Japan: Day 8 — Mt. Fuji ...

Mt. Fuji - an amazing shade of red in the morning

I got very little sleep after realizing I had a fever. People started getting up as early as midnight to make their way to the summit. The girls beside me left around 1:30am. I was still not feeling well and was desperately trying to get some shut eye. Check out was at 5am and since I was hiking alone, I had a big decision to make. I could feel my frustration building as I was lying there.

If I attempted to summit and started feeling worse, it would mean relying on complete strangers for help and perhaps ruining their trip in the process. I knew this was something I could not do. It would be selfish and unsafe. I decided to call it quits at 3,100m.

I got out of bed at 4am, packed up my things and headed outside. It was freezing! There was still hope in my heart that I was going to feel great once I got moving. When I got outside, I attempted to eat to see if it would bring my energy levels up but the loss of appetite that happens with altitude sickness had set in. Putting food in front of my mouth only strengthened that feeling of wanting to throw up.

There was a clear view down the mountain and I could see the city lights below. I had come up 800m in elevation the day before and still had about 700m to go. Although there were just two kilometers left of the hike, those two kilometers were going to take three hours to complete which gave me a fairly good idea of the intensity of the trail.

The entire trail is in the sun (thankfully it was cool)

As the sun came up, tears started streaming down my face. I was disappointed and frustrated. The feeling of nausea is not fun. Much to my chagrin, I put on my pack and started my descent. It was a gorgeous sunrise and I tried to think positively on my way down the mountain. I had made it more than half way up Mt. freakin’ Fuji!

It only took coming down 200m to feel better, which is so stupid. Part of me wanted to turn around and go right back up. I knew it would take me 30-40 minutes to re-climb that 200m and who knew what I’d feel like along the way. Another 100m down and I started to feel hunger in my belly. At the 2,700m mark, one of the huts was selling Chai tea. I got a big cup for ¥400 and sat down. My mother magically called me on FaceTime during my Chai and I had to fight back tears when I told her I wasn’t able to summit. I am glad she was able to share a moment with me on Mt. Fuji. Bill, her and I enjoyed the views and chatted about altitude sickness. They said all the right things to make me feel proud of where I was and what I had done.

It was a lovely hike down and I enjoyed every moment of it. I made it back to the 5^th station around 8am. I found the Yamarent return table and gave them back the gear I had rented and then set off in search of the post office and the bus. There was a 9:30am bus back to Kawaguchiko station.

A torii gate at one of the mountain huts

When I got back to the hostel, I took a long shower! I was hoping to relax for the day and get some laundry done. There was a typhoon in the area and the weather was doing all sorts of crazy stuff. I suppose in the end, the altitude sickness saved me from a very wet and windy climb down Mt. Fuji. 

I decided to venture out to the store when there seemed to be a break in the rain. The hostel wasn’t near anything which made it difficult when it came time to meals. There was a grocery store about ten minutes away on foot. I went there on memory and took the wrong street. I was wearing a light rain jacket that wasn't standing up to the rain that was coming down. I ran undercover to check my GPS only to realize I had left my Pocket Wifi charging in the room. Deep breath.

The only dry clothes I had were on my body and they were now soaked from the rain. I headed out from the shelter and back into the pouring rain and was angry with myself for not checking the directions. Once I got back to the main road, I remembered where to go. Although I was soaking wet, I decided to go to the store as I did need food. The store was heavily air conditioned and I was freezing by the time I finished my shopping. Thankfully, the rain had let up for the walk home.

When I got back, I found a free dryer. I had to be creative in what I was wearing as everything I owned was wet. I hoped no one could tell I wasn’t wearing a single thing under my light jacket.

I enjoyed a couple of beers and some food and then went to watch some TV in bed. My eyes closed around 8pm that night and I slept right through until 7am, dead to the world. It had been an emotional two days and I guess my body needed the rest.

Japan: Day 7 — Mt. Fuji ...

Out of the heat of Tokyo!

Mt. Fuji day! I left the guest house just after 6am as I wanted to be on the 6:40am bus to the Fuji Subaru Line 5th station. (2,305m) The weather forecast was showing rain at noon and my goal was to reach the hut (at 3,100m) before it started. There was a clear view of the volcano while I was waiting for the bus and I could hardly contain my excitement! The bus ticket was ¥2,100 for a two-way ticket, valid for two days.

