The trip to Mt Fuji and the hot springs was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. The bus ride was very informative. We were so lucky to have a beautiful sunny day so we could see the mountain. However, we could not go up the mountain because the road was closed off due to slippery roads. We still had many chances to take photos of Mt Fuji though. Lunch at Lake Kawaguchiko was very peaceful because the town is very small and quiet. Lake Kawaguchiko is one of the Fuji Five Lakes (you can go to any of them to see Mt Fuji but our tour just included Lake Kwaguchiko) near Mt Fuji. My friends and I were actually the only onces who opted out of the BBQ lunch but we still enjoyed ourselves by having a hot bowl of noodles to warm us up from the cold.
On our way to the hot springs, we were so nervous because the tour guide kept telling us how we were not allowed any clothing or towels in the bath. We were only given a small, thin towel to place on our heads. In the end, the experience was not so bad because the reason no one can bring anything into the bath was to keep the onsen clean. In addition, everyone minded their own business so there was nothing to be shy or embarrassed about. We literally walked on ice to get to the outdoor hot springs but it was worth it because the view of Mt Fuji while in the hotspring was amazing.
After our refreshing bath at the hot springs, the bus took us to the Gotemba Premium Outlets for some shopping. We did not buy anything because there were mostly expensive designer stores. They had a food court snacked on some food and ate crepes. The outlet had the view of Mt Fuji in the background. After a couple of hours, the bus took us back to Tokyo by 9pm.
The tour was great and organized but my only complaint was that my friends and I nearly missed the bus for pickup because we did not realize we had to call viator to reconfirm that we were coming. When I purchased the tickets (the day before), the representative at viator did not mention this so we were frantic and upset. We waited for more than half an hour at the hotel for the bus and ended up having to take a taxi to a bus terminal where the bus was kind enough to wait for us. It was frustrating because we could not use our phone (even apps like Magic Jack and Viber were acting up) and were dependent on one of my friend's phones because luckily she had an international data plan.
Photography by me.
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I finally had some time to post photos from my trip to Asia last January. I will have them all up eventually! I traveled to South Korea with two of my friends; a side trip after leaving Japan. Seoul was filled with shopping and more shopping. My friends and I purposely planned it that way so we did not get to see any historical attractions. We mostly planned our trip to shop because Seoul has a lot of markets and they had a big sale going on.
When we first arrived, it was already later and we were exhausted so we just grabbed something quick to eat for dinner and went straight to bed. In the morning, we had Paris Baguette for breakfast. The first shopping area we checked out was Namdaemun Market. They sold clothes, phone cases (I bought so many), bags, and more. There were several mainstream stores around such as the Body Shop, Zara, and so many beauty shops. There were also plenty of restaurants to choose from as well as street food. For lunch, we found a nice restaurant for lunch to eat kimchi and bulgogi. I do not remember the name because it is in English but you can see the Korean name below in the photos.
Our next shopping area was Hongdae. They had just as many clothing, sovenir, beauty, and phone case stores except the crowd had a more youthful vibe. They had a Hello Kitty cafe around the block! We did not check it out though because we knew it would be expensive and we had just stopped at another cafe earlier. We also stumbled upon a craft store called Art Box which had so many cute things as well as heart capsules (like in A Millionaire's First Love *fangirl moment*).
We returned to the hotel to eat and get dressed because we wanted to head back out to Hongdae to go clubbing. We ended up going to Club Vera because that was the first club we found and luckily got in for free by a sweet person in front of us while we waited in line. The club was very crowded, though it was a Friday night. There was a lot of laser lights and air shooting out from the sky. Most of the music the DJ played was electronic but we were hoping for more than that. Eventually we left and went back to our hotel.
The next day my friends and I stopped by Itaewon because it was known to be a popular tourist shopping area. We did not stay long because we were not very interested in their shops. Their style was not as modern compared to the Myeong-Dong shopping area. Then we took the subway to the Gangnam Underground Shopping Arcade (Gangnam style!). It was endless but most of the shops sold similar items just at different prices. I snagged the most comfortable jacket though! There was also a food court where we bought bubble tea. Afterwards, we decided to head back to Namdaemun again because we liked their shops. On the way, I saw all these shoes being sold in the subway for just ₩5000 so I bought three pairs. Score! We had lunch at a restaurant called Yoogane where they served delicious fried rice in a large pan that was cooked in front of you. Later in the evening, we went to a cute little cafe, still in Namdaemun, for some hot chocolate and tiramisu.
The food was delicious every place we went. On our last day before heading back home to the US, we ate Korean BBQ. So good! I wish I brought less clothes from home with me because I had to stop at some point since I had no more room in my luggage. All together I bought a couple of jumpers, skirts, shoes, and several phone cases. Seoul has cheaper hotel prices than compared to cities in Japan. The rooms are bigger too.
Photography by me.
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