「Super Supporters」カテゴリーアーカイブ

Mt. Fuji, Part 2

In fact we went the wrong way…

According to the plan we should need less than 3 hours to travel the 8 kilometers necessary to reach the 5th station located at an altitude of 1520m. (Red line)

plan finale

After more than 4 hours of walking we encounter two grandpas in their car. They confirm we are not on the footpath.  We walked 20km along the wrong road. Yeargh! (Yellow line)

We continued our suffering somehow. Going back is out of the question! The road was difficult because of the heat, humidity and sweating.

1:30am:

Neo was too tired so we set up our camp to try to “sleep”. We could admire a beautiful starry sky with the Milky Way.

Martynka became paranoid because of noise from the forest. Her fear was to be attacked by a fox … Hahaha! The poor should be more scared than us.

The night was very short. I did’nt sleep well.

Around 3:40: Impossible for me to sleep! Too much humidity and freshness because of the morning. I decide to get up to stretch my legs and get warm somewhat.

I even took the opportunity to watch the sunrise!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010 7:00 am

(2 days):

We continue our trip after this short freezing night…

At one point Neo and Martynka and propose to take a path. But I didn’t agree with them…

So we parted by giving appointment at the next station or on the summit. Beginning of my journey alone!

8:52am:

I finally joined the normal road! I take this opportunity to make a long pause, hoping to find Neo and Martynka. But they don’t come so I continue alone.

Sometimes sunny, sometimes cloudy and rainy. I

ride very slowly because very exhausted from last night. There are many people. Sometimes you have to queue to climb obstacles.

Approximately 3:50pm.:

I’m on top of Mount Fuji!

From the top the sky is revealed a little more. But there is cons

iderable wind.

You can see the crater, huge and disturbing. I feel if I come over the edge it may kill me! And I worry cause of the strong wind.

As promised I decided to wait for Neo and Martynka. 1 hour and 2 hours pass… So long… It’s getting colder and colder… I’m very exhausted.

6:20pm:

Neo and Martynka are still not there.

What can I do? Knowing that the night begins to fall from 6:30pm, I realize I will sleep a second night under the stars.

I am worried for them. Maybe they went back to Tokyo? Arghh!

I’m all alone!

Maybe they are waiting for me at the 5th station, knowing that it took 7 hours almost to the top?

To go down should take less time, maybe about 4 hours.

I’m worried for them and for me too. I may sleep h

ere to see the sunset. But the cold and the wind are unbearable…

I finally decide to go down to the fifth station hoping

to find them.

Finally I am alone down the mountain … It’s already dark!

IMG_5379

IMG_5430

Look at me!

In America, we drive on the right side of the street which results in us walking on the right side of the sidewalk as well.  In Japan, it’s the opposite.  They drive on the left side of the street and walk on the left side of the sidewalk…

… generally.

I threw that little side note on the end because in many places you will find yourself, there are going to be a million other people and bicycles there too.  Therefore, to enforce the walking on the left side of the sidewalk would be next to impossible.  More often than not, people are swerving in and out of this human maze with no visible order yet it all seems to run so smoothly.

Or does it?

I’d say that 80% of the time it does, but the other 20%, when it doesn’t run so smoothly, it  involves me.  On a near daily basis, I have that awkward interaction with Japanese people where you are coming towards each other and neither person can decide which direction to go, which almost inevitably results in a spontaneous do-si-do.  In America, sure this happens but I find that it happens much more in Japan.  I blame this on the lack of eye contact.  No one “speaks” with their eyes.  If they would only look up, they would see me screaming with mine saying, “Go left! Go left!”

Wedding Bliss

For just a short time, I was able to escape the dreadful heat of this year’s Tokyo summer by returning to America for my twin sister’s wedding.  It was a charming wedding in true DIY fashion complete with homemade bridesmaid blouses, darling fabric leaf centrepieces and bride/groom replica cake toppers (see picture).  The polaroid guest book was a huge hit as well! However, seeing as though my sister has been dating her boyfriend for over 10 years, it was more of a celebration of how successful their relationship has been and how successful I hope it continues to be.  It was a beautiful thing. I just wish I had been saving money as long as their courtship in order to pay for the exorbitant August airline prices.  But alas, money can’t buy happiness. Congratulations, sis!

