Lake Kawaguchi

I hoped the morning would bring some clarity, but it was not to be.

The view from my room. There is an old Japanese legend that says only the righteous can see the mountain. It's great don't you think?

Nevertheless we hired some mountain bikes to ride around the lake. I enjoyed the little trip, but was a bit disappointed to see what was, until very recently a lovely resort town that had fallen into a state of disrepair. There was this fantastic paved walkway all the way around the lake but it was very overgrown with weeds.

Me, by the lake.

And the gorgeous Kyoko.

There were some amazing little places along the way, where they say good things can happen.

At one stage our path ran out. But you can see the kind of disrepair the town is in.

The confers in the background were called "Gold Crest" in South Africa. I could not grow enough of them for sale. Unfortunately I have not found them in New Zealand yet. The Japanese appreciate good things!

By the afternoon the roads were open again, so the bus trip back to Tokyo was a better option than the train. This time it to the luxurious Park Royal in Shiodome. Connections in the travel industry are obviously useful. By this time my feet were really starting to hurt. I had decided to travel in my Five Finger shoes, but despite their comfort, the pressure of my 17kg backpack was beginning to weigh on me.

By this time I was starting to tuck into the Japanese food, and enjoying it. Still I tried to make sure everything I was eating was cooked, and not too spicy. A dinner at an izakaya type of restaurant. This was also a great experience.