Saturday, May 9, 2009

The Nakasendo Way * Part 8

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The Nakasendo Way ~ Rest, Recovery, Recuperation...


Less than an hour away from Tokyo
on the speedy shinkansen
is the little town of Hakone,
sitting quietly on the shores of Lake Ashi.





It is here at a very comfortable hotel that I have decided
to pamper you with R,R&R. ~ Rest recovery and recuperation,
after the long and busy twelve days of walking the Nakasendo Way.



Firstly you can enjoy a hot sand bath
followed by a lounge in the hot springs outdoor spa
under the starry night, and then we will
listen to Pachelbel in the Garden and
look for Mt Fuji, well hidden in the mist





If you are feeling up to it we can take the ancient
Cryptomeria walk from Moto Hakone to Hakone-machi.
Here the trees are aged over 360 years.





Near the huge torii at the entrance to town
we will watch over the tops of our steaming soba bowls
as the town and lake disappear into the mist.





Gateless gate
Through morning mists
and murmurs from the sea
Emerges - one vermillion torii

Kinkaku





On our last morning we take a walk around the edge
of Lake Ashi one final time and there from between
the fir trees on the shore I spy the shy face of Mt Fuji,
her crown still draped in snow.



The Pilgrim
Without a word of warning look, alone
above the clouds, Mt Fuji's cone

Onitsura





The view of Mt Fuji was a perfectly appropriate ending
to our walk in Japan.

It was here at Hakone that I learned that fuji means wisteria.




The wind from Mt Fuji
I put it on the fan
Here, the souvenir from Edo

Basho





If you now find yourself interested in walking Japan or learning more about this Edo period and the Nakasendo history I suggest you take a look at www.walkjapan.com and www.nakasendoway.com, both of which are researched and created by Dick Irving and Tom Stanley the founding partners of Walk Japan.







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26 comments:

  1. I would make the walk tomorrow if I could ,I have enjoyed this trip with you so much thank you Delwyn!

    xxx Mona

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  2. Thank for the trip and the links. I'll jump over there and have a look. Ciao, MoR

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  3. Delwyn I love taking your trips ...thank you so much.

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  4. Mona,
    good I want to go again...
    Get into training then Mona!
    happy walking

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  5. MoR, hello again,
    It was a fantastic walk, plenty of history and culture to titillate the mind whilst the legs plodded along...
    Happy Days

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  6. Sarah,
    I hope you are resting up after your busy week.
    Thanks for the company...Happy days

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  7. O dear I just wrote a coment and pressed wrong button,gone beauty.To tired and ruined building my plantbox,I would love to walk along those wonderful trees,looking for Mt Fuji in the mist and after the walk to the lake I would be gladly having my hot sand bath,mmmm,sounds heavenly for my broken body.Happy days to you too Delwin,xxxSandra

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  8. Oh Delwyn , It sounds , feel, and looks majical! if only I would fly........ I so enjoyed your post!

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  9. great blog...! nice work. its more than just a travelog !

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  10. This was a beautiful walk, Delwyn. I really liked that picture of the lake, with Mt Fuji lurking in the back.

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  11. Lovely, lovely. These posts are so beautiful!

    Walking tours are such a wonderful way to literally ground yourself in the places you visit.

    Thank you for sharing your joy.

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  12. What an absolutely splended mix of visuals. I know so little about Japan, sadly.

    I particularly liked that "fuji" means wisteria. (So cool to learn that!) I have a beautiful wisteria and it's blooming right now . . .

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  13. Bee,
    Hello there,
    Well I hope my lttle walk has given you a tiny sample of Japan.
    Wasn't that great to learn as I adore wisteria too. My MiL had it along the side and front door to her home. Too hot here in Qld for it though.
    Happy fuji Days

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  14. Dan,
    I agree that you learn more about a place by walking through it. looking closely and eating the local food....talking to friendly people - these things become the memories...

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  15. Jelica,
    How are you and the family?
    I was lucky to find Fuji that day as it had been foggy and misty for our entire stay. Fuji is like that - very elusive.
    Happy Days

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  16. Delphine, well come along with me instead...
    Happy travelling

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  17. Hi Aleksandra,
    I think I will write you a longer email...coming soon...

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  18. Shafi - welcome to Australia,
    I quickly jumped to your place and will come back for a longer look at your interesting photographs. I enjoy seeing vastly different parts of the world.
    I am glad you enjoyed the end of my Nakasendo walk. You may like to go back and look through the series to get a better idea of the journey.
    Happy Days

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  19. Hmmm, my last comments have gone missing...??

    I have so enjoyed sharing this journey. I've been fascinated with Japan for a long time, and almost made it there once. I've never delved into the history with as much poetry as you have though.

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  20. Violet,
    Hi there,
    those comments get pretty elusive sometimes...

    I like it that I have found others interested in Japan so that this sharing has become very rewarding.
    Happy Days

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  21. I like the photo of the Japanese ladies lying on the beach all covered in sand - this is a typical aspect of Japanese culture - they love doing things in groups - very social lot.

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  22. Alden.
    Hello my friend,
    and none of them look at all relaxed about it if you look closely...
    Happy days

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  23. hi delwyn, some time back you suggested i "walk" along the nakasendo way. i believe it was in response to a piece of art i published in one of my blog entries. well today i took the walk through your journal entires, and so i can only say thankyou. thankyou for such an extraordinary series. it was an amazing experience to read and view, which makes me think that it must have been even more so for you guys who experienced it first hand.
    wow!
    oh and i loved the artwork you included - a lot - my favourite of all of them is "rain at omiya" by kawase hasui. steven

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  24. I loved these posts - thank you for them. I came across your blog on a google search about the Nakasendo, which I am thinking about incorporating into a longer walk in Japan next year. What a surprise to find that you were a fellow Noosa resident!

    Thanks for these great photos and information - most enjoyable.

    Cheers,

    Ian

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  25. Hello Ian
    You will love this walk, thanks for leaving the message
    Happy days in Noosa

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