The ride up was beautiful and took one hour. When we reached the 5^th station, I was surprised how busy the area was. I had a look around before hitting the trails. The first kilometer was a long path that had a slight incline and a slight decline. After that, it was straight up without any breaks in the path. There were endless steep switchbacks on volcanic ash. The ground was loose which made the inclines tougher.

The steep switchbacks

The sun came out briefly during my climb and it got super hot super quick. The entire trail is in the sun so I was thankful for the cloud cover though I couldn't see anything down below but gray.

The tough switchbacks turned into boulders at which point the hike became a rock scramble. The rocks were sharp and not easy to navigate around.

The steep and sharp rocky scramble

From the 2,900m mark to the 3,100m mark, I struggled. I was exhausted but making excellent time for my goal. It took me forty minutes to climb the 200m and during the last 100m, I started feeling nauseous and dizzy. It had also started raining at this point but only lightly. So much for beating the rain!

I reached my hut, Taishi-kan, just before noon and was the first to check in. The hut was nice as were the people who worked there. I got the first bunk on the floor against a wall, which is what I wanted. I was allowed to have two spaces to give me more space and he put a divider across for privacy. I used one sleeping bag for sleeping and one as a pillow. They did offer pillows but they weren’t terribly comfortable. The hut for the night was ¥8,500. The price included a simple but hot dinner and some breakfast to go. They did ask that you pay ¥100 each time you use the bathroom which I felt should’ve been included in the price of the bed. Note: the bathrooms were ¥200/use (honor system) the whole way up.

The sleeping room at the Taishi-kan hut (3,100m)

After an introduction of the hut and the rules, I took a rest while I had the place to myself. I fell asleep until the next guests arrived. At that point, I got up and wrote some postcards and then went to have a look outside. The skies had cleared a bit and there were some views of the mountain trails below. I was feeling tired and a bit weird at that point and I assumed it was the lack of oxygen. A lot of people were sucking on cans of oxygen and I wondered if I should’ve purchased a can before the hike.

The view before dinner (actual colors on Mt. Fuji)

I continued to rest until I got the call for dinner around 4:30pm. It was a simple dinner with rice, Japanese curry, a small piece of fish and two extremely small portions of some kind of pickled vegetables. I don’t know what they were. There was also a very small cake for dessert and a jelly type thing. There wasn’t a lot of food given but for me, it was enough. For the three big men sitting next to me, they looked like they were just getting started. We were given our breakfast for the following morning which consisted of sweet potato bread and some kind of chicken and rice in a bag. The men at the table next to me ate their breakfasts. Dinner obviously wasn’t enough.

After dinner, I looked outside and it was pouring rain. There were a ton of hikers out there waiting it out. People hike Fuji at all hours of the day and night. It was quite cold outside and I was thankful to be spending the night in a (somewhat) warm hut.

It took me awhile to fall asleep and when I woke up around 10pm, I had a high fever and was feeling nauseous with a headache. Oh no. Here we go again. My second high mountain hike and my second time experiencing altitude sickness. Ugh.

Japan: Day 5 and 6 — Tokyo to Mt. Fuji ...

K's Guest House in Kawaguchiko

I was scheduled on a 12:15pm bus from Shinjuku Station. The bus was brand new and it was very comfortable. It took just over two hours to get to my next destination. The bus dropped me off at a place called Kawaguchiko which is near the base of Mt. Fuji.

The Kawaguchiko Station (900m) was extremely busy. I wanted to go to the tourist information desk but there was a lineup out the door. I waited for a taxi to take me to my guesthouse but there weren't any around so I decided to walk to K’s Guest House. According to Google Maps, it was seventeen minutes from the station.

I got to the hostel around 3pm and was able to get into my room on the third floor. It was a mixed dorm that slept five. I set myself up before venturing out for food. I was starving. I went for a quick walk to the lake and the skies were threatening rain.

At Lake Kawaguchi

I found a grocery store and bought some things for the next few days as there wasn't much in the way of restaurants around the guesthouse. I also wanted to prepare for the hike up Mt. Fuji.

