Well, we got up and left Osaka at 8:40 this morning. Check out, load up the luggage, 20 minutes on a bus and we hit the train station. The train ride was around 1 1/2 hours. No, we didn't spot Mt. Fuji. It was raining. A switch of trains and within 15 minutes we were in Hakone and arrived at the hotel. What a disaster! The check in line was hours long it seemed. Not really, but too much for the bug anyway. Checked into the hotel and ran up and dropped the bags. Very quickly snapped a few shots of the room before the bug got to be the bug and destroyed it.
Down for the puzzle box sale. Lovely items on display, and I really didn't intend to buy any. The humidity back home just kills wooden puzzles. Yes, I know I have a bunch, but to spend money on a good puzzle and know it will be destroyed is like having a child knowing you are going to expose it.
The puzzle whore got the better of me and I bought 4 of them, one smallish one, and 3 tiny ones. I bought a couple of cows, a temple gate, and a bunny put together for the bug.
Panda bought a lot, and Bob got a nifty telescope. There were so many beautiful puzzles on display, it was very hard to decide which one to purchase. Surprise, surprise, Matt wasn't angry at all. He's really been very good this trip. Not a word of complaint out of him.
Back up to the room to unbox some Hanayama toys I got (the packaging is too much and I can't buy any more if I don't unpack them, so.....
Dinner and we all got a lovely little wooden box. listened to a bit of music, ate more good food, chatted, snapped some photos and the evening was over.
Jerry Slocum was presented with a puzzle box that takes 1536 move to open. Wei-Hwa opened it within 15 minutes or so! A round of applause went up when it was completed. No easy restoration so they had to go through the same process all over again to put it back together!
Matt and the bug and I went to the spa for 1/2 an hour and now it's time for big bed.
Tomorrow, Puzzle hunt!
Photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2050393&id=1138673266&l=e5a7206657
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2050395&id=1138673266&l=4ab2966dcd
I'm really enjoying your photos and commentary. Thanks for taking time out from the puzzling to post updates for those of us who couldn't make it to Japan.
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