I’d had Hakone in mind as a dream Japan destination ever since I thought I was going to visit in 2022. I considered spending two days in the region, but ultimately decided on doing it as a day trip instead. While I usually plan down to the tiniest kernel of detail, I decided to more or less wing it. That was a mistake.
Had I fine tuned my plan more, I would have realized that Hakone was best experienced on a day with low winds. And I would have checked the forecast before departing and realizing that most of what I was looking forward to experiencing would be closed down. The ropeway was closed due to the windy weather as was the cruise ship.
I spoke with a nice couple that told me the cruise had been up and running earlier on in the morning. Unfortunately, it was shut down by the time I made the trek into town.
The winds were so strong that people were actually fighting to stay upright. The smell from the natural sulfur vents of the volcanic valley were whipped all about as well. I had to put on my mask and bundle up in my coat to protect myself from the abusive winds and the stomach-turning smell.
I at least got to marvel at the sights, pick up some souvenirs, eat a hearty breakfast, and ride the famous switchback train. The highlight though was that it was at least a clear day with epic views of Fuji-san/Mt. Fuji! That in itself felt worth it since Mt. Fuji is known for being shy 😉
One of the things I was most excited to do was eat a black egg. Hakone is famous for these eggs whose shell turn black due to the high level of sulfur present in the mineral-rich water they are boiled in. I’d completely let this slip my mind when I ate a bunch of scrambled eggs topped with boiled eggs for breakfast…I literally couldn’t stomach another egg! Lol. It’s comical how this trip turned out, but I’m still glad that I went. I could have stared at Mt. Fuji for hours on end. I guess I love mountain-spotting as much as I love plane-spotting!
A home for my words. 
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