Gakusei Travels

江ノ島と鎌倉

This weekend, Sam, Sienna and I took a weekend trip to Enoshima Island. We had planned this trip for a few weeks now after Sienna had visited with her mom and wanted to take us. She booked a hotel for us to stay at so that we wouldn’t have to rush back to the dorm so that we could explore all there was to see.

Sam and I left the dorm around 7:45 in the morning to meet Sienna at the train station by 8. We took the special rapid train to Shinjuku where we then had to transfer over to the Odakyu Subway line. I had never actually been to the other side of the Shinjuku station before. So through Shinjuku, and many other stations, the main JR East lines run through it, such as the Chuō Line or the Yamanote Line for example. Then there are smaller individual subway lines, such as the Odakyu line, which take you to other cities.

We ended up on another rapid train which we road all the way to the end at Fujisawa. It took about an hour to get there and once we did, we had to take a bus to Enoshima. So in total, it was about a two and a half hour trip to our destination.

Now, it’s hot. It was like 93 degrees Saturday. And the thing about Enoshima is that it’s ALL stairs.

Our accommodation was basically at the top of the mountain. We ended up going the wrong way at first because they put me in charge of directions which is always a bad idea. But we’re just walking up these endless paths of nothing but stairs in this smoldering heat and 80% humidity. Thankfully Sienna told us to only pack a backpack, because bringing a suitcase would have made that journey much harder.

Once we finally got back on the right track, we could actually take this escalator up the rest of the mountain. But here’s the killer part. You have to PAY to use the escalator! I’m like that’s foul. Y’all are evil for doing that knowing good and well no one wants to climb a mountain in this weather. Still, we obviously paid to use the escalator T^T. Unfortunately though, the escalator only goes up. You do have to use the stairs to go down.

In total, there were 3 escalators. On each level of the mountain there are different shrines, so you pay for what level ticket you want. I think the ticket to go all the way up to was like 500¥ for an adult or something like that. We did not go up and down very much. Especially at the end of the day. Once we went back up, we were up for the night. Sienna was trying to be funny saying “congrats on your first time climbing a Mountain.” Sam said, “the first and last time.” (c” ತ,_ತ)

We made it to our accommodation a little after 11. We missed our check in time by a few minutes so we had a little trouble getting into the place but the owner was able to reset the code. It’s basically a 3 story house we stayed at. There were four rooms, two on the second floor by the living room. One had a Japanese type bed and the other was completely Japanese style with only futons (no one took that room lol). On the third floor, the last two rooms had two twin beds in each. Sienna and I ended up taking the rooms on the top floor cause Sam didn’t want to walk up the stairs.

We dropped off our things in our respective rooms and cooled down for a bit. My biggest fear the day was heat stroke so we were extra cautious in drinking plenty of water and trying to use fans or umbrellas when possible. Just standing outside was enough to make you start sweating.

Our accommodation was within walking distance of the first place Sienna wanted to show us: the Iwaya Caves. We had to basically walk back DOWN the mountain down a different path towards the ocean. But there were actually a lot of shops, restaurants, shrines and other things to see along the way. It was like a mini town was woven into the mountain.

We stopped at one shop to get ice cream. It was so refreshing during the heat but the chocolate kinda tasted like chocolate milk. lol The cone though was this cookie thing that was honestly better than anything I’ve had before. The staff did warn us, but I guess hawks circle the area and will try to take your food if you aren’t careful. There were even signs posted urging caution. If a bird tried to take my ice cream, it was going to get smacked with my umbrella. It’s too hot for foolishness (ง •̀_•́)ง

As we walked down the mountain we passed another shrine. Sam got a fortune there and I think she said she would have pretty good luck. I also bought an お守り(omamori) or charm that was for protecting luck. We also went down this separate path that led us to something called The Dragon’s Love Bell. There’s some story behind it but basically, any couple who rings the bell will have undying love. I’m single so in my head ringing the bell meant you’d find love lol. So, Sam, Sienna and I all rang the bell. I accidentally rang it too hard and quickly ran off lol. We’ll see if it works ʅ（◞‿◟）ʃ

Iwaya Caves

At the base of the mountains near the sea are two intricate cave systems. After you walk down the mountain, you cross this really neat bridge that connects to the entrance. After you pay the 500 yen fee to enter, you’re free to explore.

When you first walk into the caves, it instantly feels so much cooler, because we’re underground. On the walls there are different informational boards, similar to what you would see in a museum or something, that had different history and facts about the caves. So, a little background. The two caves were formed over thousands of years of erosion from the sea as well as tectonic activity, like earthquakes and rockslides. An oracle was advised by the emperor, many millennia ago, to build shrines within the caves, and monks as well as samurai would take pilgrimages to these shrines within the caves. Nowadays, they’re more of a tourist attraction than a holy site.

