. The train leaves pretty early at about 7am but the purchase counter only opens at 8am. So purchase before day of departure if you want to catch the first train to Hakone.
You can purchase the Hakone Free Pass at Odaykyu Sightseeing Service Centre at Odakyu Line Shinjuku station west exit Level 1. The service staff are made up of people from different country. So you can be sure that you will understand all the information provided. The Hakone Free Pass entitles you discounts at selected hotsprings, museums, places of interest and restaurants in Hakone.
Take the Odakyu train from Shinjuku, drop off at Odawara to switch to another train to Hakone Yumoto. The directional signs are clear so just follow them.
It was pouring during the train ride from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto. We replaced our cardigan with down jacket. Thank goodness we decided to bring them. It was freezing with the pouring rain and strong wind. Brr...There are some good services provided for tourists at Hakone-Yumoto station (see Useful Links: Hakone Navigation). Services include bringing your luggage to your hotel so that you can proceed to sightseeing upon arrival and also pick them up from your hotel during departure. You can pick up your luggage at Hakone Yumoto station and depart from there. Since our hotel us just behind the station, we did not engage that service.
Since it was pouring outside, we thought the best thing to do was to have lunch. Well many other visitors thought the same way too. Most of the restaurants were packed, so we settled for one that had no queue.
A tip. If you feel cold, buy a bottle of hot drink from one of the vending machine for about 150yen and slip it into your jacket. It acts as a hot water bottle and after that you can quench your thirst.
Kaiyi's beef burger with rice. Thumbs up.
My omelette rice. Two thumbs up.
Our hotel, Kappa Tengoku. Not the big grey one. It's the small building at top right hand corner. It's cheap at 6,300 yen for a double room/night (Japanese style room) + 150yen per pax for onsen tax. Wait till you see the room.
You can get this at the tourist centre opposite Hakone Yumoto station.
After lunch, we made our way to Kappa Tengoku to put our bags. Three words: Tiring, wet and cold. Most of the staff at Kappa Tengoku do not speak English. We only encountered one younger lady who can do stammering English.
Since we were not able to the check in first, we decided to do the classic round (see the link above) and not wander around too much to stay dry and warm.
From Hakone Yumoto station (platform 4 & 5), take the Hakone Tozan Train. Below are the stops.
1. Hakone-Yumoto
2. Tonosawa (this is the train will encounter a dead end and travel in the opposite direction. Do not be alarmed as it is a switch of track to another route. You are not going back to Hakone-Yumoto.)
3. Ohiradai (another switch of track that puts the train travelling in the opposite direction.)
4. Miyanoshita
5. Kowakidani
6. Chokoku no-mori
7. Gora (this is where you transfer to cable car)
Total duration: 40min (excl waiting time at each stop)
(Photo: Maggie)
At Gora station, you can take the Hakone Tozan cable car. Yes, this is the cable car. The lingo of the Japanese is different from ours. This car runs on cable, so there you go, cable car. Best photo taking spot to show how steep the slope is will be at the inside of both ends of the cabin. We did not manage to get there because it was raining and the windows are fogged and the cabin was full. We were considered fortunate to get seats.
This photo is not a good representation of the steep slope. Not being able to take the photo of the slope became my first regret for the trip.
Here are the stops:
1. Gora
2. Koen-shimo
3. Koen-kami
4. Naka-gora
5. Kami-gora
6. Sounzan
Total duration: 9min (exl. waiting time at each stop)
At Souzan, you can change to the Hakone Ropeway (our version of cable car). You see how the windows fogged up in this photo. So we couldn't see anything from inside. Disappointing. Why did it have to rain?
Here are the stops:
1. Souzan
2. Owakudani (Here's where you can see Mt Fuji and eat the famous black eggs.)
3. Ubako
4. Togendai
Total duration: 24min (excl waiting time during the transfer at Owakudani.)
At Togendai, you can transfer to the Hakone Sightseeing Boat at the background. It was still raining.
During the boat ride, a man dressed as a pirate ship captain will go around to take photos with the passengers. Then the photos will be developed and passed to you. If you want to keep it, it's going to cost you 1,000yen. If not, just return the photo to them. Now that you know, save resources and say no during the photo taking if you are not interested.
We could not go to the deck as it was pouring outside. So we slept for almost the whole 1.5hr journey. Boring...
Here are the stops:
1. Togendai
2. Hakone machi
3. Moto Hakone (The boat will go back to Togendai. It's a round trip.)
Total duration: 1.5hrs (excl the waiting time at each dock)
Back at Togendai, the sun has called it a day but not the rain. Sigh...We decided to take a Tozan bus back to Hakone-Yumoto. It took about 40min. If you decided not the take the bus, you can go the opposite direction to take the ropeway, then cable car and then the train.
We had completed the classic course by taking all the rides available. We will do it again the next day if it's not raining. We have decided that if it continued to rain the next day, we will leave for Ikebukuro after breakfast.
Note: To board and alight on the Tozan transports, show your Hakone Free Pass to the gate keeper or the bus driver.
It was a long, tedious, wet and cold way back to hotel. The younger lady at the reception was gone. An old lady of about 60 years old greeted us and tried to give us some instructions. We could not make out what she's trying to say. She was frustrated and decided to give up and just lead us to the room. You must be thinking what about dinner. Well at 5.30pm, no restaurant seemed to be open. There was no food on sale at the hotel or anywhere nearby. Only 7-11. Maybe we were lazy to explore due to the rain. Remember we haven't ate the cookies from our breakfast. Yes, those were dinner.
We had to lay our own beds. The room was cold. The old heater was functioning but a little slow to warm up. We were so cold, we decided to just wash our face, changed into our payjamas and sleep. That's just what we did. The bathroom is open air. The toilet is the squatting kind that leaves your legs numb and buttocks cold. The tap at the basin has not hot water. But the place was at least clean. We thank God that it was just one night.
We spent our long night under our blankets watching TV and playing Kaiyi's iphone game, Fruit Ninja. That's when I broke her record. To date, my record still holds.
See that four tiny packets of cookies. Our dinner. We went to bed hoping that the next day will be better.
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