You want me to do what?

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Another Shinkansen train ride! No matter how many times we ride it, I am excited each time. Today was our last ride on this trip - I hope I get to ride it again someday. Anyhoo, we blasted out of Osaka and headed to Mount Fuji. It was about two and a half hours by train where we transferred to a bus headed to the Fifth Level of Mount Fuji. It was in a more rural area and once you got into hills the scenery was incredible. All sorts of little waterfalls and rivers and everything was green. The best thing about Mount Fuji (or, as the locals call it, Fujisan), was that it was cooler in temperature.

At the Fifth Level there is a bunch of shops and lodges and shrines to check out. You can also join a group for a hike to the summit. Supposedly from this spot (around 6000 feet in elevation) it is 6 hours to the top and 3 hours back down. It would be pretty cool to say you hiked it, but obviously none of us really had the time to do this. That and the fact that the first 100 yards would probably kill me, but that isn't important right now. Interesting fact is that Mount Fuji's twin is supposedly Mount Shasta in California. People believe they are both sacred spots with big energy sources.

After Mount Fuji we headed to a volcano-created lake with a tram system that took you to the summit of a mountain overlooking it. The last tram up was at 5:00 PM and we were running late, so the bus driver went into Formula 1 mode and started whipping that bus through corners and turns and got us there with 4 minutes to spare. I've never seen bus drivers like here in Japan... they can maneuver these buses into the tightest spots on the first try. There were times we have been on a tiny mountain road and the driver gunned the bus in reverse and parked it next to another bus - with about an inch in between the two vehicles. I'm telling you, they are crazy - and crazy efficient!

After the tram ride, we went to our hotel for the night. It was a traditional Japanese resort. (Hint - "traditional" means "old school".) The rooms were pretty incredible, check out the photos. We quickly put our luggage in the rooms and dressed up in yakatas and kiminos for the meal. It was a ten course meal with all sorts of exotic items. My policy on this trip was to try everything at least once and I stuck to it. That doesn't mean I liked everything, but overall it was pretty good and it was pretty awesome to have this experience.

The big thing of the night was the natural hot springs you could soak in. They separated the men's from the women's. It's one thing the Japanese really enjoy. The only problem is that you have to do it naked. I don't know about you , but I am not into soaking with a bunch of other dudes, talking about the weather and trying not accidentally look at someone else. So I passed on that. I was super tired anyway and just went to bed, which was a flat mat laying on the ground with some sheets and padding, but super comfortable.

Only a few days left until we fly back!

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Photos

Mount Fuji - Fifth Level
Some of the shops on the mountain

Shinto Shrine
There are shrines everywhere, this is the one on Mount Fuji

Top of mountain after tram ride
You can see a temple in the distance.

Dinner at traditional hotel
Everyone is in their traditional gear

Traditional dinner menu
How many of these items have YOU tried?

Traditional hotel room
Here is one of the rooms. You just lay your mat out and sleep on the floor.

Traditional hotel room
The other room

Traditional hotel room
Tub for soaking!

Traditional hotel room
Yes, we had a rock garden in our room

Group photo
I forgot to post a photo of the group, so here is one with us all during the geisha night.