Guess what it is

http://bit.ly/WjwILD

A Tokyo Birthday

A clear view of Mt. Fuji, a tour of the Antoine Saint-Exupery Museum in Hakone, the best tempura meal I've ever had, ever, in Shinjuku. And an amazing number of birthday well wishes from my friends via Facebook.

This year's birthday present is so amazing, it can't be contained with wrappers or ribbons.

Not in Tokyo but still...

I've moved on from Tokyo to Hakone-Yumoto, a township full of onsen hotels.

Putting up at this place called Furusato, the cottage annex of the bigger Hotel Okada. I'd booked myself here thinking this was a ryokan with the full works, kaiseki, okami and all. Here, dinner is a lacklustre buffet spread. Even setting up the bedding is self-service.

Misunderstanding aside, this is quite a pleasant place to stay. Not so far from the JR station by bus. The hilly distance is possibly walkable though I haven't exactly tried. I did walk slightly more than midway for a sake run. At 3.30pm. Cos everything here closes at 4, says the recep.

Oh well. At least there's free wifi at the lobby of the main Hotel building. And an onsen that shuts its doors at 1am in the morning.

I'm not bored.