Mt. Fuji and Hakone

We were off to an early start this morning, up at 5, breakfast by 6, on the bus at 7 to head to Mt. Fuji.  Our coach ride was filled with dancing and singing and various antics...which made the trip seem shorter.

After a 2-1/2 scenic pretty - lots of hydrangeas - we made it to Mt. Fuji, station 5, approximately 1/2 way up the mountain.  According to Japanese legend, the Goddess of Mt. Fuji was a very shy and would hide behind the clouds when beautiful people came to see her.  This ended up to be a double-edged sword, as she made sure in the midst of all our beauty, to encase the mountain in rain and fog making visibility rather poor.  This, however, did not dampen our spirits as we hiked to the second crater rim of Hoei, konichiwa-ing the whole with local Japanese children.  Our wonderful guides, Mishi and Shin, kept us safe and educated us on the legends and traditions of the people of this region, as well as the flora and fauna of Mt. Fuji.  We also learned that we were one of the first group to trek Mt. Fuji since it became a World Cultural Heritage Site just 10 days ago.

After leaving Mt. Fuji, we had traditional bento boxes and soba noodles.  While the food was good, the best part was the Japanese style soft serve ice cream that many of the students tried.

On the coach ride to our next stop, we learned a few Japanese symbols and words and how the written Japanese language has evolved over the centuries after coming from China.  We also learned about how to take your shoes off before entering a Japanese home and how to wear and tie a Yukata robe.  We then took the Hakone Ropeway in hopes of being able to hike to the sulfur pits and boiling waters caused by volcanic activity, but again, the fog and rain kept the view away from us.  But, it did not take away the sulfur smell, so we know that they are truly there.








As the weather was not cooperating, we decided to make our way to the Hakone Guesthouse, which is a traditional tatami mat guest house.  The rooms here are spectacular and the family who run the house came and greeted our coaches waving American flags and welcoming us into their home.  We had a casual dinner and entertainment with listening to our host, Rumi, play the Shamisen, a traditional Japanese instrument, while Tet taught the kids how to play with a traditional Japanese toy.

The sign above was in the bathroom stall at the restaurant where we had lunch.  Had to include it for your enjoyment.

 Another long day tomorrow with more adventures to come. 

PS...trying to figure out posting videos, hopefully by tomorrow...