5/2 Gunma
We had our breakfast at 8 am and again it was delicious and big in portion. Then, we tried to make plan for the day. Masuo san was very kind to give us few points and offered us a ride to a local waterfall. It saved us for about 1-1.5 hour walk and we really appreciated. To the waterfall, it was a very good 30-60 minutes hike. The trail was not difficult to walk and the views were great. We passed by some fellow hikers and they were all very friendly. A simply konichiwa will exchange you a friendly smile and maybe some small conversation. I must say most of Japanese we met in Japan were very friendly and polite.
We first planed to get to Shima Onsen Street by 1-2 pm and have lunch there. Nevertheless, as we spent too much time on taking pictures, we missed our lunch hour when we got to Shima Onsen Street. In stead of having lunch, we had candies and a bag of crackers which we got from playing pin-ball. Also, we bought some local souvenirs and gifts for our friends in Taiwan.
On our way to our hotel, we passed by many cherry trees with beautiful cherry blossoms. Before the trip, I thought I would not see any more cherry blossom. I was very happy that I could still see some in Gunma and they were absolutely gorgeous.
For the last night in Gunma, we decided that we should have some wine with our wonderful dinner. It was a great idea that we did buy some local wines there and had them with our dinner. The second dinner was even better than the first one. Maybe it was because the second night was more expensive?! It was holiday week in Japan in the first week of May. Therefore, we paid high season price for our room. Nevertheless, with wonderful good, a great room, nice hot spring and excellent service, I found we actually got a very good deal. By the way, our room were big and could easily fit in 4 people.
5/3 Tokyo, Kangetsu-Rykon
Before heading back to Tokyo, we wanted to visit famous Karuizawa. Therefore, we got up early in the morning and had our breakfast at 7:45. As Shima Onsen is claimed to have 40,000 benefits to people, I took my last chance to take a final hot spring bath before leaving there. I almost did not want to leave. After saying good bye to Masuo san, we took bus back to Nakanojo and train to Takasaki and then Asama Shinkansen to Karuizawa.
Karuizawa was indeed a Japanese tourist attraction. The city was packed with tourists. Even the train was so crowded that we almost could not get on. As we only had few hours to explore Karuizawa, we left our bags in lockers at the station, and we rented bikes to travel mobile. (Ooop, one mistake, the bike shop could keep the bags for us and save us 900 yen). The rental for the bike was 1000 yen for 3 hours and 1400 yen for a day. Not just it was cheap in Japan, it was actually the best way to explore the city. The city was actually not very big and the land was flat which is ideal for cycling. If energy and time permit, one can easily explore the whole city in two days with a bike. Karuizawa is very western, very southern California like. What famous there was actually not Japanese but western desserts, including jam, cookies and ice cream. The weather was absolutely perfect there in May and the air was very fresh. By the way, Karuizawa is referred as garden in the back yard of Tokyo city.
By the time that we had to leave Karuizawa, we realized that we could’ve spent more time there. Unfortunately, we could not stay any longer and had to head back to Tokyo for our last night in Japan.
Asama Shinkansen took us all the way back into Tokyo city with only 55 minutes. It was a bit strange to get back to the city. I found the city was just a bit too noise and crowded.
Our hotel was actually in suburb of Tokyo. When I showed the address to my friend in Japan, he told me the hotel was right in suburb residential area. However, the pictures of the hotel showed a jungle like garden and two out door baths. When we found the hotel, we were all correct. It was inside of a quiet residential area but its garden was like a jungle. It seems a bit scary right when I said “jungle”. It was actually very nice place to stay. We had a very big room for three and only cost us 4,000 yen each. Plus, the hotel also has a guest lobby where you can use internet for free or DVD player to watch a movie.
For the last dinner in Japan, we explored the neighborhood. We somehow chose a BBQ restaurant. We first thought it was Japanese but turned out to be Korean. No matter Japanese or Korean, it was good that it was not Chinese.
After dinner, we decided to go to Ginza in Tokyo. Ginza is a luxury area, packed with expensive shops and bars. As it was late in the evening, we did not see many people there. We passed by a famous bakery in Ginza where it sells wine-raised bum. It was very pricy. A small bum cost 120-150 yen but they tasted good. Anyway, while walking on the street, we passed by a Taiwanese restaurant and talked with the owner from Taiwan. We exchanged some information about Taiwan and the SARS situation in Asia. He also told us that we should visit Ginza during the day. We were too late to be there. Before calling the day off, Frederic and I went to a local bar and had a quick drink. It was like a farewell drink to the city of Tokyo.
5/4 Taipei
To seize the very last few hours in Tokyo, we tried to get us early and head into Tokyo. By the way, as our friend Deborah would stay in Japan for one more day, she left to Osaka early in the morning taking the advantage of JR Pass. After checking out the hotel, we first put our bags in Tokyo station and left to Asakusa where Sensoji Temple is located. It was very crowded in Sensoji temple. We saved our prayers and wished for good fortune. Then we decided to leave that place. It was simply too crowded for me. Nevertheless, it was one of the “must” visit places when you go to Tokyo.
As I had some shopping to do, we went to Akihabara where is packed with all kinds of electronics store. It is a paradise for electronics freaks and a place you can buy Japanese porn DVDs. As we found them too expensive, none of us bought anything there.
After the short stop in Akihabara, we had about 40 minutes to walk to another “must” see place in Tokyo, the Emperor’s Palace. In fact, the closest we could get was a bridge (Nijibubashi) which was very far from the palace itself. To be honest, I am not sure it is really a place worth visiting, not to mention that you need to walk quite some distance from Tokyo station to get there.
We caught 2:00 pm trains bound to Narita Airport for my flight at 4:15, and had our lunch on Narita Express. Only after we arrived to the airport, I found that my flight was cancelled. Cathey Pacific therefore put me on one United Air flight to Taipei in the evening which happened to be the same flight with Frederic. With extra two hours, I finished my shopping for my mother and sent a postcard to my friend Uwe in Germany as I promised him. And, by 9 pm, I was already in CKS airport in Taiwan and brought my trip to a perfect ending. (and a bonus with my friend picking me up at the airport).
PS: 1. We bought 7 days JR Passes for our trip and each cost us 28,300 yen. As we basically did not travel to Kansai area, we could actually buy JR East pass which costs 20,000 yen. It was a mistake we made.
2. For taking Narita Express and all Shinkansen, you should make reservations first. It is recommended that you make your reservation at the airport where there were less people and can provide you with complete information.
3. We spent a whole day traveling from Odawara to Gunma. It was not a good plan. Suggest that you travel to Odawara and then continue to Atami or Shizuoka. As for Gunma, you can plan a separate trip there. Late October to early November will be good visiting Gunma for red maple leaves.
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