46925_150326791652166_100000245385175_369575_2427684_n

Mt. Fuji, Part 1

Tuesday 10th august 1:30pm:

Me and my two companions (who I’ll call Neo & Martynka) are 3

fanatics (we will use nicknames because I have not yet obtained their

authorization, image rights…).

In my backpack: 2 L of water + 2 L of iced tea, 9 homemade onigiri (rice balls stuffed mayo tuna-cucumber, salted plum, cucumber salt…) A packet of marshmallow, 2 jars of peanut cream, bag of 8 slices of bread crumbs, 2 pair of socks, sunglasses, three plastic bags, toothbrush, Nivea …

My bag for digital camera with the charger (just in case)

A plastic bag with a jean, tech-fit jersey t-shirt, sweater, Adidas jacket, waterproof jacket Homecore … The fatal mistake was to take jeans …!!!

3:10pm:

Departure for Mount Fuji from Shinjuku Station. We booked our seats in a bus with Highwaybus company at https://highwaybus.com/rs-web01-prd-rel/gp/index

Caution: it’s all in Japanese!

From Shinjuku station take the west exit, to the bus station. Or ask the host of the Metro for the bus to Mount Fuji. It is well known.

The bus stop is right in front of Yodobashi Camera.

We could have chosen to go to Shinjuku-5th Station Mount Fuji. The majority of common mortals began their ascent from the fifth station.

Price: 2600 yen each way.

Well, not us! We chose to start from the bottom of Mount Fuji, because we are crazy! And especially because we wanted to save money… (tightwad!)

Price: Shinjuku – Kawaguchiko = 1700 yen each way.

4:40pm:

Arrival at Kawaguchiko, located 800 meters altitude. It is famous for its lakes.

The beginning of the ascent is made by a passage to the Sengen temple. I purified myself with holy water from the fountain…

On the way we met another French, Benjamin coming from Mimizan. He was dressed in a traditional French beret with his tent, his sleeping bag and all the survival kit of the camper.

Before to start climbing we went to a konbini (store open 24 hours). My friends wanted to equip with vital essentials: a cigarette lighter and 10 + beers …!! -______-

6:40pm:

Official start of the climb! We had to go through the Sengen temple to follow the footpath. It’s muggy and humid. Lots of clouds and light rain are ruining the ascent.

6:45pm: We are already lost … ^ _ ^

Ahead of us a road, an inn and a bizarre way seems to lead to hotels in the forest. Then we ask our way to the lady owner of the inn. She advises us about the road. Only climbing. It’s almost dark!

We thought we were on the good road to reach the first station but actually not! We took the wrong path … Start a horribly long climb …

To be continued!

Mont Fuji trip 02

Transit, Tokyo, Paris

Hey hey! Here is Babouin, your reporter from Tokyo!

Life in Japan is very different from France!

For example, taking the subway is more enjoyable because it’s so clean. First I was a little surprised and I needed some time to understand the system. But now that I understand I found it even more convenient than in France.

From Minowa Station to Shinjuku it costs about 300 yen for a one way ticket. It depends which trajectory you choose. Ticket prices vary by destination and distance. A friend gave me his PASMO card before coming to Japan. It’s a magnetic pass like NAVIGO in Paris. You just have to put it in the ticket distributor and choose the amount you wish to load. The minimum is 1000 yen.  If ever your ticket or your pass are not sufficiently charged at the arrival station, you must pay the difference. There are special machines called “Fare Adjustment” machines located before the automatic door exit.

In Japan there are many private companies: Tokyo Metro Line, Toei Line, JR Line … etc. Whenever possible I try to take only the Metro Line because if you change lines it will become more expensive. To identify the subway is quite easy and well marked. Even if you can’t read Japanese, the names of stations and lines are written in romaji (Latin script). Announcements are made on the train at each station: you are told the current station, the direction and then the next station and which side the doors will open. Everything is finely organized! Once you understand the system, taking the metro is really pleasant.

