Hiking Mount Fuji

Fuji-San

Hiking Mount Fuji

Basic information:  Mt. Fuji  is 12,388ft (3776m).   The Kawaguchiko 5th station starts at 7562 feet(2305m).   The trail is only about 3.7 miles (6km), but it takes most hikers 5-7 hours to get to the top.  Hiking season is very short, only two months, due to extreme weather on the Mountain. 

Trail Head

Trail:  I went the most popular route which is to take a bus from Kawaguchiko Station, ride about 50 minutes to Kawaguichiko 5th station, and then hike to the summit.    I decided to do the sunrise hike.

What I brought:  A weak flashlight (not on purpose), gloves, runners jacket, rain jacket, energy bar, 2 liters of water, money and a lot of 100 yen coins (for the bathrooms). 

At one of the huts on the way up

The stations:  The huts and station were my favorite part of the hike up.  Each of them sold different things.  Some had bananas and chocolate, some had ramen and coffee, others offered hats and gloves (which I was VERY grateful for!), and some even offered beds.    A lot of hikers opted to start the hike early and then sleep for a few hours at one of the huts.  The people who ran the hut would wake them up so they could make it to the top to see the sunrise.  I usually just marched on by the huts because I didn't want to stop, but if were to go again, I would start the hike earlier and spend more time at each of them. 

the line went on and on and on.......

The hike:  I started my hike at 10:30pm and reached the summit at 4:50am.  I planned on hiking alone because I am a TERRIBLE hiker.  I tend to get really nauseous, my heart rate shoots to about 220, and I get so dizzy that I sometimes black out.   I hate making people wait for me and I am much more likely to push myself if I am with others.  So I went by myself.    I met people on the bus so we started the trail together.  We all ended up separating at about half way.    

The hike itself was not that difficult.  I had expected a difficult trail, but it was actually not too bad.   The worst part of doing the sunrise hike on this particular trail is that you basically stand in line for the last 3 hours to get to the top.  It is difficult to pass people and if you do, it is kind of rude. 

The last two hours of the hike were very cold!  I assumed that I would stay relatively warm while hiking, but because the line was so slow, there is not enough energy being created to produce warmth. There were times when I huddled down in a little ball shivering. lol.  I didn't bring enough to wear!

The Summit

 I made it up to the top in time to see the sunrise.  It was breath taking.  I can't even begin to describe how beautiful the view was.    At the summit there are restaurants, vending machines, and men selling hot chocolate, coffee, and beer.   
 

Standing next to the caldera drinking hot chocolate

Soooo beautiful!

The crowd at the top cheering and taking pictures as the sun came up.

The tori stands at the end of the trail.  You go under it as
you reach the summit.  This isn't the greatest picture.

The descent:  Was miserable!  The only good part was the seeing the stunning view during the day.  It's steep, the ground is soft and rocky, and switch backs seem to go on forever.  The bees were the worst part.  I'm terrified of them and these little suckers were persistent.  I ran the whole way and made it down in an hour and 30 minutes.  If I stopped for a second to rest I would inevitably hear a "bzzzzz"   The worst of it was waiting for the bus when I had no choice but to endure my extreme fear so that I could stand in line.   I think the lack of sleep probably was the only thing that kept me from running around like a lunatic. 

Overall:  It was a great experience.   I would recommend it to anyone because the view is so beautiful that it is worth the long hike up and the miserable hike down.  It is often (in many versions) said that "Only a fool doesn't climb Mt. Fuji.  Only a fool climbs in twice."

The Last Few Months Have Been a Little Like This...

Here is the URL for those who want to see it bigger. http://youtu.be/u0GmPMr8UF4

Some random things that I have seen or experienced

• While waiting for a train to pass I observed 3 Jr. High boys who were laughing really loud and holding down the train bars when the bars started to rise.  They took off running and I thought "Japanese kids really are not that different from American kids."  And then...one of the kids dropped his books and all of his assignments went all over the place.  All three boys stooped down to help pick up the papers and said, "sumimasen! sumimasen!"(excuse me/sorry) to all of the adults trying to get around them.

    "...and in some ways they are very different!"

• A lady came up to me crying and thanked me profusely for coming to Japan.  She had tears running down her face and she said "The government won't thank you, but I will.  Thank you for coming!" 

• Finally!  A lady in my neighborhood said "ohaiyo gozaimasu!" to me."  Typically, they either stare or ignore so this made me very happy!

• After a particularly lonely weekend, I was walking home and a car passed by.  I noticed a little girl staring at me in the back window.  I gave her a little smile.  She responded by giving me a huge smile in return and waving excitedly.  How cute!

• I'm quite paranoid that a huge earthquake is going to happen and I'm going to have to run outside indecent.  A couple months ago we had three big earthquakes within a 20 minute period.  The first two were when I was in the shower! lol. The first time it knocked over my shampoo, the second time was even bigger and I got the heck out of the shower.

• I read a review of Japan, and a foreigner was complaining about all of the stares that he gets.  This made me laugh because, even as a foreigner, I totally stare at the other foreigners.  lol. 

