http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Japan , Shizuoka en-us Sun, 19 May 2013 14:11:14 +0000 Sun, 19 May 2013 14:11:14 +0000 This is the second of a threepart series on our Japan adventure. Part 1 is dedicated to highlights of our time in Tokyo and Part 3 describes our twoday trip to Hakone.After our first full day of sightseeing in Tokyo we had a satisfying dinner at a Thai restaurant. Jeff is vegetarian and unfortunately we had problems communicating this in Japanese restaurants so far on our trip so we went to a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Mt-Fuji/blog-786278.html Saturday 09022013All the MEK staff crawled and clawed their way to this weekend. Still buzzing from all the work drama and politics I couldnt sleep last night. I even started a new jigsaw. But the difference was this morning I could have a sleepin to make up for it.I guess I need to go back to last Sunday where I went to baby Mikios first birthday. Im not sure he knew what was going http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Shizuoka/blog-770574.html Sunday 03022013Im still getting used to typing 2013 instead of 2012. It seems that my fingers disobey my mind. I say 2013 but still they type 2012. And my gosh its already FebruaryBut this short story begins in late January when on Monday the Pandas had Parents Day. This time was a little different as there would only be half the parents on Monday and half on Tuesday. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Shizuoka/blog-769375.html Kawaguchiko One of the five Fuji39s lake Youtube chennel Mountain the highest mountain in Japan surround with 5 lake. Kawaguchiko is the big one. It39s the front gate to Fuji Unfortunately when I came this the sky was cloundy and rainning. I can not see the Mt. Fuji but the lake so beautiful I hope you like it too. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Mt-Fuji/blog-758755.html Day 12 The morning began with an even earlier wake up call than the day before as the guide had got nervous about the queue for breakfast the day before 6am was a little extreme. Our first visit of the day was to the Fushimi Inari Shrine whose gates featured in the film Memoirs of a Geisha. The torii gates that we had seen earlier in the trip were impressive for their size whilst here it w http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Atami/blog-758682.html De reden waarom ik vanuit Tokio naar hier was gekomen was om de Mt. Fuji tour mee te doen die door het hostel 39K s House Mt. Fujizelf wordt georganiseerd. Ik had de hele avond ervoor het weerbericht voor de dag erop nagekeken in de hoop dat er verandering zou komen voor de volgende dag. Maar het gaf steeds aan dat de kans op regen vrij groot was en er redelijk wat bewolking ging zijn. Maar toe http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Mt-Fuji/blog-754318.html InitiationThe infamous Fuji trip was upon us organised by our cruel overlords on the FJET council social event organisers. Each year our prefectures new ALTs Assistant Language Teachers get together to tackle the countries highest peak and probably the most photographed mountainvolcano in the world Mount Fuji. Even with a modest amount of trekking under my belt it was a tough slog and http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Mt-Fuji/blog-742810.html Sunday 9092012Sunday was the most lazy of days Another sleep in followed by some cleaning in which I seriously took my time and pottered about. I cleaned under the stove which I dont think has been done in years the mould had developed into multicelled organisms and was just about to launch an attack on the world but I wiped it out just in timeThe bathroom sink has a tiny little hole http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Shizuoka/blog-742408.html Thursday 6092012I was expecting chaos for today as it was back to swimming for the Pandas and Bears but I didnt expect for the swimming bus to arrive before the last school bus and I didnt expect to be expected to have my kids changed and on the bus before they had even arrived Miki took Daniel off me and put him in the Koala classroom before the chaos began and it really would have b http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Shizuoka/blog-741840.html Saturday 1092012What a wonderful way to start AutumnHeaded into the city on the bus for my lesson with Mari and her husband and on the bus pops one of my Juku students followed by a Bear I had no idea that they were brothers I asked them how they were and I think their mum was impressed with their English. I even quizzed them on what day of the week it was. Up on the backseat was another l http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Shizuoka/blog-741838.html Biking in the beautiful sunshine of this Saturday I got some inspiration to write about Japanese school children. Why Because at least half of those poor buggers are probably sitting IN school on this lovely Saturday. Yup Saturday school ya39ll. Japanese don39t around when it comes to education. Ain39t life a shame. Life isn39t fair. FML. When first faced with it I was surpr http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Shizuoka/blog-741806.html For those of you who are still following my blog I am going to make this last entry short and sweet. Part of the reason for this is exhaustion...but perhaps an even more important reason is that the experience of seeing Mt. Fuji seriously cannot be captured in words.A few weeks ago I told a Japanese man staying in my Tokyo guesthouse that I was planning to visit Mt. Fuji during my last weekend http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Mt-Fuji/blog-741534.html Monday 27082012Ache ache ache. Im not quite sure how I got out of bed but it involved crawling up the wall. Too sore to go to the 711 to get some food I skipped breakfast but took one of my Fuji apples to clarify an apple I bought for Fuji and a small piece of cheese for lunch.The moment I walked into MEK Miki blurted out Dominica isnt here. Youre taking the Bears today. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Shizuoka/blog-741486.html Tuesday 4092012Did not wake up reenergised and felt as though I could stay in bed another ten hours No time to make a fuss though so I was up and at school with a big bag of cardboard toiletrolls wrapping paper and other things for the craft box.Yesterday Dominica gave me a picture she had drawn for her Bears of Robert The Rose Horse. So this morning after a very lengthy gettingready time http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Shizuoka/blog-741126.html Sunday 2092012Woke up and showered with plans to catch up on all my house cleaning and tidying but was invited out to Yunessun Hot Springs Resort in Hakone by Cate Daisuke and baby Mikio. With those two alternatives of course I chose Yunnesan. It was a 1.5hour drive from Asabata on the ShinTomei Expressway the one I can see from my little town. We drove through huge tunnels larger than I http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Shizuoka/blog-740891.html Friday 24082012Woke up half an hour before my alarm for once not to the sound of electric hedgeclippers circular saws or hammers or the old man who rides his motorbike like an 18year old adrenalin junkie.Off to school to prepare for another Orientation Day or New Mummies day. I was meant to have 20 of my 22 Pandas back today but luckily there were only 18 still the classroom was ful http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Shizuoka/blog-740053.html Saturday 25th and Sunday 2682012Woke up at 9am and tried to stay in bed for as long as possible but by 9.30 I was bored and had to get up. After breakfast I headed over to the little supermarket past the Chihiro tunnel to get some apples 499yen for 4 A bargain at the moment and some edamame. Still had to go back via the Shizutetsu to get some juice and a 2L bottle of water. I also got some b http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Mt-Fuji/blog-740052.html 23082012Reset my alarm this morning to allow an extra 15 minutes. So weary this first week back at school.At school Kaoris daughters played with the Pandas the Pandas LOVE having these big girls to play with themThis morning after practicing our Christmas songs during Mat Time the Pandas requested to sing Bugs and Beetles without my help and they remembered all the moves we made clow http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Shizuoka/blog-738812.html My apologies to my readers for not posting any blogs for over a month now.I have been without internet till last Monday and since then have been reorganising my life and catching up on things I haven39t been able to do. I must also apologise for the number of rants that are to follow in the next few blogs as I complain about my lack of internet but I haven39t been without internet since I http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Shizuoka/blog-738427.html We did it Climbed to the top and back again. Took just less than 4hrs up and just under 3 hrs down.We took the first bus up in the morning and as we drew close to the 5thstation where the walk starts we were amazed at the number of cars parked and the number of coaches and then when the vast number of people milling around. As we set off there were hundreds and hundreds of people coming down i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Mt-Fuji/blog-734651.html