Today is a travel day, and we wake up super early because we want to make the most of the morning. At exactly 5:40 AM, I almost die when the alarm goes off. We have to pack up the suitcase and check out. Since it’s a hotel without a reception, and the key is just a security code, all we need to do is sign the paper they leave in the room and leave a black card inside a drawer so they know we’ve left…
We head out at 6 AM to catch bus H, which takes us to our goal: seeing the Peace Torii before it gets crowded. We saw it packed yesterday from the boat. But the good thing is that no one is here yet, so we get to enjoy the moment alone. Well, a lady showed up at the end, but we had already taken our pictures. It’s located in Motohakone, and it’s a beautiful sight—though it would have been much easier without lugging a suitcase around, haha.
We take the same bus back toward Hakone, but this time we go past it, all the way to Odawara, where we’ll take the Shinkansen (bullet train). We exchange our exchange orders for real train tickets (when you buy a ticket online, at least through Klook, you get a QR code called an exchange order, which you have to redeem at a JR ticket vending machine).
Since we have some time before boarding, we decide to visit something nearby. We choose to check out Odawara Castle, and we absolutely love it. In fact, I’m sure it must have inspired some Nintendo game… The views are stunning.
By the way, you can tell we’re outside the main tourist areas—there’s absolutely no one else visiting, which feels almost strange. After exploring the castle, we head back to the station because it’s really hot, even though we still have an hour before our train arrives. Finally, at 12:35 PM, we board. When you take the Shinkansen, you have two tickets that you have to pass through the gate at the same time. Then, at the exit, the gate keeps them. A shame, because I like to keep them as souvenirs.
This train makes a lot of stops, so it takes about three hours to reach Kyoto. But it’s a very smooth ride. Maybe years ago, it would have been more impressive to us, but nowadays, it’s just a high-speed train like the ones in Spain. It runs at around 270 km/h, which is amazing, but as I said, it’s similar to the AVE in Spain. On the way, we eat some onigiris we bought at 7-Eleven (praise be to it)…
And that’s it—we arrive in Kyoto at 3:30 PM, and I decide to sort out our return tickets to Tokyo. The Shinkansen has become very strict with large suitcases, and since we’re flying to Madrid on the same day we return, we can’t send our luggage ahead like we did this time. Turns out, for large suitcases, you need to book seats at the beginning or end of the train car, where there’s a designated space for them. Otherwise, you can’t bring the suitcase (well, the conductor might store it in a compartment, but it’ll cost extra). After waiting a long time at the JR office, a staff member changes our seats and even moves our train an hour earlier, which is great because it gives us more time to reach the airport without stress.
Between this, the walk to the hotel, and checking in, it’s already 5 PM, and most temples are closed. So, we head to Kyoto Tower, pay the 900 yen fee, and go up (okay, it’s only about 100m high, not as tall as Tokyo Tower, but the views are cool). We spend some time enjoying the scenery and the sunset, then head down and realize it’s finally not unbearably hot anymore…
We wander around looking for a place to have dinner, but either we don’t like the spots, or they’re full. So, the princesses suggest Burger King, which pains me deeply, but oh well, I’ll allow it this once. We eat some burgers that don’t exist in Spain, and that’s it—it’s already around 8 PM, and we head back to rest. We woke up super early today, so we’re a bit exhausted.
See you tomorrow!