Having a healthy dislike for heights, I was concerned whether I would feel uncomfortable trapped at the mercy of a cable car (or ropeway, as the Japanese call it) as it brought me from Sounzan to Togendai. Thankfully, my silly fears were immediately quelled as I caught spectacular views of Owakudani and Mount Fuji. In fact, many of us in the cable car couldn't resist standing up to have a better view of the surroundings. I overheard a kid comment to her parent, "Is the view really that nice?" and had to conclude that we must have seemed like a bunch of idiots in her eyes. Owakudani is the site of a bubbling valley formed by a volcanic eruption some 3,000 years ago. It is said to be the only place of its kind in Japan. I felt awe and reverence for Mother Nature as I slowly savoured the steam escaping from the fissures in the rock, the rocky mountains tastefully decorated with snow and the clear blue birds. Even the birds poetically flew in random directions, creating an interesting collage. It was a pity that I was agonisingly slow with my camera!
One would do well to hike up the valley and purchase six boiled eggs for 500 yen. These eggs are previously cooked in the bubbling waters until they are black and are said to prolong one's life for 7 years. A tad touristy perhaps, but hey, it's better to do as the Japanese do rather than dismiss it, right?