But beware! Avoid peak periods in the morning between 7 and 9 am and evenings from 5 pm. Most people go to work! It’s like a tidal wave in which you can be swept away violently by the current. You end up literally packed like a sardine in the train. It is very unpleasant. But fortunately there is air conditioning in all trains. Besides the morning, some compartments of the train are reserved exclusively for women! Because sometimes perverts touch women!

In the corridors of the subway and trains there is no tagging or graffiti! In France the trains are continually degraded. It’s a shame. Here people do not throw their garbage everywhere. The Japanese know how to show respect and good manners.

Hello Babouin

Babouin: introduction

Starting from October, we have new Super Supporter bloggers to introduce, with lots of interesting things to say and things to show us. First, we’d like to introduce Babouin from France!

Hello!

I’m Monkey D. Babouin but you can just call me Babouin. ^ ^

I come from France, specifically from the Paris region. I arrived in Japan about two months ago. This is the first time I’ve come here!

The purpose of my visit is to discover this beautiful country. I like Japan as much for its eccentricity as for its traditional appearance.

I am currently in the guest-house at Minowa. It is 2 stops from Ueno station with its big park. And it’s also 4 stations from Akihabara.

What I love in my guest-house is that there are people from many different countries: France, Germany, Italy, Australia, United States, Russia, Spain, Hong Kong, Czech and also Japanese. Wow, so many people!

Our guest house is very clean. I am a little maniac and I really appreciate it! Thanks to Giovanni who cleans the house, we maintain a respect for life in the community. By following the rules, we can live in a healthy and pleasant way. That is really important to me.

Here the atmosphere is excellent! We make friends, we help each other and we trust each other. We go into the living room to talk about many things: about our own countries, our personal experiences, anecdotes about our trip to Japan … Here there are some really crazy people! Also we can we go out together.

Our favorite spot is the Sensoji shrine! 15 minutes walk or 20 minutes for the idle. The day is filled with people but at night it is very quiet and there are very few people.

We can sit on a bench and enjoy a beer while watching the sanctuary. It’s quiet and peaceful. There is this indescribable Zen ambience… Me, I can stay there for hours! ^ ^

Near the guest house there are many shops. This is really convenient! For example, downstairs there is an arcade with merchants of fresh vegetables, a butcher and even a bakery! Also there is the store Shimadaya, a 4 minute walk away.

Going to Minowa station in 8 minutes, there are still plenty of other stores.

You can also walk to Asakusa and find 100 yen stores, Sanpei Store or Seiyu which is open 24hrs! Very practical with very interesting price!

My adventure has just begun!

Avatar ultraman

Devon: Introduction, “Cooking Secrets”

Starting from October, we have new Super Supporter bloggers to introduce, with lots of interesting things to say and things to show us. Here’s Devon from America, and her first entry for us! There’s a biography at the end to get to know her more.

I have to admit, my biggest pet peeve about sharing a kitchen with many people is NOT that I can’t control the level of cleanliness or the fact that people may not put dishes back where I believe they should go.  I’m okay with that.  I’m pretty adaptable in that respect.  But when it comes to the day after day question of “What are you cooking tonight?”, my skin just crawls.  I find it sort of intrusive.   Can’t they just look? Must they know? Maybe it’s because I’m ashamed by the fact that yakisoba has become a frequent addition in my cooking rotation? Maybe it’s because when on a budget, there are days when I may be dining on a hot, steamy… cup of noodles.  Maybe it’s a language barrier thing like we have nothing else to talk about? Umm… Let’s just chat about the weather, okay?

But I digress. After all, “Devon’s yakisoba” has become quite renowned.

Devon avatar

Devon Bartlett grew up in beautiful Denver, Colorado, spending her whole childhood in the same neighborhood, on the same street, and in the same house and for this, she is thankful. However, her curiosity about other places and other people has inspired her to live in a number of cities (including Portland, Oregon; Boston; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; and Osaka, Japan), studying everything from music therapy, piano, and jazz promotion to Japanese. She loves and misses the natural beauty of her hometown but can’t shake the excitement and sense of adventure she feels in big cities. She now calls Tokyo home and spends her days as a preschool teacher.