Ashinoko (Lake Ashi) on a summer morning

A friend of mine and I have been planning to go somewhere for a day trip for quite some time. We didn't have any plans in particular but we were considering some places close to Tokyo. Hakone was an obvious option.

Although the mercury soared to a sweltering 37C in Tokyo, we headed off to a not-much-cooler Hakone (around 34C). This was my twelfth time to visit Hakone! Usually, I'd shoot such a photograph from Motohakone port on the Ashinoko (Lake Ashi) because of the possibility of a clear view of Mt. Fuji. However, since we started the summer stamp collecting game, we had to stop by the Hakonemachi port. Mt. Fuji was not visible, thanks to the summer haze, but it was worth a short stroll by the lakeside near the Hakonemachi port.

We collected 6 points (one short of the maximum) and got our prizes at the end of the day!