Fuji Photos and more

So to climb the mountain I took a bus to the 5th station, pretty much like the bottom of Fuji (sort of). I arrived there at 10pm and started climbing and got to the top at about 5:00am I think. It should have taken a lot shorter but as I said, there was a queue and no way to get to the top earlier than that.

Some interesting things about the experience (at least to me):

1. The toilets are all pay toilets. from 50 yen to a staggering 200 yen for a visit to the loo at the top of Fuji. In english they translate this "cooperation charge" as a "tip". This is in no way a "tip" but just a blatant pay toilet. A "tip" is "this is a public park. use government money for things other than construction and maybe pay-toilets wouldn't be an issue".

2. It's a pretty popular gaijin (foreigner) place. The bus we took to the bottom of Fuji was full of gaijin. And I definately heard almost as much english there as in Roppongi.

3. Japanese people love tourism even to the point that they will hire a tour guide to climb Fuji. Climbing Fuji, while not a walk in the park, is easily done with proper clothes and such. The trail is marked for the blindest of people and when done in season, there's plenty of people around to see if you fall off a cliff. No need for a guy with an armband yelling into a megaphone every two seconds to check if the 30-100 people party is all in one place.

Now some pictures.


So you can't see it quite well...but that is Fuji by the full moon. It was really pretty but alas, no picture taken by me could really get it.


Me hitting the 7th station, 2700 m high. There are 4 major stations to the top if you start at the 5th station. First is the 6th. Then the 7th (pictured). The 8th. And the 8th original. Kind of repetitive I know. Then the top!


The stones get lonely, so it's preferable to throw them in pairs.


Kate at the 8th station. Still a good 2km away from the top.


At some sign in between the 8th and 8th original I think. 3200 metres up.


The first look at the sunrise coming through the clouds. Bear with me here. I've got 20+ of the same scene but with different angles and differing times.


If felt like you were looking from an airplane but we weren't!


Don't think I wouldn't go arty with all this going on.


Just goooorgeous.


Looking back at the sunrise watchers you can see the queue of madness.


More of the QM


It changed colours faster than the homeland security terror alert.


A good vertical pic.


Finally getting to the top and it was misty (like will's cigs) raining of sorts.


I couldn't find a sign that said you were at the top of Fuji (but then again I wasn't looking too hard), so we took a picture by the sign for the shrine on top of Fuji. Next best thing.


Starting the way down. Going down was surprisingly a lot harder than going up. Maybe it was the tiredness factor. But it was really steep and rainy and the gravel was loose and we were just slipping all the way down.


People on the way down. It was like a rainbow with everyone's different coloured ponchos.


Going down...




That's nowhere near the end of my pictures, but you get the point. It was a good time and pretty.

In other news, I finished 2 (technically 3...) classes today. That leaves 5 left and only 3 tests. And out of that only 1 test that actually matters. Hurrah!