I got going a bit late this morning, not even leaving my hotel room until after 9:30. They recognize me at Starbucks now. The same guy has been working there the last three mornings, and I could definitely tell he knew who I was. He also happens to be deaf, so I order by pointing at items on the menu rather than speaking, which works just fine for me.
I hopped onto the train and headed for Odawara, my first stop of the day. In Odawara was my fourth Japanese castle. (I’ve been to Hiroshima Castle, Osaka Castle, and Nijo Castle in previous trips, and plan on visiting a couple others while I’m here this month.) This one went through several different uses before being designated as a historical site: as a defense point (like every castle), an Imperial villa, and even a school for a while.Its most recent restoration was in 2009, and some places around the grounds still smell like freshly cut wood.
I ate curry for lunch back at the station, at one of those places where you buy a ticket at the machine outside and then hand it to one of the people inside, who puts together your order lickety-split. As I took my curry to sit down, I noticed that all the people around me had glasses of water. Usually these sorts of places have pitchers and cups placed intermittently along the benches so that you can serve yourself (all the water you want for free), but I douldn’t find a single pitcher, and I just couldn’t muster up the courage to ask one of the hurried-looking customers or harried-looking staff where to get it. I ended up buying a bottle of tea at a different store, then hopped on my next train bound for Hakone. I planned to see the Open Air Museum and perhaps the Venetian Glass Museum if I had the time.
Of course, I had another train mishap. I got on the Hakone-Tozan train line, which was supposed to take me to the Open Air Museum, but I didn’t realize that I’d have to switch trains at Hakone-Yumoto station in order to get on the train that would take me up the mountain. So I ended up riding the train backwards a stop, getting off, then getting on the next train that was going in the direction I needed. Probably about half an hour wasted on that mistake.
The Hakone-Tozan line offers gorgeous views of the mountains. I could have taken a bus, but the train ride was totally worth it. It makes three switchbacks as it heads up the mountain, meaning that I spent some time riding backwards. Don’t worry–I was expecting it and took my motionsickness meds beforehand. I’m trying to get better at managing that, considering it makes me miserable for hours if I forget.
Anyway, apparently the Hakone-Tozan Railway is actually famous for viewing hydrangeas when they’re in bloom. You can even buy special tickets to get on after hours and look at the flowers, which are illuminated at night for your viewing pleasure. Looks like I have another destination on my gotta-go-back-there list.
When I finally made it to the Open Air Museum, it was only an hour before it would close. The museum is huge, full of various outdoor sculptures surrounded by perfectly manicured grass. I didn’t have time to see everything I wanted to, but I did get to see a lot of cool stuff. My absolute favorite was the Symphonic Sculpture, an echoing tower lined with stained glass and a staircase spiraling up the inside. I also liked the Garden of Stars quite a bit: it’s built like a maze, and you can go down a set of stairs and walk through it.
There was also an entire building dedicated to Picasso on the grounds, and several of his works are housed there. Really surprising for a museum in the semi-rural mountains of Japan.
I didn’t have time to make it to the Venetian Glass Museum, so I boarded the train headed back towards the hotel. A couple of school girls sitting next to me were working on their English homework, and I couldn’t help but jump in a couple of times.
“August, September…” one of them said in English, and then in Japanese, “Uh, what’s the tenth month in English?” Her friend didn’t know, so I told her it was October. 😉
I didn’t get to see near as much as I’d hoped in Hakone, but fortunately, I’m visiting Akira’s family this weekend, and that’s one of our destinations, so maybe it worked out for the better. It’ll be a pretty busy weekend, so I may not get to post for a bit. If I don’t write y’all before then, it’ll be Tuesday!
tonikaku 