I have a confession to make, I have a slight obsession with catching sunrises/sunsets when I'm cruising at an altitude of 35,000 ft, therefore I booked my flight for 2am in the morn and chose seats that were facing east ;) The lengths I go to to satisfy my obsessions. And I'm glad to say that it definitely paid off, the sunrise was absolutely breathtaking and I was completely enthralled.
Upon arrival in Narita Airport, we took the Narita Express to Tokyo Station before transferring to Akihabara to check into our hotel. Made some changes to the original plan which was to check out the Tokyo Imperial Palace and Ueno Park on day 1, however we decided to just grab a nice lunch/dinner (dunch?) and explore Ueno before heading back to grab some zzzz's.
Got woken up bright and early due to some tremors from an earthquake in the area so we decided to make the best of it and headed down to the Tsukiji district for some fresh sashimi from the Tsukiji Fish Market. Stuffed ourselves silly with all that market had to offer, especially the bowl of sashimi goodness *drools*. Following that, we made our way to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku to take in beautiful panoramic views of the city. Sadly, it was a really cloudy day and we were unable to spot the Tokyo Tower and the elusive Mount Fuji from where we were :(
Since we were in Shinjuku, we decided to go on the hunt for the ever so famous Ichiran Ramen. So after much google mapping and navigating, we found the shop and got our hands on some piping hot bowls of ramen. AND CAN I JUST SAY THAT THE RAMEN IS SO FREAKING INCREDIBLE???! Something about their amazing broth just gets to me every time, and honestly I'll never feel the same about ramen that I'm getting in Singapore anymore.
After that hearty meal, we took a train to Harajuku to visit Yoyogi Park. Embarked on an alternate, less touristy route into the park and this is the part that I love about travelling; how for that moment in time, you're experiencing a foreign culture for yourself. Honestly, you can do all the research you want, hear all the stories that others have to share but nothing will ever be able to replace the moment when you get to experience it all for yourself. How it was like weaving through the small little neighbourhoods in Tokyo, having friendly locals cycle past you on their bikes and greeting you with the smiles on their faces, witnessing a traditional marriage ceremony and being able to celebrate with the family, these are the moments that I treasure the most when I'm on the road.
Ended our time in Harajuku in Takeshita Street, taking in the extensive cosplay culture and crazy street styles all whilst I went on the hunt for Angels Heart Crepes. Yes, this is actually a thing on my bucket list "#166 Eat Angels Heart Crepes at Harajuku", and no my bucket list does not consist of shallow things like this (rofl.) And now, I can proudly say that I can strike something else off my bucket list :) #simplejoysoflife
Shibuya was the last stop for the day and I wanted to try my luck at capturing the infamous Shibuya Crossing, so like all other tourists, I camped out at the Starbucks facing the crossing and waited for the magic to begin. I have to admit that it was all quite captivating, seeing the empty streets being void of cars for a split second before being engulfed by a sea of people. After a good 20 mins, I finally broke free from the attraction of the orderly chaos and headed to Shibuya109 for some retail therapy :)
Was probably most excited to visit Hakone during this trip because I heard so many amazing things about it and I'm glad to say that it certainly did not disappoint! Have to admit that it was quite unfortunate that some of the areas in Hakone were shrouded in fog though, but hey when life throws you lemons, you take those lemons and make some darn good lemonade, so I ended up photographing beautiful fog pictures instead and I have fallen head over heels in love with those pictures!
Started the day taking the train up to Hakone, kudos to the train drivers for working so hard, having to switch posts everytime the tracks reverse (Y) And our first stop was Hakone Gora Park to check out the lovely hydrangeas, azaleas and blossoms. Following that we took a bus down to Lake Ashinoko where we visited Moto-Hakone. Was so enthralled with the Red Torii in Lake Ashinoko that I ended up spending quite a while just sitting there whilst watching the boats go by.
Following that, we boarded the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise towards Togendai. And the ship was supposed to offer the most spectacular views of Mt. Fuji, but once again the elusive mountain was hiding behind the fog and mist. Got my natural high fix when we took the Hakone Ropeway back up towards Owakudani where we got off to visit the volcanic valley and sulphur springs. Breathing in the sulphur tinted air, having Kuro-Tamago accompanied with the splendid view that Mother Nature had to offer definitely helped me end my day on a high note.
There's so much more to see in Hakone, but sadly we had to leave to catch the final ropeway back to the train station. Will definitely make a trip back here if I return to Tokyo in the future.
If you ever do make a visit to Hakone, do so in Spring during the Cherry Blossom season to catch some beautiful blossoms or in Fall when the leaves change and the entire place turns into a stunning autumn wonderland.
Keep checking this space for Part II <3
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