TBT: Musings in Japan: Owakudani, Hakone

 Our visit to Hakone felt like a relaxing vacation. We stayed two nights at a beautiful ryoken (unfortunately, I can't recall the name anymore) with a traditional tatami flooring and onsen, which is a hot spring. Bathing in an onsen had always been my dream when I was younger. I knew it was hot but I didn't realize it was that hot until I stepped foot in it. I'm not sure why we decided on Hakone but I'm glad we did. We ventured out to Owakudani, Hakone known for being a volcanic mountain and its sulfuric pools.


The first thing we noticed when we arrived was the smell. It smelled like rotten eggs and was overwhelming at first, but we soon grew accustomed to it during our little hike to the top of the volcanic pools. It was truly a sight to see. You see all this smoke escaping from vents in the mountain. It was as if a sleeping dragon lay resting there. And if you think about it, a volcano is like a sleeping dragon in a way. Once its awoken, nothing can stop it.

These eggs are a popular snack here. They're regular eggs cooked in the hot water and the sulfur dyes the shells that black color. We bought a bag and each devoured one. It was so yummy!

If I remember correctly, our ryokan provided us with complimentary dinner both nights. I thought it was so interesting how we got our own small room to dine in. It was compact and cozy. Each meal was elaborately laid out with exquisite attention to detail. Everything was so dainty and cute I couldn't help but gush over them. Japan is such a cute country! We were served different meals each night and both were equally delicious. We ate with much relish and ended our nights with full, happy tummies.



Until next time...!

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