That night, I took it easy at the hostel and watched some TV. I was in bed early as I wanted to be up early the next morning.

DAY 6:

Fuji-Q Highland day! I had been looking forward to this park ever since I learned about it. This amusement park has four big roller coasters and all have held world records at some point.

I walked back to Kawaguchiko station and took the train one stop over to the theme park. The entrance was right there as I got off the train! A ticket to the park was 5,300yen with a discount coupon I had from the hostel in Tokyo. I was one of the first people in the park and got on the first roller coaster quickly!

World's steepest roller coaster: Takabisha

The first ride was a lot of fun but very jolty. I had to wait about an hour to get on the next roller coaster. It was once the longest and tallest coaster in the world. It was my favorite ride of the day! I had to wait at least 1.5 hours to get on the third roller coaster. This one launched riders at 172km/hour. It was cool! The fourth and final roller coaster was fun as well. It has a 120-degree drop, the steepest roller coaster drop in the world.

The other rides in the park were easy to get on with no wait time as they weren’t main attractions. I, of course, went on everything and had some good laughs.

Things I liked or noticed about the theme park:

Workers high-fiving the riders

• Each ride had separate lockers with a lock and a key for riders. When you get on the ride, you put your stuff in a locker, lock it and take the key. The key was on a wristband. This is a great idea as no one has to worry about his or her things while on the ride.
• Single riders don’t get to move ahead quicker. At other theme parks, they will call out single riders to fill up the coasters. In Japan, that didn’t seem to be the case. If you were a single rider, they left you single and the seat next to you was empty. I wonder why they do it this way.
• One other thing I thought was funny is that all the workers on the rides say a chant and clap their hands along with the chant before sending you off on your way. As you leave, they bow and high five you on the way out. When you return, they welcome you back with applause. It was quite cute!

I stayed at the park until 2pm at which time I set off in search of Yamarent to pick up my gear for Mt. Fuji. There were no taxis so I decided to walk the 1KM over. The day was hot and humid and I was soaked with sweat by the time I got to the shop. Thankfully it was easy to find.

After getting my gear, Google Maps showed that my guesthouse was just over a kilometer away. I decided to walk. As I was a few minutes away from the hostel, I remembered that K’s Guest House has two locations, one near the lake and one not near the lake. I was at the other hostel. I redirected myself via Google Maps and it showed my guesthouse was another 2KMs away. Damn. Sometimes the joys of traveling aren’t always joyous. I enjoyed the walk and laughed off my mistake. When I finally arrived at my guest house, I was hot and tired.

I packed my stuff for Mt. Fuji and everything fit into my rented backpack perfectly. I set out to the grocery store to pick up some sushi for dinner. I relaxed for the evening and watched some TV and went to bed early. I wanted to be on the first bus out to the 5th station in the morning!

Japan: Day 4 — Tokyo ...

I was up early to make my way to Mt.Takao. I had originally planned to change rooms for a night at a business hotel near the mountain but it seemed silly to lug all my stuff to another place for one night. It also seemed that the best way to get to Fuji was by bus from Shinjuku so I would’ve had to get myself back to the city center anyway.

Trail Map of Mt. Takao

A friend of mine from Taiwan, Alan, was in Tokyo and we were going to hike Mt. Takao together. The train ride out there was about 1.5 hours. It was easy to navigate and we had a plan on which routes to hike. Mt. Takao has six trails with the number one trail being the easiest and the most used. For those who don’t want to climb the mountain, there is a cable car and a chair lift to take you up the mountain.

We hiked up trail six as it suggested this was the most challenging route. It wasn’t challenging at all but it was beautiful and not too busy. When we reached the top (599.15m) Alan informed me that he got a call on the way up from his family. His grandma had passed and he needed to go. We enjoyed a cold beer and some snacks at the top of the mountain before he set off. I chose to hike down trail three as it was the longest trail through a dense forest and was apparently not so popular. I passed two ladies at the start of my walk and didn’t see anyone else for the rest of my hike.

