Our family came to Japan to complete two very important missions:

1. To bring Junya’s to visit his grandfather in Nagasaki for the first time.

2. To bring Junya to visit Hakone Shrine.

We would be back to Nagasaki during Oshogatsu (Japanese New Year), but first thing first, to visit Hakone and give our thanks.

Because Junya is literally a wish come true right in front of my eyes. Sorry i mean right inside my belly.

2012

Made a wish for a happy, safe family and a baby in the near future.

2013

Wish came true – 4 months pregnant. Back to give thanks and prayed for a safe delivery.

2014 (Spring)

7 months pregnant. Kiasu, must go and pray and remind again in case it slipped the Tree God’s mind.

2014 (Winter)

Had a smooth delivery. Back with my 6-month-old baby!

That’s pretty much the summary of the making of Junya lolol. When he grows up and asked me next time “Mama, how did i come to this world?” I can just answer proudly without any of the awkwardness, “You came from a wishing tree.” Totally legit.

So here’s the rest of the story of our trip to Hakone!

So happened QiuQiu and her husband was also in Japan for her babymoon, and one of her missions is to go give thanks to the tree as well (I’m sorry if my blog  starts to sound like a cult. For all you know it may as well be.) so we decided to have a double date and all go together!

The danna planned to drive all of us up (if you want to know how to get to Hakone by public transport, you could read this blog entry), so here we are waiting for our rental car.

The 4 of us!! I mean 5. Sorry, make it 6. All these human things are a bit confusing lolol.

Junya, me, QiuQiu and her baby girl who could only be seen with an ultrasound.

Mama&bb selfie.

Let’s go!!!!

We took a slow and safe drive, and stopped by Ebina rest station for brunch <3

I love highway rest areas in Japan!!! They have lots of local yummy food and also some local specialty omiyage (souvenir)!

Junya is too young for a baby chair, so we improvised one with Josh’s scarf and QiuQiu’s sweater lololol.

Freshly baked Calbee!

UFO catcher!

And we are here!!!

Loving how crisp the air and how majestic the trees are. I took a looooooong breath and told the danna i wanted to contain 10 years worth of Hakone air in my lungs right now. He said no need, 1 year is fine because we’d be back again in a year’s time. 😀

Qiu has never seen/touched snow before so we were hoping that it would snow up in the mountains. But alas it wasn’t too wintery yet. In fact it looked quite autumny with some red and orange hues surrounding us.

But we found these all over the ground!

Some otherworldly formation made of… ice?

Looks like 龙酥糖 !!

There are also icicles!! Haha all of us tropical habitants were quite amazed by all these little wonders of nature in a season non existent in our countries.

We are back!!! Finally! I was very excited to bring Junya to meet the tree, and wanted to surrender him to the tree the way the Mandrill holds Simba up high and present him before the gathered animals in Lion King lolol.

With the magic baby tree that gave me Junya and (i would like to believe) also gave Qiu her baby girl. She said that maybe all the leaves on the trees are leaves of babies, so every time someone makes a wish the tree will shed a leaf and go like here you go, a baby for you! and then blows a tree kiss and turns the leaf into a baby in our wombs lolol. Yeap, that’s the story i’ll tell Junya.

We have all touched the tree, so this time it is Junya’s turn!

He was silently chirpy all these while, but the moment he touched the tree he started mumbling non stop!!!! Qiu said it’s like he met an old friend and 叙旧 with the tree. XD Lots too catch up huh.

Here’s a video of him talking to the tree. (and his first “i love you” is for a tree?! Maybe he thinks the tree is his mama hor lolol.)

After visiting the main Hakone shrine, the danna brought us to a less well-known “secret shrine” , but apparently the original and also even more powerful.

It was a good 15 minutes walk.

Junya enjoying the stroll

Was a beautiful sunny day!

And the end you will reach a Torii gate by the lake, and another Torii gate in the middle of the lake.

This was 2013 December.

And 2014 December.

The next stop was Oowakudani, it was really cold so we just got down, take selfies with Mt Fuji, bought the black egg and left.

An amazing view of Mt Fuji.

Wefie with Mt Fuji

Also bought their extra kao Hakone Milk. It was really very yummy! 😀

Right after that we checked into our ryokan.

The man behind is Josh, not the danna XD. The little man on the tatami is my sound asleep son. 😀

I think it is really the weather, his cheeks started to turn red like apples!!

I was always very jealous of all babies in cold countries having the rosy cheeks. I’ve never ever seen any baby in Malaysia with pink cheeks, so it must be the weather. And i was right!!! But turned out it is also a sign of dry skin so i had to put lots and lots and moisturizer on him! Anyway rosy cheeks really make a baby sooo much cuter. I’ll enjoy it while it lasts 😛

Qiu feeding Junya his dinner before all the adults go for dinner.

I love how everybody wears a yukata in a ryokan.

And the dinner was such a feast!!!

First there was sashimi

Really, really fresh sashimi

Pork and vegetable shabu shabu. There were also starters, soup, rice, etc etc etc!

But the star of the day was this:

Ok it looks a bit scary but it was SO GOOD. Simmered Tai (fish) is their specialty. I may say that this has officially become my favorite fish.

Somebody wants a share of adult food!

After dinner, all of us went to onsen!

Ok admittedly i have been to onsen countless times, and i can be naked with no apprehension whatsoever, since the rest of the guests are all strangers and we probably won’t cross path ever again… but with a friend, i was reluctant. I mean… It’s just… you know?! (Will you??)

But since it’s Japan. When in Japan do what the Japanese do and all that. So.

We promised not to stare at each other la hahahha. It was also Qiu’s virgin onsen experience! (And virgin naked in front of a friend experience i guess lolol.)

We also booked a private family onsen in the ryokan and brought Junya (his virgin onsen too XD) together! He loooved it!

And all of us slept really well that night <3

And that’s all for Hakone!

And… my son just woke up now so bye and update again!!!