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| Gora Kadan |
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| First Kimono :) |
Woke up Sunday morning and hopped on a train to Hakone, the home of Mt. Fuji, the largest mountain in Japan. Aftera stop at the Open Air Sculpture Museum along the way, we reached the Gora Kadan where we would be staying for the next few nights. Secluded behind the railroad tracks and set back in the woods, once we stepped foot onto property at the Gora Kadan we were greeted with "kinnichiwa" by multiple people wearing the traditional Japense kimono--a true contrast from Tokyo. We were escorted to our room, a traditional ryokan with tatami matted rooms, communal public baths and your own kimonos to wear (or simpler yukatas). This was a night of many firsts--first Japanese seven course meal, first public hot bath, first kimono, first tatami mat sleeping, first Shabu-Shabu. The hot bath may goes down as one of the most relaxing things I have ever done (although not a self esteem booster as I showered next to very skinny Asian women :)) The process is very simple as you walk in, remove your kimono and head to the little bench in front of the shower head. After sitting to shampoo, condition, etc. and then you are able to step into the perfectly scalding hot spring bath oustide, surrounded by a serene landscape and not a single sound except for the splash of the waterfall. After ample time in the water, you step out to a version of the Japaense salon with every product imagineable. The experience wouldn't be complete without relaxing in the body massage chair and a cup of hot green tea. Truly paradise.
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| Hot spring bath |
I couldn't have imagined the night getting much better until dinner came. We enjoyed at least a seven course meal (I lost track) of mouth melting tuna and the freshest produce. Then came the Kirley favorite-Shabu Shabu. Each person is given their own plate of thinly sliced meat and vegetables and our own pot or skillet to cook. Shabu shabu translates to 'swish-swish', although we liked making our own shabu shabu noises as each of us cooked our own meat! During the meals at Gora Kadan I was also introduced to Japense grapes--the largest and juiciest grape I have ever tasted. I am in love.
Our second day in Hakone we ventured out to get a viewing of Mt. Fuji but the clouds prohibited such a view. Instead, we did come across the famous black egg which once eaten adds an additional seven years to your life. I only finished half of mine, but I will take the extra three and a half. Although we are staying at the place we somehow managed to stumble upon a Hot Spring Bath Water Park and had to give it a go. Little did I know that I would end up bathing in a coffee, green tea, sake, charcoal and red wine hot spring bath. Photo evidence is definitely necessary. As we walked around the park I noticed an enormous line which I quickly associated with the water slide of course. Oh no no. Instead it was "Doctor Fish Bath". We had to see what this was all about. As we walked in they asked us to rinse off our feet, handed us a hand towel and escorted us to a large foot bath. I looked down only to see thousands of little fish. Minutes of directions were given in Japanese and we waited to watch what people would do next so we could follow. And then it happened. I placed both of my feet in the Doctor Fish Bath and they went to work--eating the dead skin off the bottom of my feet. Thankfully Tess was next to me as a jumped and grabbed here. I could never quite get use to the feeling, although my feet were incredibly smotth as we left :) What an experience!
We had another amazing meal at the Gora Kadan, went to sleep and woke up ready for Tsumago!
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