Wandering in woods of Mount Mitake !

Monday April 23, 2007

The day was Saturday the 21th Aprtil, 2007 when we (I N Swapna, Rajan N shraddha, Bipin N Beena) decided to go for a one day trip to Mt Mitake.

The weather forecast said it will be partly cloudy and partly sunny. But we took a chance since from the Monday of that week it was continuously raining and we all were sick and tired of that. Hence we really needed a freak out. So we decided to start our journey on Saturday morning aroung 8 am to a place called Mt Mitake.
The route was to go
from Myoden --> Nakano -->MitakA -->Tachikawa -->Ome-->MitakE...

You can find snaps at the following link
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/straighttoprem/album/576460762399356930

The journey till the Mt Mitake was intresting. Trains took us till Mt Mitake Station and from there we need to take Bus till a station where Cable Car was waiting us to take us till the Mt Mitake trek start point. We reached at the trek start point at aroung 12 pm. It was a lovely view point from where we could take a glimpse of Tokyo, Chiba and all palces which we left for this place. There we decided to have our breakfast with sandwitches. Its really very "Anandmayee" to eat at such lush green places. So after break fast we decide to visit two famous spots called "Rock Garden" and "Nayana Falls". While on the way we enquired checked about the possibility of doing night stay in those lovely woods and hece we enquired to a "Visitor Center" for the availability. And to out surprize we got a cottage kind of place for 8 person. Since we were only 6 the place suited us very well. We went to take a look at it. It was a lovely duplex cottage with the windows facing the beautiful and deep valley. Everyone reminded of their honeymoons with the similar views :) We were informed there was no food avialable for dinner in that village after 6pm or so. Mount Mitake trek start point is a small village type place where the shops almost close by 5pm. yes you read it right. We requested a hotel owner to provide us dinner by 7 pm. The shopowner was a lady and she readily agreed for that. simultaneously we booked the cottage also and dumped our bags there and again started for our trek with a plan of returning by 6pm.

So again we were on the trek. The rocks on the sides of the trails covered with green things are called as Rock Garen and the Fall were also quite decent.We had lot of fun while going deep into jungles, specially when searching of Rock Garden. The route was never ending only. Along the route came big shrines, small shrines, small wooden bridges for crossing shallow waters, very very tall trees, untouched natural wooden sticks (which i carried all the way till we departed for tokyo), the passing by trekkers and lots of other stuffs. It was all fun in deep jungles.


Around 4:30 pm we started our journey back to our Cottages. We didnt planned to stay when we were leaving for this trek. So there were no extra clothes, towel, tooth brush, soap, cream or anything like that which we carry when we are supposed to stay. So have to struggle a bit in buying those things since it was not easily available there. But at last managed to find brush/toothpaste/towels/soaps from shops and resteraunts().That part was also fun.

When we returned to the palce where cottage was located , sat somethimes, sang few songs in the open and then proceeded towards the cottage. Evreybody was tired and need to freshen up a bit. After gettging rejuvenated, the lovely dinner was waiting for us. The dinner included "O-Soba"(like noudles), "Chyahan" (chinese masala rice :)) and "Onigiri" (Rice bowl which is covered by a Sea Leaf and inside there is a pickle like thing called Ume-Boshi).We also had our lunch left whcih we didnt eat "Theple" and "Dahi", which saved some lifes :). It was a filling dinner and around 6 onigiris and few theples were left for next day breakfast.

We took dinner on the ground floor and then we went to 1st floor. There someone suggeted we wil play "Dumb Sherads" It started with me where i was asked to act the movie called "Bewafa". I really couldnt act that moview :((. After that we went on playing till 11:30 pm and it was becoming very hillarious specially when Bipin was asked to act for "Badhai ho badahi" ,"Atank hi Atank" (you can imagine how you can act such movies), "Wajood", "Ina Menna Deeka", "Sailab", "Hakikat", "Tejaswini", "36 Antop hill" and more and to end with "Hawas" (dont imagine anything ):))...In a nut shell it was all fun on that saturday night.Then we went to sleep.

When we wake up next morning I came to know nobody was able to sleep except I and Bipin. When we asked why we came to know that we were "Snoring" like anything :)) I really really felt bad for that.OK, then I and Bipin went out to take morning Tea and Milk from vending machines (somebody shud introduce the "Tapri" concept here yaar, badly need it) to compensate bad their sleeps. Then by 10 am on that lovely sunday morning we strted our journey back. In the return journey we decided to go on foot skipping that Cable Car.On the way we sang and sang and sang ans said "Konnichiwa" to all passing by people.Took lot of humourous snaps, took shortcuts (first i and bipin only , for which I got scolded too :)) but soon it was peace :)) but i m sorry for that and soon we took shorcuts with our betterhalfs :)))

It was a lovely journey, took us aroung 1 hour 30 minutes and then when we reached as bus stop the bus has just left hence we need to wals again for arnd 45 minutes. On the way we got good and close glimpse of a river where people we fishing untill we finally reached at Mitake Station from where the journey back to Tokyo thru train was about to start. Everybody was very tired and wanted to get in the trian as soon as possible.

So as a whole this one day freak out turned into a night stay at Mount mitake and it was all new experience again.Its a must go place for anyone who is a nature and adventure lover.