We had a very adventure-ful day yesterday! We all really wanted to climb Mt. Fuji (except Jeanette, who did not enjoy her first attempt a few years back), but it's an hour away and we didn't have a car, so Shinozaki-san (the pastor), borrowed his dad's car and took us! We started off the day at 7:00, arrived at Mt. Fuji by 9:30, started climbing at 10:00, and gave up by 1:30. It's a beast of a mountain/volcano. At 3776 meters high, it towers above every other mountain in the world (okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but it sure seemed that way!). The path is VERY steep, and the rocks and soil are very loose. I think we all fell at least once. Our goal was to make it to the top, but unfortunately, the wind was extremely violent. There were a few times that I just stopped and held on to rope pole and prayed that the huge water bottle in my backpack would keep me from being blown away. We started at the 6th station and made it to the new 7th station (there are 10 stations, from bottom to top), where we ate lunch. We all asked if we wanted to keep going, decided that yes, we did. We stood up, took a few steps up the path, and almost got knocked over by a gust of wind so strong that it might as well have been a charging bull! When it was done bullying us, we all looked at each other and turned around. We didn't even have to say anything. None of us were stupid enough to attempt suicide by continuing to ascend. We took the wind as a sign from God to discontinue our journey.
When we got back down the mountain again, we decided to go see some gorgeous waterfalls that were about 30 minutes away. I'm not even going to write about that, because the pictures below will do all the talking :)
Around 4:30 we arrived back at the church and ate some Yakisoba (a delicious Japanese noodle dish that I am officially addicted to). Then, at 5:30, Shinozaki-san picked me and Ian up and took us to an onsen! An onsen is basically a public spa that gets its water from a hot spring. So, you go in and buy a ticket (500 yen ($5.50) for an unlimited-time pass to heaven) and then take off all your clothes! Yep, that's right, everybody has to get naked (the male and female facilities are separate). It may seem strange to us, but it's really normal here. The idea is to get REALLY clean. Then, you sit on a little stool and take a shower using really wonderful smelling shampoo and soap they provide. Then, take your pick of which pool to relax in! All of the pools, which are built using natural rocks) are different temperatures (they range from lukewarm to almost boiling hot) and they are all outside. There are plants growing all around and a nice cool breeze in the air. It is the closest I have ever been to heaven!
Finally, Shinozaki-san took me and Ian out for dinner at a restaurant that is kind of like Denney's- good food and good company! A perfect end to a perfect day :)
And... here are the pictures! (Sorry, they don't allow cameras in the onsen)
This is the 5th station, where we started.
The wind was so strong it was difficult to keep your eyes open, as you can see by Eric's stance.
Can you tell how steep it is?
We were literally walking through clouds!
The man of the day... Shinozaki-san!
Going down the mountain the fog was so thick that we could not even see 5 feet in front of the car. It was pretty terrifying.
Shinozaki-san treated us to yummy ice cream cones! Mmm raspberry!
Okay, maybe we're still kids at heart :D
My favorite lilies are ginormous here!
The scene made me think of those postcards and posters that say things like "serenity" and "peace".
What an amazing trip. Those experiences sound really awesome. Isn't it amazing that when you go to serve God how He just knocks your socks off with His power and creation.
ReplyDelete