Finally a spring-like weekend and I took advantage of the warm weather for an onsen (hot-spring) trip to Hakone, a mountain full of onsen resorts that's about two hours by train from Tokyo. I went with six other friends and we were lucky to get a room considering we reserved just the day before. (It was a bit tight after the futons were laid out but no one was complaining.) The ryoukan (hotel) has three different onsen baths (with an outdoor one on the roof); the ryoukan baths were all very nice but a "tad" small for seven people so after dinner we went and rented another onsen all to ourselves, just a 5-minute walk from our ryoukan. Other than the scathing hot water (46C!) - which one of us didn't get used to - it was pure joy and very relaxing.
During the trip I couldn't stop thinking about my auntie Rita, who is battling with cancer thousands of miles away as we speak. We wish her well.
9:56:55 PM 
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