Day 3 of our Japan Deluxe Tour Package

We got our wakeup call at 7am to head out to Mount Fuji, one of Japan’s most famous landmarks. It was a long bus ride to the mountain (about 2.5 hours) and the day was very cloudy. The fog on the mountain rolls in and out, so within minutes of getting there it got VERY foggy. Unfortunately we could not get a clear look at the mountain itself with so much fog, but the shops and tourist stop on the mountain was very interesting to see. The road to Mt. Fuji stopping point was very windy, wo take your motion sickness pills if you get sick easily. I found that strong mints or cough drops with menthol worked well for me.
Our next stop for lunch was alongside Lake Kawaguchiko. Once again we were served an excellent, high quality, Japanese meal. The fish served was right from the lake. Right after lunch, we headed to catch our cable cars up to Owakudani where numerous hot springs make for a very smelly attraction. This is where the hot springs are used to boil eggs which makes the egg shells turn black. The eggs are sold at the location and locals believe that eating one of the eggs can extend your life by 7 years.
We were then taken to our hotel called the Hotel Resorpia Hakone. This hotel had an enclosed onsen (Japanese Natural Hot Spring) on the property and was quite an experience. To enjoy the onsen, you’ll need to bathe yourself first while sitting on a stool using a small bucket and a hand shower. Shampoo and body wash is provided for you. After your nice and clean, you simply relax in the natural hot spring and let the stress melt away. This is something you may feel uncomfortable doing (getting naked in front of others) but rest assured, it’s definitely worth experiencing!
The hotel lobby area has massage chairs and a children’s playroom area as  well.
Dinner was at the hotel that night and excellent as usual. Others on the tour not used to so much authentic Japanese cuisine were starting to have a time finding things that were “western” tasting.
In my opinion, this was one of the best days of the trip because of the onsen opportunity. Not all the people on our tour went to the onsen, but the 3 of us men in the group that went definitely felt refreshed and relaxed that night.