Picking up the pieces in Japan.

[drron]

Interesting way they present the wine menu - a 'primary' wine and a 'secondary' wine in each selection. What's the statement they are trying to make, I wonder?

Of course, I would sample both - purely for comparative purposes...

I'm looking at JL SIN-NRT as a sector of my 2019 DONEx currently in planning.

I am sure it is just an alternative on some day's flights as they didn't have the secondary Pinot on board when I asked for it.

 

[Captain Halliday]

@drron, can I plagiarise posts #56 & 57 for my TR? Same menus on my SIN-NRT flight on Wednesday, and I made the same selections as you!

Only difference was we had the 772 international config. No pre take off drink on that either.

Meantime, where are you the next few days? Itchi Asahi?

 

[drron]

@drron, can I plagiarise posts #56 & 57 for my TR? Same menus on my SIN-NRT flight on Wednesday, and I made the same selections as you!

Only difference was we had the 772 international config. No pre take off drink on that either.

Meantime, where are you the next few days? Itchi Asahi?

No problems.I have had photos and all pinched by Fairfax in the past.No copyright for any AFFer.
Tomorrow we leave Kawaguchi for Kanazawa for 3 nights then Katata,Lake Biwa for 3 nights.

 

[drron]

We travelled on the NEX express to Shinjuku. There we picked up some nice rice bowls plus fruit in rice flour wrappings for lunch on board our Ltd Express to Otsuki. It didn't take long to get out of suburbia and into scenic country with lots of trees.

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[drron]

At Otsuki we change to the private Fujikyu railway to take us to Kawaguchi. Some of their trains are brightly decorated.

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The views from the station.

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[Captain Halliday]

No problems.I have had photos and all pinched by Fairfax in the past.No copyright for any AFFer.
Tomorrow we leave Kawaguchi for Kanazawa for 3 nights then Katata,Lake Biwa for 3 nights.

We have two more days in Tokyo then about a week in the Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto region. Looks like we will miss you this time.

 

[drron]

So now we are on the Fuji view Express. But basically agricultural country.

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Each station has it's own Thomas character. If I lived here I would probably call my town Gordon!
Rice just harvested.

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[drron]

An unusual welcome statue to one town.

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Believe it or not this is the best place to see Fuji from the train.

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Back to the rice.

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And this is where Thomasland is.

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And some more people preparing to be scared.

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[drron]

It appears that they were expecting me in Kawaguchiko.

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But this was the train we arrived on.

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The area around Kawaguchiko station.

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[drron]

They are very used to tourists here.I went to the public phone to call the hotel shuttle and the station attendant rushed over saying "No, no. Please go to the Information office and they will ring the hotel for you."
Soon in the shuttle and to the hotel-the Hotel Regina. Now the room wasn't ready but there was a place I needed to visit but I came across this sign.

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Now I hope that I am a gentle man though to some I am a gentile man but today I decided I was a Gentelman.
Up to the room.We had booked a room on a high floor which we got.It was nice.

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Even a walk in robe.

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Good set up in the bathroom.

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The shower is actually to use before you get in the tub hence the low controls. A small plastic stool to sit on.
But something was missing which was worrying us.It took a while before I realised this might be keeping a secret.

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When you opened the bathroom door you actually hid the evidence.

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I feel so much better now.
But we even have our own trapdoor on the balcony.

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Sensible.

 

[drron]

We picked this hotel because it does have uninterrupted views of Mt.Fuji. A little hopeful on arrival as it looked as though we might get some blue sky. But not to be.

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The next day was unfortunately worse both morning and evening.

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Seems though this trip is cursed. And my psoriasis has returned after a year. Once again over the area of soft tissue injury after my fall a few weeks ago.

 

[drron]

So we hadto make do watching the rollercoasters. Fiendish.

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[love_the_life]

I really like the way Japanese bathrooms are set up with the whole bath/shower as a wet area. I bought a shower pail from Muji the other week and use it in my shower to pour water over myself to rinse off soap. Reminds me a little (very little) of being in Japan.
Pity Fujisan wasn’t playing nice when you were there but no doubt you’ve had good views many times.

 

[RooFlyer]

But we even have our own trapdoor on the balcony.

Is that an actual trapdoor, allowing you to drop down to the balcony below in an emergency?

If so, I hope they are off-set floor-to-floor!

 

[drron]

That night we made the mistake of eating in the hotel.Service was haphazard. I had a beer and mrsdrron a glass of Japanese "dry" white wine. Wasn't nice. She ordered the tempura dinner, I the sashimi.Her main dish came out quickly.

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And I waited.The next dish out was her small plate of sashimi.

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But my sashimi still didn't put in an appearance. The next dish was chawan mushi which we both had.

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Next came "small dish fish". Teriyaki salmon for both of us.

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Finally my sashimi along with a bowl of rice, a small miso soup and some pickles.

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Finally we both got ice cream for dessert.

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Back to the room and the theme park was showing it's colours.

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[love_the_life]

That night we made the mistake of eating in the hotel.Service was haphazard. I had a beer and mrsdrron a glass of Japanese "dry" white wine. Wasn't nice. She ordered the tempura dinner, I the sashimi.Her main dish came out quickly.

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And I waited.The next dish out was her small plate of sashimi.

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But my sashimi still didn't put in an appearance. The next dish was chawan mushi which we both had.

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Next came "small dish fish". Teriyaki salmon for both of us.

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Finally my sashimi along with a bowl of rice, a small miso soup and some pickles.

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Finally we both got ice cream for dessert.

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Back to the room and the theme park was showing it's colours.

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Food looks ok though I don’t like flavour of the egg custard much. An acquired taste I haven’t acquired.

 

[drron]

Is that an actual trapdoor, allowing you to drop down to the balcony below in an emergency?

If so, I hope they are off-set floor-to-floor!

Yes they are offset floor to floor but no need to drop down. The Japanese are great at practical details. As you lift the trapdoor the cover on the roof of the balcony below opens and you see this-

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So you can climb down.

 

[drron]

Food looks ok though I don’t like flavour of the egg custard much. An acquired taste I haven’t acquired.

It was presented well and most was good.The salmon sashimi though was well below par.

 

[drron]

So Friday morning arrives and there was obviously no point going up Mt.Fuji or doing the scenic loop bus around it.So we decided to do the sightseeing buses.Three lines Red, Green and blue in increasing lengths.We decided on doing the Green route first which goes along one shore of Lake Kawaguchiko and around Lake Saiko. Only costs 1500 yen for 2 days-slightly less than $20. Though not really a great bus for sightseeing as they go like the clappers.
As you board and take off they play music-"On a Clear Day".Not very funny.Near the station a place for those who don't want to pay much.

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Then off around the lakes.

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[drron]

I, of course, was on the wrong side of the bus to view agriculture and the Japanese version of a waterfront resort.

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Plus flowers and forests.

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And a park with Tokyo kids on an excursion.

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