The last post

Today we leave Japan for the land of the free. We have had our morning bath and relaxing with a cup of coffee before making our way by car, train and airplane back home.
In summary what we like most about Japan:

• the people, oh so polite and helpful, with a good sense of humour
  
• the food and drink
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• the toilets with their warm seats and self-opening lids and washing functions
  
  
  
• The countryside and the walks
  
  
  
  
• The onsen baths
  
• 
  

The trains, always reliable

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So to all my thousands of followers and well wishers let me not say goodbye but

The Yokohama is on us

Today we had planned an invigorating walk but unfortunately the weather has set in so our fall back plan is to visit Yokohama. This requires an hour and a half train trip.

We visit a famous shopping street and then have lunch in Chinatown.

The meal reminds me of the worst excesses of English Chinese takeaway joints, despite the palatable photos outside.
Following our stomach pump we visit the other great attraction of Yokohama, the model railway museum; this is sort of OK but decidedly underwhelming-all over in about 10 minutes.

We wander around the Sogo department store and then it is back for bath and dinner.

We continue to be statuesque

Today we visit Hakone central; there were the usual suspects of strange Japanese confectionery shops. The standard filling for all these pastries is the ubiquitous red bean paste-not a big winner in my books.

However we do find a superb cheesecake shop.

Moving right along we motor along to the Hakone Open Air Museum. We have lunch at the buffet restaurant-a sort of Anglo/Nipponese fast food fusion cuisine-without a doubt the worst meal we have had on this trip; post-prandially I feel like taking a dagger and slitting open my abdomen in order to relieve myself of this foul burden but instead decide to wander around the gardens.

Then it is back to our digs for bath and dinner

Fuji San

Today we drive down to see the cableway-an apparent highlight of our stay in Hakone.
The road consists of about 110 hairpin bends but our little Toyota Sienta

handles the tough going with ease.
We ascend the cable car and are treated to great views of Fuji San.

The local specialty here is eggs cooked in lava or something; anyway they are black on the outside but virginal white(apart from the yolk) on the inside.

We buy 5 and they turn out to taste just like hard boiled eggs.
The cable car dangles precariously over steaming and gurgling volcanic stuff which looks like Mordor.

On our way back we stop for a short perambulation in the woods.

We then drive off to an outlet shopping mall-full of European high end shops containing clothing mass produced in Bangladesh and Vietnam.
Then it is back to our digs for a bath before dinner. Frankly, the sight of naked old Japanese men has started to lose its appeal.
Then dinner.