Hakone

Hakone was an excellent break. Spent lots of time in cable cars going up and over mountains made so colourful by the trees whose foliage was every shade of green yellow, orange and red. Didn't eat the customary black egg which is cooked in the hot sulphurous volcanic earth but I didnt mind as it was pretty stinky hanging around! Went on a really tacky pirate ship across a lake and walked up a mountain which had amazing views of Mt Fuji. It was a clear but really cold day so I managed to get a few good shots of the mountain and surrounding area.

Spent Tuesday evening in a local pub being fed wierd and wonderful local specialities and inflicting our karaoke on the rest of the pub in true British style!

The open air sculpture museum was nice but made more spectacular by the surrounding scenery - set half way up the mountains. It was just so nice to get out into some open air and to get a lungful of fresh air - I'd forgotten how much I miss it being a country lass anyway! Oh and I think I managed Japanese public bath etiquette without causing too much offense! Its an all-together-all-naked experience where you have to wash first before plunging into a pool heated to abnormal temperatures (naturally in the Hakone area because of the volcanic mountains). Apparently a lot of ooo ooo aa a a a aaaaaaaaahs are the norm until you aclimatise to the heat and as soon as you do, you are encouraged to jump (well ok slide gracefully) into the cold plunge pool and if your heart is still in tact after that you can then have the pleasure of sitting in a sauna and sweating it out once more!

So getting back to work after that was hard work but I have only got three weeks to teach before the Christmas break - and unusually for English schools out here we have over two weeks so I expect I will have plenty of time to do some more travelling around. I can't wait for that although it will be a bit strange being away from home for the first time ever! Awww!