Trip to Japan, Day 8

(Photo caption: Sunrise in Mt. Fuji, source: http://www.fujisan.ne.jp/index_e.php
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{Note: This is a narration of my recent trip to Japan, from 7/17/07 to 7/30/08 }

Day 8. July 24, 2007. Tuesday.

I woke up today at 4:00 a.m. The sunrise came at 4:45 a.m. It was a magnificent site to behold. One should see the sunrise at Mt. Fuji to really appreciate why Japan is called the "Land of the Rising Sun." The formal Japanese term for sunrise is goraiko. After taking lots of photos of the sunrise I had my breakfast (noodles and coffee) at Horaikan. The staff of Horaikan were very helpful, and some of them speak English.

At 6:00 a.m. I resumed my climb to the top of Mt. Fuji. At 7:30 a.m., I reached the 3,250 mark. Again I was inspired to write more haikus (details to be supplied later.) The climb from the 8th station to the peak of Mt. Fuji was again very difficult.

Finally, I reached the summit of Mt. Fuji at 11:00 a.m. I took some photos of the crater (there are some patches of snow) and rested in one of the shops found at the peak.

I rested for one and a half hours at the peak of Mt. Fuji. At 12:30 p.m. I began my descent. The path going down from the peak of Mt. Fuji is not easy: it is steep and slippery. I walked very slowly because I was already very tired and I was very careful not to slide down.

It took me several hours to reach the 6th station of Mt. Fuji. By the time I arrived at the 6th station it was alredy 7:00 p.m and already dark. Unfortunately I did not bring a flashlight (a torch) with me. Luckily, I found a Japanese young couple who had a flashlight and I asked them if I could join them until the 5th station (where the buses are). The Japanese couple don't know how to speak in English and I don't know how to speak in Japanese. But somehow, the Japanese couple understood what I was trying to say.

I was able to take the 8:40 p.m. bus station that brough me back to Kawguchiko.

Definitely, this is one experience that I will never forget!