Japan -03/31/- 04/08/2017

Hakune- Hakone Ropeway  -4/4/2017

Lake Ashi Hakune ropeway Mount View hotel Breakfast/Odawara

The Hakone Ropeway and Lake Ashi are two main attractions in Hakone.  Hakone Ropeway, a sightseeing gondola linking Sounzan with Togendai and zip along the 2.5 miles route for a view of the volcanic hills.

The ropeway's gondolas depart every minute and fit around ten people each. Traveling the full length of the ropeway takes around 30 minutes. 

 

Me and Mai ready to hop in the cable car taking us to the top of the mountain.

 

We are departing from ground level...

As we go higher, the ground is partially covered by snow.

The cable car goes up over a height of around 200 feet with a view of a smoking hillside streaked with traces of sulfur from the volcanic activity below.

 

Owakudani is an active volcanic valley, known as "Jigokudani" (the Valley of Hell) by locals.   You can see steam rising through vents scattered around the mountain.

 

View from the cable car.... More steams rising from the from Jigokudani.

 

On top of a mountain peak sits Owakudani station, the center of a large tourist complex of restaurants and gift shops.

 

The sun was out but since we are high up it was very cold.

 

I am getting as close as possible to check out the steams coming out from the volcano.

 

More steams....

Close up of steams rising up.

 

 


Famous black egg -Kuro-Tamago.  The eggs have been cooked in the hot-spring water and the sulfur in the water turned their shells black.

 

We bought the boiled black eggs that are sold by the half-dozen for ¥500.

They are just regular chicken eggs!  They are boiled in natural spring water, then steamed at 100 degrees for 15 minutes in steel baskets. The water that they are boiled in contains sulfur and iron which turned the shell black.  The black eggs, or commonly called "Kuro-Tamago" by the locals are perfectly safe, although they may smell like sulfur.

 In fact they are believed to add a few years to your life span. Five to seven years depending on who you talk to.

Tasted like a regular egg...

 

 

We are now going back down to the station.  Snow is still covering the ground as we are up above sea level.

 

Beautiful view with the sun going down...

 

Inside the cable car...

 

We are now getting off the cable car and you have a quick view of lake.

Next... Mt View Hakone hotel

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