Traveling in the Past

Izu Kogen 2020

I was going through my old posts, trying to pick up posts about my travels. It looks like for the most part, I just briefly mentioned my travels in an HNW post and posted photos, but I didn't write a separate post about it. So, I decided to write about the past travels, at least of what I could remember from the trips.

The last quarter of 2020 was a time for travel. I went to Hokkaido, Hakone, and Izu Kogen, Izu Kogen being the last overnight trip I took in 2020 and for the next few years as the lockdowns and other restrictions started.

I went to Izu Kogen with a buddy who I met through AFF. She's a funny gal who's fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, and speaks English a bit, too. We met at the Tokyo Station. Despite me telling her where to meet me, she ended up at the opposite side of the station. Let me tell you, Tokyo Station could be like a maze to those who don't know their way around the station. She finally made it to the right site of the station. We had a bit of time before we had to catch the train, so we went to get some breakfast. There was a Japanese style diner open so we had breakfast there, grilled salmon, rice, miso soup, and some pickles.

It was time to catch the train to Izu. As we got out of the city, the scenery changed. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't great so we couldn't see Mt. Fuji along the way. We passed a bunch of mikan (Japanese tangerine) groves. Late autumn, early winter is just the season for the sweet easy-to-peel citrus. My buddy commented on how many mikans she saw through the window on the train. Well, we were going through mikan country. Tea leaves are grown in this area, too.

We got to Izu Kogen early, so we grabbed lunch at a typical Japanese diner. The food was pretty good. After lunch we went to explore since there was still plenty of time before we had to catch the shuttle to the hotel. There's a hiking trail with a suspension bridge so we headed there. It was pleasant walking on the trail. My buddy was a bit apprehensive about going on the suspension bridge, but she crossed to the other side. I went first, bouncing around, acting silly. Little did I know that she actually pulled out her phone and took a vid of me hopping on the bridge. She found my antics quite amusing, it seems.

The hotel we were staying at was nice, but it did have a long-assed corridor to the public bath. There was also a pool, but it was closed for the winter. We went to our room to relax for a bit before we had to go back down to the lobby to catch the shuttle to the park that was putting on a lights show. The display was really pretty. Could never figure out why there are always dinosaurs at these displays, tho. We went through the park oohing and aahing at all the different displays we saw. We even had enough time to enjoy some dinner. We settled on a Korean diner. I ordered the tteokbokki with cheese topping. It came out piping hot so I had to let it sit for a bit to cool down. Can't really remember what she ordered, tho. Before we went to catch the shuttle bus back to the hotel, we did a spot of shopping at the souvenir shop and I found a wine made out of mikan (it was pretty good).

The hotel stay included breakfast, which was a western fare of coffee or tea, salad, soup, omelet, and cereal. We had time to enjoy our breakfast before checking out and catching the shuttlebus to the Izu Shaboten Zoo. Might as well take advantage of free transportation when we can.

The Izu Shaboten Zoo is known for their Capybara Outdoor Bath, where visitors can see the capybara soaking in hot baths. They really look like they're enjoying soaking in the warm water, having peaceful looks on their faces and being submerged right up to their noses. It's a cute sight to see. Like any other zoo, there are a variety of animals, some from warmer climates huddled around the space heaters placed in their enclosures. A lot of the animals were taking naps when we went around the zoo, but there were a few being a bit more active. There was an an area where we could pet the animals. Capybara's fur was much coarser than than I thought. They seem to like getting their bellies scratched. Some tried to break out of the petting enclosure as people were coming inside, but the staff rounded them up and brought them back in.

Before we knew it, it was time to get back to the station to catch the train back.

Another fun trip with another fun buddy.