Personal:  I'm doing pretty well.   I knew things would start feeling better around 7 months and they are.  Everything is feeling better. I was able to spend time with a very good friend of mine (but it was too short).  My Mom and sister are coming soon!  I am sooo excited!! :)

Work:  One of the most difficult parts of being at my job has recently changed.  It is a bit easier to deal with now.  I still have many stressful things (don't we all),  but I am handling them much better now.  My schedule is crazy and it is supposed to get even crazier.  The overtime is welcome though.  

Month 4 Adventures and Decisions.

My time off is so precious, and I don't have much of it here in Japan.   I spend most of my weekends trying to see new places. The experiences that I have I wouldn't change for the world. I'm in serious debate about what to do with my future. I have about a month to decide if I want to renew (for an additional 6 months.)   I am trying to decide if I should do that or consider going to South Korea for a year.  The experience would be great for a future in specialized ESL instruction.   The most appealing option is just going back to Arizona, getting my own apartment, and starting a teaching job.  I am probably least likely to do it though.  Decisions, Decisions!! 

Japanese.  I'm not going to learn it. I can understand a small bit, but speaking it is too difficult for me to pick up by only being immersed in it once a week.  (I speak only English at work).  I am sad about this, mostly because I spent a lot of money!  :)   

Here are two places that I have visited recently. 

 

Kamakura. Kamakura has many temples and shrines.  (Shrines are meant for several gods, while temples are devoted to Buddha).   There are customs that are done by the Japanese people as they enter the temples and shrines, (waving incense toward them, washing their hands, or clapping and bowing a certain amount of times when they are in front of   but I have been told by more than one person that this is more out of tradition than religious belief.  The majority of Japanese people do not claim to have religion in their life.

   One of the things we did in Kamakura was drink green tea.  They handed us oversized cups filled with warm, bitter, green tea that was made by mixing powered green tea with hot water.  To ease the bitterness they handed us little sweets shaped like birds that tasted of fine sugar.   This little paper was given to us with our tea. 

"Although the spoon is soaked in soup many times a day, it itself cannot understand the taste of the soup. But, unlike the spoon, just once drop of soup on your tongue can give you complete idea of how it tastes.  What this means is that it gives you no meanings to meet the most honorable men or to read the most excellent books as long as you are insensitive, like a spoon.  It is completely worthless you're too insensitive to learn wisdom from what you've experienced.  Those who try to get a sense of peace by giving pains to others will never be able to cut himself off from a chain of grudge against him.  We should not be insensitive like this person, wishing for this year to be better than last year.  Let's keep in mind that we do something good every day no matter how small it is." 

Amazing tour guides! :)



This amazing looking desert is filled with traditional Japanese
sweets.  The brown stuff in the bowl is really salty so that you won't
get sick of the sweet flavor of the dessert.











 

Yokohama China Town




Chocolate Dumpling.  For some reason
it tasted like Mac and Cheese.  It
was good though. 

 

Yokohama China town is very welcoming, colorful, and warm (in spite of the bitter cold). The streets are small, vendors Chinese restaurants line the streets, there are lanterns strewn about.  We went during the Chinese New Year's so it was very festive.  We could hear drums as we walked around from (at least 4) the dragons and lions that were going around and eating "offerings" from the restaurants.   We found the Panda Emporium and got our feet cleaned by fish.  Here are the videos from this experience. 

Here is the URL for China Town Dragon those who want to see it bigger.  http://youtu.be/Pe1QWWWOPKE 

Here is the URL for those who want to see it bigger.  http://youtu.be/TepkBQHoX0c

Month Three in Japan

For those who want to see it bigger http://youtu.be/oK1xESsphUM

For those who want to see this bigger  http://youtu.be/uWi06VsmMLU

I've already been here for three months!  It is going by so fast! 

I'm definitely hitting the hardest part personally, while things are slowly improving at my job.    I am exactly where I expected to be at three months!  It is so funny how well I know myself.  It really helps for me to realize that it is a process rather than depending on my emotions to tell me how I'm doing. 

My job:  I made it through parent observations.  I received good comments on all but 4 or 5 of my students. (They weren't even bad, just suggestions).  It really surprised me, because I am so new and the students still really miss the guy I replaced.   For the most part, students are adapting to me and are starting to respond more.     A lot of the older students (ages 8-12) still wish that the guy I replaced would come back, but the younger ones are doing great.  I still have a lot of work to do in my teaching!  This experience and everything that I am learning about teaching children is going to be so useful when I go back to the states. 

Personally:  Heather came and it was so wonderful to have her here.  I forgot how necessary it is for me to process out loud. In my job, I'm doing everything I can to stop processing out loud (for a number of reasons I wish I could vent about, but I'd better not).    I think I talked for three days straight! lol.  Poor Heather, thankfully, she is such a good listener.   I said goodbye to her today and cried right in the middle of the train station.    The silence in my apartment is deafening and loneliness is the worst I have felt since I got here.  I suppose I'll mope for a day or two and then try to get out and see more to keep my mind occupied!  :)