CAW, CAW!

Friday, Aug. 31, 2018       Breakfast this morning was unusual.  It was served to our group in a set-off area of the hotel dining room, and all the places were preset, not just with crockery and silverware, but the food, too!  Eggs, toast, salad (?), fruit, sausages, breads (excellent, perhaps from the super bakery?) and coffee.  While it was all quite pretty, the eggs were barely warm.  It went down just fine, and we enjoyed the ambiance.

Something new, but old, is back.  I found a Wayback source for downloading the last available version of Picasa for the new computer I’m now using.  The pictures starting with this post will have been formatted using Picasa instead of the MS program I’ve been using (and not liking).  Hopefully, this might solve the right-side cutoff issues.  We’ll see after I complete and publish this post.  I still fear it’s a Blogger issue. At any rate, I already can see that the collages are easier to compile and don’t have that stupid watermark.

Close by the hotel, via a forest path along the lake, lies the Hakone Shrine.  When we were on the boat we saw the iconic Tori gate in the water for this shrine, but didn’t realize what it was.  [Credit for this photo to the Japan Travel Mate blog.]

We followed Yoshiko along the winding path through a gentle mist.  The lake is off to the right.

Hakone Shrine is famed for its massive-cedars-lined 90-step flight up from the lake, with the first of its Tori gates sitting in the water. This is the “floating” Peace gate.  Doesn’t look quite as impressive in my shot below, looking down over the people. But, if you’re a good photographer with better equipment and editing skills, this shot [credit: Japan Travel Mate blog] does the “floating” Tori Peace gate justice.

Hakone is a favorite destination for getaways from Tokyo, which is about two hours away.  Consequently, we had plenty of company, but it was still pretty neat.  The steps go up from the water to the shrine via a series of landings and Tori’s.

At the top of the stairs is the entrance to the Shrine, which also houses, of course, a gift shop.

Loni used another of the purification basins, but on the east side of the courtyard is an unique,  and very cool, chōzuya. This is the water purification basin for the sub-shrine of Kuzuryū-jinja, the 9-Headed-Dragon, and appropriately has 9 dragon heads with funnels coming out of the their mouths.

The courtyard (and gift shop), and adjacent shrines.  There also is a wall of twisted papers.  In both  shrines and temples one can buy o-mikuji for ¥100. These are small pieces of paper that reveal the fortunes (or misfortunes) that await you in all aspects of your life, from love, health, friendship, career, education, and so on. There are twelves levels of fortune (from “Great blessing” to “Great curse”). But if fate is not on your side, fear not! The decree of the gods can be annulled by twisting the o-mikuji around a tree or fence located nearby. That guy’s looking at a lot of bad luck!

Back to the hotel and we load into the bus for our trip to Matsumoto Castle, known as the “Crow Castle” for its black exterior.  Yoshiko is hopeful we’ll see a glimpse of Fuji, but it’s still pretty overcast.  The ride down the hill was again twisty, but there were some breaks in the clouds that gave us tantalizing peeks at what might be Fuji, or maybe not.  Lots of shutters clicking in anticipation.  To ease the frustration, Yoshiko put on a video documentary of Fuji.  Finally, things started clearing and we drove into better viewing areas, as this progression shows.

Doesn’t look quite the same without the signature snow cap, but what the heck. Here’s one of our photo op stops.

The ride to Matsumoto, not on freeways, took about 4 1/2 hours, but at least it was in clear weather.  We did more round-the-bus get-to-know-you’s with a portable mic.  I have to say, the sound system in this bus is the best I’ve experienced.  Excellent volume and clarity.  At Matsumoto, we were hungry and the first stop was for lunch.  Nothing fancy, rice beef bowl and a bowl of soba noodles.  Filling, but bland.  Afterwards, we walked next door to the Castle, the Crow, called that for both its color and also the way the swooping roofs look like wings.  It was very impressive.

Matsumoto Castle is one of five castles designated as ‘National Treasures of Japan’ and the oldest castle donjon remaining in Japan. Construction began in 1592.  Inside the castle are 6 floors accessed by steep (!)stairs and low ceilings leading past a few displays of armor and weapons from the Sengoku Period (Warring States Period) when the castle was built. The narrow wooden windows were used by archers and gunmen, and by the less skilled who simply dropped stones onto attackers.  It was never used for a residence, only as a military keep.  The stairs reminded me of the between-decks ladders we used on the Connie and Kitty Hawk, and they were a challenge for a lot of the visitors.  One flight had a 65 degree incline.  I have to say, the interior wasn’t all that interesting.  We also had to remove our shoes upon entering and walk around the place in our socks.  Good thing they didn’t polish all those wood floors and stairs.

 

After climbing around the Castle and grounds, we passed a huge lily pond that had mostly bloomed and gone, but I did find one blossom amongst the remnants.  We sat for a while eating ice cream from an adjacent store, then the rest of the afternoon was spent traveling in a steady rain to Takayama via a winding mountain & valley road, following a river that had a lot of tributaries and waterfalls.  This area is known as the Japanese Alps.  The road also sported a host of l-o-o-o-n-g tunnels, multi-miles in length.  I think we spent as much time in the dark as we did outside.  At Takayama, we settled into the courtyard of a 200-year-old sake brewery to taste the wares.  I was a little dubious as to partaking, as my only memories of sake were of the cheap firewater style that was all we could afford when I was on shore leave in Sasebo and Yokosuka 50 years ago.  That, plus the fact that I’ve not had virtually any hard liquor since my throat cancer ten years ago, which left me with a spot that seems to get inflamed if it contacts high-proof booze.  I’m glad I decided to risk it. Turns out the wine is only about 15%, and it was very, very smooth.  Yoshiko had to translate for the brewmaster as he was explaining the wines, and she got rather expressive.  We drank our samples out of these little wooden cups.  I think everyone was impressed.

Dinner was at an adjacent restaurant and was a cook-your-own Wagu beef dinner.  Everyone’s heard of Kobi beef, and this is just a regional variant.  Beautifully marbled, and melted in your mouth like butter.  We cooked the beef on our individual hibachi grills to our liking.  Again, kudos to Colette for a first-rate included dinner.  We were definitely happier than the dull faces in this picture.  Long day.

At the hotel, before we checked in, we got a demonstration of how to wear a kimono.  Seems that’s the thing here.  Guests dress up in them and parade around to the baths, and whatever.  Hmm.  We’ll see.  At the room, I couldn’t get the key (regular key, not card) to unlock the door.  After multiple attempts I went down and got a clerk to come up.  She was very gracious.  She also unlocked the door with no problem.  Seems their locks rotate the opposite of what we’re used to, and I was trying to force it in the other direction.  Very long day indeed.

UPDATE:  Just viewed this post online and am majorly ticked off.  If anything, the picture cutoff is worse and now the pictures look like they’ve been degraded to low-res.  Everything looks great in the draft on my computer, but is awful in the online version.  Augh!!

UPDATE 2:  After monkeying around, I’ve resized the pics to restore the right side cutoffs.