As I was making my way down to the start of trail three, I saw a kid fall over the mountain. It was kind of horrifying. He was playing around and skipping backwards just as there was a bend in the trail. He tripped over some rocks that were along the edge and went head first backwards over the edge. I couldn’t believe I had witnessed it. He fell a short ways down the mountain but the thick bush stopped his fall. Had he done that at several others points along the trail, he would’ve fallen a much longer way down and most likely would not have survived.

His mom was talking him into climbing up the bush as I left the area. It was causing quite a scene and people were getting a little crazy. I couldn’t help nor could I stand to watch. Not too much further along the trail, I heard hysterical screaming. I didn’t know what it meant but it made my stomach turn. I felt very uneasy and nervous for the remainder of the hike and I made sure to hug the mountain side all the way down.

 The number three trail matched up with the number two and I decided to keep along this trail since there were very few people on these trails. The trails were through a lovely forest that was a bit challenging and slippery in parts. I followed it down to what I thought was a different waterfall but the trail looped around to the waterfall along trail six. All in all, it was an excellent day of hiking and offered the right amount of exercise before the Mt. Fuji trek.

I got home around 4pm and went out for dinner. I found another middle eastern place and had yet another kebab. It was delicious! Japanese food hadn’t drawn me in. A lot of restaurants didn’t have English menus and the food was quite expensive.

After dinner, I went back to the hostel and did a load of laundry. I didn’t pack many clothes and the few clothes I had were smelly and in need of a wash after two days of hiking. I had some beer and relaxed for the remainder of the night. Exhausted, I went to bed early. The next day was a travel day and I was trying to sort out some plans for the move.

Japan: Day 3 — Tokyo ...

I was up early and enjoyed breakfast at the hostel. My plan was to visit the coastal town, Kamakura. It was fairly easy to navigate my way there on the train. I had been warned that I would have trouble with the trains but actually they have been easy. Taiwan has a similar system so everything is oddly familiar.

Jōchi-ji Temple

I got off the train at Kita-Kamakura station and was planning to hike to Kamakura station. My first stop was Jōchi-ji temple. It has wonderful green bamboo, some caves and you can walk through a crevice in the rock. This is also the starting point for the 3KM hiking trail called Daibutsu which takes you to Kamakura station.

It was nice to be in a Japanese forest and I was surprised how quiet it was. I had the trails all to myself! The paths weren't challenging but they were muddy and slippery in parts from overnight showers. The trail popped me out near the Great Buddha of Kamakura. It was here that I found all the people! The area was packed with tourists!

The Great Buddha of Kamakura

After a visit and a rest, I wandered down the street in search of Kebab Kamakura. I had read about this place online and it had excellent reviews. The place lived up to those reviews. Lunch was cheap and delicious! The couple that work there are extremely friendly as well!

After lunch, I went to the beach for a quick cool off. I had a few things I wanted to do in the afternoon and I was 1.5 hours away from Tokyo.

The elevators to the observatory

I made a quick stop at the guesthouse to shower, change and charge my devices before heading out to the Tokyo Tower. It was raining slightly but I went anyway, hoping it would stop by the time I got there.

It cost ¥900 to go to the top of the tower. (150m) The highest viewing point (250m) was closed for renovations. The first observatory offered some nice views overlooking Tokyo.

I was exhausted after a long day and hungry. I ended up at an Italian place around the corner from the guesthouse called Miami Garden. I had a pizza for ¥1,200 (it was only OK) and two glasses of wine. I sat in the restaurant and did some people watching while taking a much needed rest and thinking about plans for the following day. 

Japan: Day 2 — Tokyo ...

Sure 6's Avocado Toast

I slept in and dawdled at the hostel for part of the morning before setting out in search of brunch. The skies had clouded over and you could feel rain in the air.

I found a place called Suke 6 Diner. It was a cute place with a healthy menu. I tried their avocado toast which comes on bread they make in-house. The dish was small for the price but it filled me up and was delicious.

After lunch, I made my way over to the Shinjuku Gyoen, one of Tokyo's largest parks. The entry fee was ¥200. The grounds were immaculate and the park was unbelievably quiet considering it's in the middle of Tokyo.

