Kamakura

To celebrate a family member's retirement, we wanted to include a day trip away from Tokyo. After comparing prices, we chose KKday's "Hakone, Mt. Fuji & Enoshima Day Trip," NT$1,544 per person, including transportation and tickets for each leg of the journey. The ten-hour trip started in Tokyo and ended in the city, saving us the effort of figuring out the transfers ourselves. This decision proved to be a great choice, allowing us to save our energy for the scenery. Our first stop was Lake Ashi, where we took a pirate ship. The ship, painted in gold and blue, with its towering mast and intricately carved prow, looked extravagant from afar, but surprisingly impressive up close. We headed straight to the deck. The wind rippled the lake's surface, and the mountains on either side enclosed the lake in a tranquil basin. However, the lake itself offered a different kind of comfort. Halfway through the journey, a vermilion torii gate suddenly appeared among the trees on the starboard side—the Peace Torii of Hakone Shrine, half-submerged in the water, backed by a dense cedar forest. People were even queuing to take photos on the stone steps. The sound of camera shutters clicking almost simultaneously filled the entire ship. The contrast of red and green, under the sunlight, was so intense it resembled a painting; at that moment, I felt the scene alone was worth the ticket price. The second stop was the Hakone Ropeway. The carriage slowly ascended, with layers of mountain ridges below, the smell of sulfur seeping in through the window cracks first. Arriving at Owakudani, white steam billowed from the mountain walls, the air carrying the distinctive eggy scent of hot springs. A queue formed in front of the landmark black egg monument, with everyone taking turns taking photos; legend says eating a black egg can extend one's life by seven years. We bought a bag of black eggs from "Gokuraku Chaya," the shells were jet black, but the inside was just ordinary white egg white. Standing at an altitude of 1000 meters, by the windy pass, with a hot egg and a cool breeze, it was the kind of taste you'd suddenly crave after returning to Taiwan. In the afternoon, we went to Enoshima. The approach to the shrine is lined with seafood shops and souvenir stalls. Under the sign for "Marudai," freshly grilled fish is on display, the air filled with the aroma of charred soy sauce. A bronze torii gate stands at the end of the slope, overlooking a series of steps and crowds. My family stood in front of the torii gate, arms outstretched, gesturing that we had finally reached the sea. A child walked by, holding a soft-serve ice cream. This is Enoshima in summer: bustling, salty, and vibrant.

From Lake Chuzenji in Okunikko to Lake Kawaguchi, a journey of nearly 200 kilometers, we were extremely grateful to our driver for making our family trip with my 85-year-old mother-in-law a smooth one, avoiding the hassle of multiple transfers. The driver was also very quick to respond, assisting us in going to the pharmacy to buy medicine and caring for my mother. It was a very worthwhile two-day, one-night chartered trip; heartfelt thanks!