Mt. Fuji

This was the view out of the bus window as we turned a curve on the highway and approached the base of the mountain.  Fifteen of us decided to book a tour to Mt. Fuji and never could I have imagined it to be this breathtaking.  I was taken aback, mesmerized when I first saw the mountain.  And although it was cloudy at times and the pictures do not do its beauty full justice, just being in the presence of this natural wonder was almost spiritual.  

Once we reached the base of the mountain, we enjoyed another traditional Japanese lunch.

We next drove to Station 5 (hiking season is only July and August of each year so we had to drive; stations past five are currently closed).  We visited the shops and a Shinto shrine at this observatory level. Eagerly, we kept waiting for the clouds to break so we could see Fuji's summit, but the clouds were quite stubborn.  "The people of Japan say that Mt. Fuji is very shy," Amy-san, our tour guide, told us.  Fortunately, Fuji briefly overcame her shyness and we were able to get a brief glimpse of the top.  This is what we experienced:

We left Fuji and drove to Hakone National Park, about an hour from the base of Fuji.  We took a boat ride on Lake Ashi and rode a cable car up Mt. Hakone- the 2nd highest volcano in Japan.  

Though Fuji remained covered by clouds, the views were nevertheless stunning.  An hour more on the bus ad we arrived at the Shinkansen (bullet) train station.  There are three typed of bullet trains.  We were on the Nozomi, or 195 mph train.  The fastest train travels at speeds up to 398 miles per hour!  When the express went by us at the station, I was almost blown away!

After a long day of traveling on Saturday, we unfortunately heard news of the earthquake when we returned.  Some JFMFers still at the hotel a little before 9:00 a.m., when the quake began, could feel the tremors.  

We left Tokyo Sunday morning and are now in the city of Tsu in the Mie prefecture.  We had all afternoon yesterday to walk around Tsu.  We walked to the water (it's an industrial, port city) and visited a mall, which was quite an experience.  There is much more of a communication barrier here than there was in Tokyo, as we found when we were struggling to chose and order dinner.

 This morning we will visit Mie University in Tsu where we will meet with the President and Dean of the University.  I read that the university has a partnership with the University of North Carolina so I am eager to ask questions about their means of communication and collaboration.  We'll travel to Yokkaichi (short distance from Tsu) this afternoon for a meeting with the city's mayor, School Superintendent, and the Board of Education.  Looks like it will be a busy day!  I'll keep you posted.