Just before the rain started at Shinjuku Gyoen

My next stop was to search out a clothing rental shop called Yamarent. I had an appointment for a fitting for some gear for Mt. Fuji. I wandered in circles following Google Maps but had no luck finding the store. After a half hour or so, I gave up.

Shinjuku has some wonderful architecture and as I spun around in circles looking up in awe, I noticed "YAMARENT" in big green letters from a window high up in the sky. Yes! Google neglected to mention the store was on the 6th floor.

After my fitting, I went over to the famous scramble crossing in Shibuya. It’s said to be the busiest intersection in the world. It was definitely a sight to be seen. A good place to view it is from the 2^nd floor of Starbucks but good luck in finding a seat! It was pouring rain outside and I decided to treat myself to a Frappuccino. It was ¥610. (CAN$7) Yowzers!

The Shibuya Scramble Crossing

The rain continued to pour down and since most of my activities involved being outside, I decided to head back to the hostel. I took a small rest and then ventured out to the grocery store to buy some things for dinner and breakfast the next morning. I had cherry radishes again! It was a relaxing night and I went to bed hoping for better weather in the morning!

Japan: Day 1 — Tokyo ...

I am familiar with the Narita Airport as I’ve stopped over several times. Getting through customs was quick and easy and my bag was waiting on the conveyer belt when I got to the baggage claim area!

eConnect's Pocket Wifi

My first stop was the terminal two post office to pick up a pocket Wifi device I had ordered over the Internet from the company eConnect. They mail the device to you anywhere in Japan. The package comes with an extra battery pack and a returning envelope. When you leave the country, you put everything in the enclosed envelope and drop it in a mailbox on your way out. It's so convenient and it allows one to have fast and almost unlimited (1GB+/day) Wifi all over Japan! 

My next stop was the information counter at the airport. I wanted confirmation on the best way to get into the city. I had done my research and they gave me the same information. It was ¥1,290 to get into Tokyo via the City Skyaccess train. It is a direct train that goes to the tourist area of Asakusa, which was where my hostel was. So far, everything was working out smoothly!

Finding the guesthouse was easier than expected. The hostel, Khaosan Tokyo Kabuki, was minutes away from the train station making it a very convenient place to stay. It was clean, quiet and comfortable. Check-in time was 3pm but I arrived early. Thankfully, the guesthouse has a locked storage room where one can leave their luggage.

Tokyo's Senso-ji temple

My first stop was the Senso-ji temple. It was very busy and not too exciting. Living in Asia for so long has me templed out. It’s a beautiful temple and people watching was fun but the temple itself didn’t blow me away. It wasn't too different from those in Taiwan.

After the temple, I wandered around looking for something to eat. I came across a small grocery store and went inside out of curiosity. I saw zucchini and figured they'd have cherry radishes as well. A package of five sold for ¥98. I bought two packages along with some Inari sushi and went back to the hostel to eat.

The day was hot. It was 32ºC with a RealFeel of 38ºC. Going back to an air-conditioned hostel was a good idea.

I got into my room after my late lunch and took some time to rest and charge my phone. I had been awake since 3am and had heavy eyes. I didn’t want to sleep but needed to recharge.

Around 4:30, I walked over to the Tokyo Skytree tower. The skies were blue making it an excellent day to go up to the observatory and look down on the huge city of Tokyo!

The 450m observatory

There are two observatory floors in the tower. It cost ¥2,030 to go up to the 350m observatory. Once there, you can buy another ticket for ¥1,060 for the 450m observatory. It was lovely to overlook Tokyo from high in the sky while the sun was setting!

My tummy started grumbling and I was exhausted from a full day. I found a tiny ramen restaurant near the hostel. I ordered spicy Schezuan sesame noodles and a cold beer. Dinner was ¥1,500 but it was only OK.

I hit the Family Mart on my way back to the guesthouse for some water and a tall beer. I took a coldish shower and was thrilled with the amenities that the hostel offered. The room had shampoo, conditioner, body wash, tissues, ear buds, a hair dryer and toilet paper. I wondered if all the hostels would be this way?! Perhaps I brought more than needed. 

My new bed and the a/c were welcoming and they both made for a very good sleep on my first night in Tokyo. I fell asleep with a big grin on my face excited for the next day!