At some point, the path divides down to Cave 1. The staff gives us candles to light our ways. Now, it wasn’t completely pitch black, but the candles did help to illuminate some of the small details within the caves, such as the little buddha and god statues that you almost miss seeing, because they’re lined up on the ground. At the end of the cave is the first shrine. We did have to be careful, because at some points, the ceiling is lower and you don’t want to hit your head. Sam in particular had to duck down a bit more, because she’s pretty tall compared to Sienna and myself. However, I am quite clumsy and tripped over the random steps a couple times lol.

The second cave was like a separate cave, if that makes sense. Once we exited Cave 1, we went down a second path that took us back outside and across another bridge into Cave 2. There was another shrine at the end of the path as well. The shrine in this cave was really cool. It was this dragon, and if you clapped, as you do for prayer, sound effects would go off like lightning and thunder. With the darkness and neon colored lights it was quite dramatic.

Now, one thing that was kind of dumb on my part was to wear a dress. It didn’t even really register to any of us that this was a cave at sea level, meaning it would be wet. The end of my dress got pretty dirty with cave water and mud…I didn’t even think to hike up the end to carry it. It was alright. I’ve gotten in the habit of carrying stain remover and once we later got back to our accommodation, I threw it in the wash and the stains came out. So note to any future travelers to Enoshima: prioritize practicability over aesthetic. Be comfortable over cute lol.

After we left the caves we wanted to go back to our accommodation so I could throw my dress in the wash as well as for us to change into our swim suits for the beach. Going back up that mountain was the absolute worst with the heat and humidity beating down your back. It was also kinda funny but I had a random thought. Along the way, there were several signs pointing to where the tsunami evacuation zone was in case of an emergency. As tired as the three of us were, I guarantee, if there was an emergency, we would’ve found the strength to become an olympic sprinter and made it up that mountain in minutes lol.

Beach Episode

So, we make it back up the mountain, change, then head back down. We go through the town this time by the main road where we stop briefly for lunch. Since it’s by the ocean, seafood is very popular in Enoshima. I ended up getting a seafood ramen which was a 10/10.

We actually had to go back across the bridge connecting Enoshima to the mainland to get to the beach (seriously, the day was filled with A LOT of walking). Now, as I’ve mentioned before, I have tattoos that are pretty big. Like I’ve said, I don’t really think the Japanese care if you have tattoos, but there are some places where they are still prohibited, such as most onsens, and, unfortunately, includes the beach. I kind of already knew and expected this beforehand, which is why I specifically bought a long sleeved and legged swimsuit to be safe. Low and behold, there was a rule sign right at the beach entrance that said tattoos must be covered.

What was kinda annoying is that we saw a few other foreigners with big tattoos who didn’t cover theirs and in fact were also vaping in non-designated smoking areas. Now, was there a police officer patrolling the beach checking people for tattoos? No. Could I probably gotten away with some of my tattoos showing? Yeah, maybe, but to me, it’s the principle of it all. If you go to another country, you have to respect their rules, whether you agree with them or not. You aren’t except from them just cause you’re a foreigner. Yeah, I was a little hot at first, but honestly, it wasn’t so bad after a while.

We jokingly called this the Beach Filler Episode, because in almost any anime, there is that random episode that has nothing to do with the plot where the characters go to the beach. The three of us just had fun relaxing and messing around, taking silly photos. BUT THEN THESE OLD GUYS RUINED IT. Not once, BUT TWICE.

So the first guy that was annoying came over while we were taking pictures. We were just being silly and didn’t care how they came out but he offered to take some so we said okay. He then kept trying to get us to do more poses, which made us uncomfortable, so we were like okay we’re done, thank you. He left but then came back later with his phone. We don’t know if we was video taping us or trying to interview us or what. But we just kept saying “no thank you” and trying to ignore him when he finally left.

Not even 20 minutes later another older guy came over! He was asking us where we we’re from and trying to shake our hand (idk what’s with them and trying to always shake our hand) but we wouldn’t answer him. He kept trying to talk to us and asked if we spoke Japanese. We played dumb and said no. He eventually left us alone. It was so strange and we don’t know why they kept coming over to us. We weren’t doing anything but talking amongst ourselves.

We hung out at the beach for a few hours, just laying in the sand and talking about nonsense lol. It was so nice to 1. sit down and 2. really not think about anything serious. We watched some surfers. Built a little sand castle, and just relaxed. I will say, the one plus of the practically full body swimsuit is that the only place I got sand was my feet!

