A Day on Fuji-San

This past weekend was non stop from the beginning. Friday night, Sian, Shelvin and I visited an izakaiya, or traditional style Japanese bar. You take your shoes off at the entrance, and sit at low tables (with a pit underneath for your legs). It was a very serene and clean place - in the bathroom, there were slippers provided, and the most sophisticated toilets I've ever has the pleasure of using.

The next day, we woke up extremely early to catch the 7:45 bus from Shinjuku Station to Fuji-Gogome. After minor issues involving locating the bus terminal in the dauntingly vast tunnels of Shinjuku, we finally began the 2.5 hour journey to Mt. Fuji. The ride was beautiful; Japan is a very lush country.

Stepping off the bus at Fuji-Gogome, the stop where daring hikers begin the strenuous climb, we felt the chill of the mountain air. Only in the months of July and August can you climb up the volcano, because, as we could tell, the rest of the year it was simply too cold. The ice is perilous higher up the mountain.

There were a few shops and restaurants here. We hung out and enjoyed the picturesque view, bought postcards, and mused over the blueberry cheesecake flavored Kit-Kat bars. We walked a bit up the mountain and played in the forest. There was a beautiful little shrine, where we made wishes to Fuji-San for 500 yen. Ian wished for Westgate to allow Sian and I to be roommates - which came true already this week! She's moving in Tuesday! Next time I have anything important to ask for, Mt. Fuji it is!

Well into the 2.5 hour ride back to Shinjuku, Sian realized she really, really had to use the facilities. Forsaken on our bus, sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, we noticed that the bus stops were Subway station names... and hopped off at one we recognized close to my place. We stepped off the highway, and went through a door... into a dark neighborhood. Oops. This was not a subway station. Not matter, we wandered around, and a friendly car salesman gave us directions and free umbrellas. It had started to rain.

We found the station 10 minutes later, and parted ways for a couple hours - meeting up again in Shibuya with friends for the night. It was an awesome time! I arrived home this next morning (having to wait for the morning train) and was pooped. But, being exhausted is a good thing. It means I made the most of my weekend. And that, I did.