Ontario... um... is that in Canada? 

Mt. Fuji... the Volcano that Kicked My Ass.

We all thought it would be a good idea.
We all thought spending our 3rd weekend in Japan climbing Mt. Fuji would be great.
We were so confident about it, that we thought... HEY! Let's do it in THE DARK!

The idea was to get to the top to see the sunrise. We quickly found out that this was a popular idea amongst tourists. There were hundreds of people on the mountain with their cute miner headlamps. Climbing in the dark was good for two reasons:
1. It was cooler than doing it in the day.
2. You couldn't see how far you really were from the top. This forced you to take it one step at a time, and just marvel at how high up you were.

So we left Toyohashi Station around 1:30. I had successfully executed my first train ride from Kozakai to Toyohashi... a 6 min ride. We went to eat (had some amazing traditional Japanese pancakes... which are like omelets but ten times better), and leisurely got ourselves on the highway around 4pm after running errands. Japan has toll highways, so seeing as I was riding shotgun (of course!), it was my responsibility to 1) Hold on to toll tickets 2) Collect money for the toll 3) Not let the other cars we were following out of my sight. Matt, a fellow Canadian, was driving... and yes he did get into a series of car accidents when he was a teen, but he insists that he is now a "Roadstar" which means he's been crash free for more than 5 years...

We questioned this several times during the trip to Fuji. Matt is notorious for getting lost, AND veering just slightly off the road when reaching for something in the car. I also became the food wrangler (Cramer... McDonalds in the car on the way to Niagara Falls).

After some dechauchery on the highway such as... passing the other cars and making immature faces at them, honking, and missing exits - we made it to Fuji.

It is popular to start the climb from Station 5. It's about halfway up the mountain... and believe me, you wouldn't want to start at the bottom. Stn. 5 is where it's at. It is also the last point of genuine civilization. There are small stations along the way, but they are closed at night. Some of them offer lodging, but it is a little sketchy, and you share a bed with 2 other people. Quarters are tight!

The hike up was very daunting. A lot of panting and wheezing as the air became thin. At times I felt dizzy, which meant I was feeling the effects of "Mountain Sickness," but for the most part I was okay. The important thing to remember in the night is to keep moving... otherwise the sweat you've worked up will freeze you to death standing still in the cold wind.

It got increasingly colder as we went up. I had no mittens, so Noah, a nice guy from L.A. let me borrow a pair of his socks to wear on my hands. The older Japanese women climbing the mountain thought this was funny.

There were all sorts of age groups on the mountain. I saw old men with their canes puttering along, next to very young children, and even a pregnant mother! There was also a guy who thought it'd be a good idea to bring his mountain bike along... we couldn't believe what we were seeing... there was NO way he was plunging down Fuji on a bike. NO way.

The sun started to come up *just* before we got to the top. It made no difference though, the top was covered in clouds. Boo. It was also FREEZING. Some of the group were huddled in the noodle shop napping because we had pulled the **all nighter of all nighters.** We were all pretty exhausted.

The climb down was very tough. Fuji is just red sand, prickly lava rock, and lots of loose little stones. You have to be careful of every step you make. We all fell at some point. Luckily there was a rope to hold onto.

I slept for 12 hrs the night I got home. I woke up the next day and I could barely move my legs, and my shoulders still felt like they were carrying a heavy pack. I hurt, but I made it to the top!

The Japanese saying goes, "You are a fool if you never climb Mt. Fuji. You are also a fool if you climb it more than once."

Enjoy the pics!

Just about all of us... at Station 5... ready to go! Representing are Canadians, Americans, Brits and Aussies! 

Some of the crew by the side of the road. It was pitch dark out. Look how cheery and ready to take on Fuji we are! 

Not a great photo... but all the twinkling lights below are several cities surrounding Fuji... It was beautiful. It was a clear night for hiking too, so we saw loads of stars, and near sunrise you could see Venus very clearly. 

Almost there... just past the Shrine marking the top! 

THE TOP OF MT. FUJI!!! 5 hrs later... here we are. We were literally in a hazy daze. It was about 3 degrees up there... and in the midst of a cloud. There was a shrine, and a few lookout spots... but most of us ran inside the noodle shop to get warm and eat bad Mr. Noodle. 

Getting ready to begin the trek down... we were up there at the top for maybe a half hour!? 

The red rock of Fuji... we were all covered in it. Just imagine... this used to be HOT lava! 

The view below the cloud cover up top. Hello Japan!!! 

Chillin out before the hike back... the view was pretty amazing... 

Leaving the top... one last look at the shrine gates that mark the top of Fuji! We are all cold and weary! It's about 10C...

Look at all of us silly people spending our Sunday morning descending a big hunk of rock. Doesn't seem like such a good idea now eh? The worse part was trying to stay out of the way of the energized people going up. The path was very narrow. 

Up in the clouds... about halfway down, and watching the earth reappear. That hunk of wood in the bottom left hand corner of the frame is my Fuji stick. I bought it for a 1000 yen (about $12.50 Cdn) and I am SO glad I did. This saved me from falling down the mountain... er, I mean volcano... 

Station 6 or 7? I dunno... on the way down I felt like the Stations were multiplying. Look at that steep climb in the background. I had just finished that... pretty brutal.

The cloudy bottom of Fuji. After 10 hours of heartache, I reached Station 5, which is in clouds. This was the view from the parking lot where we all laid flopped out on the pavement. A few of the guys were already passed out in the cars!

Mushi-Mushi!!! 

Livin' Japanese Style

The following pics are of my new abode. I'm on the second floor of the apartment building, with 1 set of neighbours next to me. I met them once, and I haven't seen them since. When I first stepped into the apartment, I had my shoes on and I walked into the kitchen. Amano-san, my supervisor almost had a heart attack: "Oh Aimee! In Japan you take your shoes off at the door!!!" I quickly corrected myself. Now I am in the habit of it... even when I am coming through the door with my arms full of groceries I take my shoes off before entering. Afterall, when in Japan... do as the Japanese do...

This is Jitters my INSANE fish. He spends most of the day trying to jump out of the tank. He also enjoys banging himself into the glass or the rocks at random moments. I want to get him a larger tank and some friends... in hopes that this will stop his bizarre behaviour. 

The kitchen... the first room you step into through the front door. The sink for the bathroom is in it too... which is weird, but okay. I have no oven, just a gas range stove top, a microwave, toaster oven, and of course... a rice cooker!

The livingroom... to the left, the bedroom, to the right, the kitchen. 

My cozy bedroom. I love my big duvet, which will keep me warm through the winter. Japanese houses do not have heating! The floor is tatami mats, which are traditional Japanese flooring. It's very tightly woven straw. No shoes allowed!!! 

My livingroom... complete with tv, vcr, and my computer with internet. This is my entertainment area when I am homesick and trying to cope with culture shock. 

Gotta love these HUGE closets. I could put 2 sets of bunk beds in the them. They are wide and deep. All of my huge suitcases are stored away in there, along with clothes etc... 

The shower/tub room. Dig my Hello Kitty bath mat. It's the 30th Anniversary this year.  

This is my ultra deep tub. I can float in it! It's short, but it's an okay size for me. I feel like I'm in a small swimming pool. 

My washing machine monster. It like to ruin my clothes, so everything is washed in bags. It's all electronic, and in Japanese. So I just push buttons and hope for the best.