To the Mountains

Up early to write, email and pack for two days in the mountains. Another salad for breakfast, loaded on the bus and headed out of Tokyo via a very long tunnel---interesting concept for traffic. As we headed southwest things became more suburban, traffic eased and, all of a sudden, Mount Fuji was right in front of us. It was an amazing sight and I was so happy it wasn't covered in clouds! Yesterday's weather was cold, gray and overcast so to have the sun shining, snow glistening and blue skies made this picture postcard perfect! Mt. Fuji is a 12,000 foot active volcano, a UNESCO site as well as a national park. The Shinto shrine on top is for a female deity who is very shy, thus she is often covered in clouds. Approximately 300,000 people annually climb the mountain. The first woman climbed Fuji in 1842, dressed as a man because women were not permitted on the mountain. It wasn't until 1872 that women were officially allowed to go to the summit. It seems hard to believe seeing it blanketed in snow right now that it is actually bare in the summer so people can walk up. It is not on my bucket list to get to the top!

We drove for more than two hours on our way to Ashigawa with a fun stop at a rest area. It was like a mini mall with bathrooms, pet area, smoking room and lots of shopping. There was a Starbucks, Baskin Robbins and hamburger joint, although I think we were the only Americans in the place.

As we climbed up to the mountains the scenery changed, as did the temperature, and the mountains were covered with new snow. There are 3 main trees in the surrounding forests---cypress, pine, cedar---mixed with some hardwoods (I don't know all the names). Arriving in the small village of Ashigawa we first visited the new vegetable stand before meeting our local guide. This village of 350 has been farming for centuries and the homes are traditionally thatched. We were invited into a home to help make noodles for their local vegetable soup.

These two ladies, both in their 80's, got a big kick out of the group rolling dough and cutting it in strips to create the noodles. As the soup cooked we sat down and ate a delicious lunch of local foods with the noodle soup being the main attraction. After a dessert of fruit we had time to "talk" with the women, learning about their lives, families and daily routines. They got to ask us questions, too, which created quite a few bouts of giggles. We then walked through the village, stopping to talk to locals, asking questions and observing the life of a small farm community. Enjoyable until the end when the clouds moved in, the wind picked up and it got kind of cold (we were at 3,300 feet with some snow still on the ground).

The bus drive to our next destination was lovely, following a beautiful lake then heading into another mountain area with a gorgeous Shinto shrine, twisting roads with views of cloud covered Fuji and, finally, our "onsen" hotel. "Onsen" means hot springs so as soon as we were ready most of us headed down to the baths, Japanese style. There is a whole traditional way to get ready to enter the baths so suffice to say, we laughed a lot, relaxed in the hot, soothing waters and put on our "yukata" (cotton kimonos) to go to dinner. Yes, almost everyone in the hotel dining room, men included, wore their yukata. What a fun experience and a great all-you-can-eat buffet!

Feeling tired but must get these posts done before I get too far behind. Having a great time and hope you are enjoying my Japanese adventures!