Day 5: Mount Fuji

We stayed here after the trip to kurobe dam. It is a beautiful place, also on top of a small mountain with a great view and the little chapel. Supposedly, u can see mount fuji, based on that little map.

Since the main attraction/tour site has been completed, there is nothing much to do but enjoy the ride, eat and SHOP! Yes. with all the aunts on the bus, there is nothing else we can do but to go to factory outlets. But not just the normal outlet. fantastic outlet area which looks great. U can picnic, bring your doggies, you can even cycle around here.

They have quite ok food, and beautiful 'pan'. Green tea pan, and 'ringo' pan. yeah!

Now ... off to our next hotel. And on the way we saw mount Fuji! pretty. I think we probably snapped 10+ photos just of the mountain in the bus. We reached the hotel about 4pm. the exterior of the hotel wasnt too interesting, but take a look at the room we've got. We got one whole floor to ourselves, with three rooms.

The entrance to the floor from the lift. Our bedroom, the livingroom, which has a direct view of Mount Fuji.

Corridor, the other room and the mahjong room

The Bathroom with the view. and of course the amazing aunts!

then it was dinner time. It was suppose to be a buffet, which serves a wide a variety of asian food. and the large crabs from japan. Free Flow! But that is not the highlight.

We got the special from the restaurant (cos we know the people there), the Japanese Melon smells amazing, and really does just melts in your mouth without much chewing. We also got a plate of japanese beef. We were assured that it does not lose out to Kobe beef, and it was fantastic. so so tender. Wagyu beef step aside- you are too tough!

Now for a little after dinner taiwanese sport. Karaoke and tango! Everyone came to our room/floor and 'exercised' a little. then ate more japanese strawberry, which taste exactly like the bubblegum flavours. Now i know where the strawberry flavour came from. Yep. that was it for the day. Shopping. Food. View. Singing. Drinks.

Day 4: Kurobe Dam

This is the main reason the tour group was here in Japan. The Kurobe Dam. The mountain is sealed off during winter and only until the snowing is all over, that they reopen the mountain (from april onwards) for a few months only. Going up the mountains is the main reason my luggage was full of winter clothing and not fun stuff from japan. There are a few means of getting up the mountains. The original plan was to start with some sort of cable car, but it broke down for the day, so we went up by bus. We passed an 'ice-wall' which was suppose to be about 13 meters high, but because we were in the bus and it was foggy, i could not take any pictures. After 30 mins on the bus with strangers, we reached the station for yet another bus ride.

This is outside and inside the station, and a picture of everyone before being wrapped up in all the clothes. We got on the next bus and went up to another station. this time it was fun. It was snowing! yeah! All gear on. Well half gear on. It was about 5 degrees outside and i think it is snowing. Was a bit like hale, small ones.

And here are the people, wrapped. And just a quite recap on who is who... unwrapped.

Next bus! We moved on to a higher point to take the cable car. We had to come out of an icy tunnel. Well, that is my mom, trying to reach the ceiling. This is the vew from this side of the mountain.

Next is the cable car to get to the lower other side of the mountain.

Here we are on the other side. We had a quick lunch and went out to take photos. The sun came out for a bit and disappeared again.

then more cars. we took this car all the way down to the dam.

The Dam was really huge. Takes quite a while to walk from one side to the other.
And just in case you dont believe that it is really cold. hehe. the thermometer.

this sort of sums up the exciting day.

So at the end of the day. Another electric bus to get down the dam. This was all we did for the day. and of course the food!

Just some stuff we had at one of the better rest stops. Fried and steamed fish cakes. and my favourite different types of fresh mochi!