Rainy Day

The day was a windy and very rainy one. Even so it was terrific! Traveling to the Mount Fuji area and the surrounding lakes gave us an opportunity to see some beautiful countryside. Even though our plans to visit the great mountain were put off for a day due to the weather, we were afforded other opportunities that I am so glad we did not miss. We started the day eating breakfast from a great look-out over Tokyo.

After breakfast the weather turned a little nasty as we traveled towards the other side of the island towards Mount Fuji. We passed through Fujigoko (Fuji Five Lakes), a little town that bordered a lake and spent lunch there. Our little outing on the lake was really fun. We arrived just in time for a ferry to take us across. The drizzle made it even better. I just love the rain sometimes. The air was so fresh and sweet. The hot tea tasted even better after this ride.

The little Town and then the lake

Hot Spring Holocaust

Due to the increasing wind and strength of the rain, our plans to visit Mount Fuji were definitely put off. What we did try was a neighboring foothill/mountain that sported active small geyser and hot springs. There is a legend that if you eat the eggs that are cooked in these hot springs your life is increased by seven years. We just had to climb up this little mountain to get these eggs. Never mind that they sold them down in town, the ones fresh out of the sulfur hot springs seemed to have a greater allure. We were able to drive most of the way up but the last mile we had to hoof it. Maybe a mile is an exaggeration, it was maybe 400 to 500 yards up this winding trail. The climb was not too bad. It was the wind across the top of this mountain and the increasing rain that soaked us to the bone and we had good rain jackets on too. Anyway what is seven years of healthy living worth anyway? Actually, I ended giving my sulfur hot spring eggs away to an elderly couple that could not make it up the trail due to the weather.

Those eggs better be worth it. It took the rest of the day to dry out.

Dinner and an indoor Hot Spring soak

After this adventure we tried to find a clothing store where we could find some dry cloths. We would not be able to get to our luggage until the evening and it was now getting cool and of course our pants were completely wet. The rain gear that we brought did a good job except for below the thighs and the wind which peaked around 50 MPH wiped all that wet on every thing below really well. So we were wet and getting cold. A change of cloths and an indoor natural sulfur hot spring bath was just the ticket. This trip to the Mount Fuji area hot springs was a day I will never forget. In Japan, natural hot springs are very popular and the number of them is very large due to Japan’s geography lying in a region of tectonic plate movement. That also means there is earthquake and volcanic activity. Because of the minerals in the natural hot springs, they are believed to have the powers of healing. As a matter of fact, in Japan, it is more usual to bath in water than to drink it! We both relaxed in an indoor/outdoor sulfur hot spring this evening. Afterwards, dinner with Jennifer was really sweet.