201503 Tokyo-Izu Peninsula Road Trip Day 8

201503 Tokyo-Izu Trip Day 8 (Izu Peninsula Road Trip Day 4) – 1 Apr 2015, Wednesday

This was the most memorable day of our Izu Peninsula road trip for SY and me. We were super excited as we had 2 very exciting things to do – Spider Crabs and Shuzenji Onsen! Yes, we did stay in an Onsen hotel in Dogashima, but the Onsen Ryokan at Shuzenji Onsen was extra special.

 

Breakfast at Dogashima

We started the day early with an onsen dip and a typical Japanese breakfast at Dogashima Hotel Tenyu. So what’s a typical Japanese breakfast like? The following items are normally served:

• Rice, pickles and miso soup (guests are allowed as much rice as they required)
• A grilled fish such as salmon or mackeral – the fish is normally salted and slightly dried
• Other rice complements such as Hijiki (seaweed), vinegared seaweed, Mentaiko (salted cod fish roe), miso paste or marinated vegetable paste, and Nori (flavoured crispy seaweed)
• Most places include a small salad, while some even provide ham and egg
• A small dessert or fruits
• Tea

Sometimes, one of the items might be a special dish of the area. At Dogashima Hotel Tenyu, we were served a crab miso soup. Such a breakfast is very filling, a good way to start the day full of activities.

We checked out of Dogashima Hotel Tenyu about 10am after breakfast and packing up our bags. I usually like to check out of ryokans as close to their last checkout time as possible so we could enjoy our stay for as long as possible.

 

Koibito Misaki (Lover’s Cape)

Unfortunately, the weather didn’t reflect our excitement. After 3 days of great weather and blue skies, we were greeted with a cloudy and gloomy day. I drove us towards Koibito Misaki (Lover’s Cape) where good weather and clear skies would have rewarded us with a great view of Mount Fuji across Suruga Bay.

It was drizzling a little at Koibito Misaki when we got there. However, we didn’t let that dampen our mood. SY gamely posed at the Lover’s Cape booth for a photo souvenir to remember our visit. The stroll along Sakura covered path was lovely. Do take note the many stairs along the boardwalk towards the tip of Lovers’ Cape.

Mount Fuji View

Midway towards the tip of Lover’s Cape, stood a monument where one could view Mount Fuji through the hole on a clear day. All we could saw was a foggy scene instead. Next to the monument was the Love Call Bell. According to legend, if you rang the bell 3 times and call out your significant other’s (SO) name, you would have a successful relationship. SY and I didn’t ring the Love Call Bell since both of us were single and didn’t have any SO. We continued on to the tip of Koibito Misaki (Lover’s Cape).

Along the path to the tip of Koibito Misaki, we noticed many locks and wishes tied to chains. This seemed to be a common thing found at love spots around the world. The Lovers statue stood at the end of the boardwalk. On a clear day, visitors would see Mount Fuji towering over Suruga Bay. Again we only saw a foggy scenery due to the weather. We didn’t stay long and made our way back to the car park as our next destination was a lot more interesting.

Next: Heda

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