Memorial Day trip to Enoshima and Kamakura
This year for the Memorial Day weekend we decided to do a little trip to Enoshima/Kamakura. We debated if we should make it 3 day-trips OR one 3-day trip. We can get from Camp Zama to Enoshima in 60-90 minutes by train. But going back and forth for 2 to 3 hours a day takes some of the fun out it, so we decided to stay in a hotel close to Enoshima - the Sotetsu Fresa Inn - Minamiguchi.
Like most of the hotels we have stayed at in Japan, the rooms are small but the cleanliness and the service are superior! Special pajamas and all the toiletries you could ever want are provided. We had a breakfast buffet each morning that was "weird" but delicious. It is definitely not the type of food we eat in the morning, but it's all very good. Here are the things on the buffet: salad with corn and green onions, hamburg (hamburger patty - no bun), teriyaki noodles, rice, fish, taro, pickled something, shirasu (small, tiny whitetbait fish), yogurt with granola, breads, strawberry pudding, eggs (both omelette and scrambled), tiny hot dogs, and assorted drinks.
Saturday we arrived at the hotel and dropped our luggage off. Then we headed for Enoshima (about 15 min by train) to rent bikes and cruise the beach. We rode for a couple of hours and had a great time just seeing all that was happening. Tons of surfers out trying to catch a wave! It was a sunny afternoon and we got pretty hot and sweaty.
But that was ok because at 4pm we had tickets for an evening at the Enoshima Island Spa (more about that below).
We are newbies at Day Spa-ing but I must say, I LIKED IT. Check in was on the first floor where you put your street shoes in a locker. That locker key was then coded to you and becomes your "spa pass". At check in they gave us a bag with towels and a robe and I made an appointment for a massage (dad did NOT). Because I was getting a massage I was also given special clothes (pajama type outfit) to wear for that.
Next we went up to the the 3rd floor where there is a men's locker room and women's locker room. This part of the spa is just like all the onsens I have visited in Japan. You change out of your clothes (birthday suits only), go into a large room with washing stations and you wash/shower to get all clean (I've noticed ladies don't wash their hair at this point, they wait and wash it after they are finished in the hot springs). Once you are clean, you get into the hot spring pools - 4 or 5 different pools at this one. Each of them has a different water temperature, and one had carbonated water. The unique thing about this place is that it has large windows overlooking the ocean with a great view of Mt Fuji. The bottom 1/4 of the large windows is tinted, but I was still nervous that someone out there on the beach or on a boat in the ocean would be able to see my nakedness!
Dad and I had a pre-set time to meet up for dinner (we allotted about 45 min for the onsen). So after the soaking we put our spa robes on and met on the 4th floor for dinner. It's a really nice seafood restaurant. You can eat there even if you don't go to the spa so there were people in street clothes and some of us in the spa robes. So strange to eat dinner like that, but again - the VIEW!
After dinner we went back to the locker rooms and put on our swimming suits so we could meet on the 2nd floor in the co-ed pools. (there is a special elevator inside the locker rooms that you take to get to the swimming pools) They have both indoor and outdoor pools that are heated (each pool is a different temperature) but they are not meant for any kind of swimming or splashing. They are meant for co-ed soaking.
There is another elevator from the 2nd floor swimming pools that takes you down to "The Caves". These are made-made caves but you sort of feel like you're in a real cave. We noticed other people taking pictures in the co-ed areas so we figured it was ok.
After the sunset, I had to leave to get ready for my massage appointment. Dad stayed in the co-ed pools and he said they had a light show with mist and special effect lighting. Then he changed and went to the relaxation room to wait for me.
Meanwhile I went back to the women's locker room, took off my swimming suit and back out to the shower area so I could wash my hair. Then I put on my massage clothes, and did a quick blow dry of my hair (they have several individual beauty stations with hair dryers, lotions, hair products, toiletries etc.) Then went back to a different area of the 2nd floor for my 60 min massage. It was totally worth it - 100%!!!
When I finished dad was waiting in the relaxation area and we headed down to check out. They scan your locker key and it shows the things you did that cost money (dinner and massage) and then you pay your bill. We finished just as the place closed at 9pm. I could hardly believe we spent 5 hours there - it flew by!
The thing is - this spa is on an island that has a walkway to the mainland, plus then there is a little bit of a walk to the train station. So by the time we got back to the hotel that night we were both exhausted!!
I slept in until 7:30 the next morning! Sunday morning we ate the crazy breakfast and then took the train to Kamakura, and then walked about 20 min to the church building so we could attend the Kamakura Ward. Everyone was very kind and polite to us. It was their Ward Conference so the Bishop and the Stake President spoke. Dad got the gist of it but I only caught a couple of familiar words haha.
After church we walked to Tsuragaoka Hachimangu Shrine. There were bathrooms there that we used to change our clothes. It was a happening place and we even saw an actual wedding going on.
Our next stop was Meigetsu-in Temple. This temple has lovely hydrangeas (these are currently "in season" and everyone wants to see them!) but it's most famous feature is its round picture window that looks out onto a garden. We walked around garden and saw the flowers (they are almost in bloom but not quite fully out) and the bamboo forest. Then we stood in line for our turn to take a picture of the round window.
By this time we were pretty dang hot and sweaty from all the walking. So we took a break to find lunch. Ended up choosing to eat at an Italian restaurant. I had spaghetti and dad had shirasu pizza (whitebait - yes those black dots are the eyes!) Very good actually!
Next we visited Hasedera - another lovely temple with hydrangeas. I'm glad we went to this one second because it was the best and I wouldn't have enjoyed Meigetsu-in after this one. In this garden you hike up a hill that gives an amazing view out over Kamakura and Yuigahama Beach.
Next stop was the Daibutsu (Giant Buddha) and then a walk to the beach.
While we were at the beach we saw a guy on a surf board going pretty fast across the water, but not with the waves. Eventually we saw him get off the board and bring it to shore so we strolled past to get a better look. He had a foil surf board that had a motor on it. So it puts you above the water! Crazy. You have to look it up and see it for yourself!
By this point we were getting a bit tired, but still had more we wanted to see. We took the Enoden (electric railway car that goes along the coast) back to Enoshima and then walked over to the island again. You can buy a ticket at the start of the trail that leads to the Sea Candle (lookout structure like the Tokyo Tower but not as high) that allows you to ride 3 separate escalators (each one of the 3 was about 4X the length of a normal escalator) OR you can hike up the hill on your own power. The price difference was only 100Yen ($1). I'm so glad we opted to take the escalators!
Once again our timing was great. We got in line for the elevator to the top of the Sea Candle and arrived just as the sun set over Fujisan. We have so many pictures of that dang cinder cone! To come down from the Sea Candle you are allowed to take the circular stairs that wind around the structure. I was terrified, but I managed to do it!
There is also a nice garden on the grounds around the base of the Sea Candle. We strolled through the garden and then headed back down. There are no escalators to ride on the way down - you just have to walk and walk and walk - then walk all the way back to the mainland, back to the train station, and then back to the hotel. Just shy of 30,000 steps for the day! (I think that equals about 15 miles)
Around noon we left the aquarium, stopped by the hotel to pick up our bags and headed back to Zama. We took a small detour for a sushi lunch (discussing which fish we were now eating that we just saw swimming at the aquarium) and made it back by 3pm. It was a great birthday weekend!!
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