Our bus departed from Miyajima ferry terminal at around 14.00 for our trip back to Shimizu, a distance of 545km. By the time our bus arrived in Mochan's house, it was well past mid-night. After a quick bath, it was time for most of us to retire to bed. After a week of an interesting and rewarding bus trip, I believed most of us slept well and had sweet dream .....
Shimizu is the hometown of Mochan in the province of Shizuoka, about 170km from Tokyo. After one week of bus trip to Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo & Hiroshima, we were now in Shimizu to explore more tourist attractions.
The following morning at around 10.00, Mochan took us to visit Lake Tenaki, a picnic spot where in a clear day, one could see the magnificent Mt Fuji. Unfortunately it was a cloudy day so we could vaguely see Mt Fuji probably hiding behind the dark cloud ! We also visited the Shirato Waterfalls & a saki factory.
Another interesting and productive day !
1) Lake Tanuki (Fujinomiya city) - a beautiful park , very scenic. It is famous for an inverted image of Mt Fuji reflected upon the water surface. Most people come here to picnic and also to catch a glimpse of Mt Fuji. Lady luck was missing in action today ! It was a big let down as the cloudy day had blocked the view to enable us to see Mt Fuji clearly. Can you spot Mt Fuji after seeing the pictures below - this was perhaps the best view of the day on Mt Fuji ? But we were not disappointed, the four of us had seen Mt Fuji from a train window in the first day on a train ride from Tokyo to Shimizu
Shiraito Falls (Fujinomiya city) - cool and refreshing as we winced up and down amidst hilly terrains, lush greeneries and slippery steps; we all smiled when we spotted the Shirato waterfalls. Snow melting on Mt Fuji cascades down a 200m long winding cliff. It resembles white silk threads, from which the name of the falls was derived
3) Saki factory visit - what an educational visit, Mt Fuji crystal clear cool mineral water for saki making, saki sampling, saki gift packs to buy back home
4) Homestay in Mochan's house - home cooked meals Japanese style, early morning walk, Japanese school children wearing helmets going to school, rice straw tatami rooms, sliding shoji screens, country homes - Oh, what a wonderful homestay, an unforgettable experience especially for my wife and sister-in-law & her husband ! No snoring sound please while you sleep !
" People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges. Sometimes the road of life may seen a bit bumpy. But it's just a small part of the great journey you are on "
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