Japan With My Sister Part 3

A long bus ride later and we're at Kawaguchi-ko, land of the five lakes. This is where Fujisan resides. Can you imagine waking up every day, going to the supermarket, watering your garden, or taking a short stroll with Mt. Fuji towering over you? Incredible, a perfect dormant cone volcano watching over you. But before we arrived in the town of Kawaguchi-ko there was a little trouble in Tokyo...

"What do you mean you bought tickets for 6:30 am in the morning. You idiots, I want to sleep in! I don't want to wake up that early to catch a bus to go to Mt. Fuji that early! You dumb-asses!" My sister was furious. (I cleaned up the language for you.)

My husband and I were to plan the trip to Mt. Fuji. Buy the bus tickets and train tickets to Kawaguchi-ko, check into the hostel and plan our first day there. We asked her if an early bus ride was do-able for her and she said, "Yeah, if 9 am is taken then get an earlier one." So we did. Apparently 6:30 am was too early for her.

After an evening of anger, venting, and regretting traveling with her my husband and I woke up at 5 am, packed our things, caught the subway ride to the bus station and left without her. Before we left we did exchange her 6 am ticket for an afternoon ticket for her to pick up and join us later. Yes, we were angry with her and were happy to leave her behind but we're not callus enough to leave her stranded. Although it did cross our minds.

It's late October when we visit and the autumn chill fills the air. I had my layers going on when we walked off the bus at Kawaguchi-ko Station. It was there when I realized it was 10 degrees centigrade outside and discovered my new favorite Japanese item-heated toilet seats! I'm not kidding. It was a surprise to see a toilet with buttons along the side of it, and electric cord plugged into the wall, but a pleasant surprise to sit on a warm seat when it's freezing outside and inside the station. Oh, how I would love to bring one of these toilets home with me, I thought to myself. I bragged about it to my husband.

Outside the train/bus station was Mt. Fuji, serenely sitting there in the background. It was an awesome sight to behold. Waiting for our hostel shuttle to arrive while resort buses picked up and dropped many Japanese tourist, my husband and I putted around and snapped a few photos.

Pick up and dropped off at the hostel, take off shoes and leave at the main entrance again, check in to our Japanese style rooms, this means no beds and sleeping on the floor; we want an authenic feel. Ok, so it's cheaper than a western style room with a bed but at least we get a spacious room. Plus we had a great view of Japanese rooftops.

We have no idea where my sister is or when she's coming and we don't care. We take a very touristy bus to all sorts of tourist traps and have fun. We go to a drive by a large portion of the lake, visit a batless bat cave, a howling cave and buy wild Japanese blueberry jam-all without my sister! We had a great day! We stay out rather late and catch the last tourist bus back to the station in the bleak cold darkness of the surrounding forest.

Not to sound mean or anything but we reach our room slightly disappointed to see my sister there. We weren't completely disappointed because she know Japanese and was our translator but once we saw she was calm and happy again we were relieved. Grab some fast food Japanes style and early to bed because we're hiking Mt. Fuji tomorrow morning.

The floor wasn't as comfortable as we thought it would be. We were given bamboo mats, cushions, plush blankets and pillows but it's not the same as a bed. But thinking about it it's probably better than a springy pokey mattress. Nothing like sharing a bottle of sake to put everyone in good spirits and sleepy state of mind.

Mt. Fuji is full of tourist. October being the off season for hiking to the top we're discouraged to hike to the top. Inexperienced westerners known to have gone on their own have been swept off by the chilly autumn/winter winds. Summer is the only time hikers climb to the top with ease, elderly folks can make it to the top and back down easily to the fifth of the eight stations.

On our trek to the sixth station from the fifth we encounter a cliff overlooking the Kawaguchi-ko lake and the surrounding town, melting ice and icicles on the side of the volcano which both my husband and sister swing their large hiking sticks to break the ice wall and icicles apart to my dismay in front of all the Japanese tourist. Yeah, I was embarrassed to be associated with the two giajins (meaning foreigner) assaulting the sacred mountain god. "Relax Gabby, it's not our God," my husband jokingly tells me as I snap photos of him, I can't help myself.

On our to the seventh station my sister's bad knees start acting up and my husband is fatigued and I quicklu become upset my nonathletic family. On the way down we begin talking about food and what we want to eat. Spotting a little kiosk selling grilled squid at the fifth station, my sister and I know what my husband is going to buy.

Next stop and last in our tour of Japan, Gunma-ken prefecture where my sister's teaches English, Matsumoto Castle, and the Alps of Nagano.