Once it was around 6:30, we decided to head back to Enoshima to see our last attraction for the day.

Sea Candle

The Sea Candle is basically like a lighthouse at the top of the mountain where you can overlook the entire island at the observation deck. Yes, we paid and took the escalator back up the mountain, because we’re lazy.

The Sea Candle is apart of this garden, which name I cannot remember lol. The garden of course had several pathways with different flowers, but it also had many different restaurants and gift shops. By the time we made it, the sun was beginning to set which made for a really beautiful view.

It was really cool to see how the sky gradually changed. It’s like as the sky got darker, the city then began to light back up. The mainland looked like it was glowing, and the Sea Candle looked like a beacon once it was illuminated. Made for really pretty pictures.

The sun sets pretty early in Japan. I think the sky started changing colors around 7 PM. This also meant that several of the restaurants closed early as well. Many of them closed around 6:30, which is so strange to me, because some places in America stay open as late as 11 depending on the restaurant. The only restaurants still open were all back at the BOTTOM of the mountain and we all unanimously agreed we’d rather starve than walk back down again. Thankfully, one of the restaurants at the Sea Candle was still open, so before we left, we ate there.

We pretty much called it a day after that. Being in the heat all day is pretty exhausting, not just cause you’re constantly sweating, but it really drains you. There was only one shower in the entire house, so we took turns so we could get in our pajamas. Come to find out, the owner of the villa had snacks in the kitchen that we could buy. Stuff like cup noodles and popcorn, which we gladly paid for to have something to eat. We know next time to stop at the convenience store on the way and bring some light snacks. Because at the top of the mountain, there are no stores and nothing is open after a certain time. It makes me a little curious about the locals who live there. I don’t recall seeing a grocery store nor are there many drivable paths up the mountain sides. I did see a post office. I wonder how they live and do most day to day task. It seems difficult to me.

After a certain time we all decided to call it a night. We were all kind of paranoid and closed all the blinds in the house. The last thing we wanted to see at the top of a mountain in the middle of the night was someone or something peeking through the windows…

It was late, and we had a long day with an early morning ahead of us.

Day 2: Kamakura

The sun rose the following morning at 4:30…

I woke up around 5:45 to the sun in my face, peeking through the blinds, and was so confused. It was impossible to fall back asleep once I was up. By 9, everyone was up and moving, dressed, and had their bags packed since checkout was at 10.

Unfortunately for us:

1. It was already 80 something degrees before 10
2. Most restaurants did not open until 10, so we couldn’t get any breakfast until then

To kill time, Sienna wanted us to show us the Tidal Pools by the piers. We briefly saw them the other day on the way to the caves but didn’t go to them. The Tidal Pools are like these little rocky paths facing the ocean where people tend to fish and little sea creatures, like crabs, live in the little crevices of the rock. You will also see people out sailing yachts and boats. There was a part where you could cross over to another area, but I did not want to risk slipping and falling into the water.

Today, I think it was hotter than the day before. I think the weather said 93 but felt like 103 with the humidity? I don’t mean or want to complain so often, but it was just brutal. Back home and Indiana, I don’t think it ever got that hot? Even my summer in California I don’t remember it being this hot. I think maybe Las Vegas is the exception, but Japan heat is just different. I think by the end of the day I had some mild symptoms of heat exhaustion. I was trying my best all day to stay hydrated and use my fan.

Because of the heat, Sam actually decided to head back to campus after we had brunch, leaving Seinna and I to go to Kamakura by ourselves. We took the train through the mainland city. It was more like and old timey trolly tram instead, which was pretty cool. The train road alongside the coast which made for another pretty view.

Once we made it to the station, we walked a little ways up to our last attraction for the day: The Giant Buddha. You have to pay to get into this shrine as well. At the center is this massive statue of the Buddha in a meditative position. The area was packed with foreigners and Japanese crowing around to take pictures, light incense, and pray to the deity.

Idk why but my mind was just like, “yo, what if this statue opened his eyes and got up?” The thought was so funny to me and Sienna was thinking the same thing. lol. I know, it was random. The heat was clearly starting to get to me then.

Apparently, you could go inside the Buddha as well? But who in their right mind would want to go inside a metal statue when it feels like a 100 something degrees? That’s like going into an oven. If the weather was cooler, like in mid September to early October, I bet this trip would have been less taxing.

Overall, the experience was so much fun, and I got to see so many neat things and make cool memories. One thing for sure is though, I’m not built for this kind of weather T^T.