Cloud, Sun, Moon, and Feet

Last night, I have never slept so well.

Starting on Saturday, July 17th at around 6:00pm, I began the long climb to the peak of Mt. Fuji, returning around 11:00am the following morning. It was an 17 hour adventure I am not likely to forget for a long time. Futhermore, just before I got on the bus to the 5th station (a point up on the foothills of the mountain that most people begin from) I got my period. Fantastic, I know, but before I go into that, I should mention that I did not go alone. It just so happened that my friend from childhood, Dan Riley, has been studying at Nagoya University for almost a year now. Since I haven't seen him for quite some years now, and we were both coincidentally in Japan, I asked him if he would climb Mt. Fuji with me. After a little bit of pre-planning and sorting of time and place of meeting, Dan and a few of his friends and I, would be climbing the mountain. Their bus was a few hours late (which probably helped the period beginning factor with the stress) and instead of the 2:30pm bus they arrived at around 5:00pm. After we finally met up and got tickets to the 5th station (where I hastily purchased a small pack of pads and geared up), we began the climb.

How to describe such a hike? Well, Mt. Fuji being a volcano, there was an ample supply of volcanic rubble, which was both light and slightly crumbly so that it was almost like walking through sand, if you had the wrong shoes. (my hiking boots proved their worth well.) This combined with the stretches of rock climbing, sections of steep man-made steps, and winter-like temperatures at night, made the journey a test of endurance and gear. I used about everything I had packed, which included a polar-fleece blanket that was useful for an hour or so's fitful and cold sleep around 11:00pm at the 8th station. But what was my most useful and important item that I packed was: Arnica montana homeopathic medicine. I popped five or so about every 3 or 4 hours because of two worrying factors: pain in my left knee and lungs from the climbing strain, and of getting immobilizing cramps (which luckily, did not occur, probably because of the exercise as well). I was also afraid of altitude sickness for a bit, and I only got nauseous about once, which soon passed after we had rested for 15 minutes or so, and it did not return.
I must elaborate on some point of hiking at night on Mt. Fuji, and that is the sheer numbers of people climbing the mountain! I mean, there were whole tour groups! I wish I had taken pictures, but I wouldn't have been able to get very many clear shots anyways and I was far to tired to even contemplate such a thing besides. The trail was one, huge, long collection of zig zags going left, then right, then left, then right again all the way up the mountain. At night, when I looked back from where I'd climbed, I could see this fairy like procession of head-lamp lights swaying and shuffling away in the darkness below. This was partially my motivation to keep going. That and looking up at the stars when the lines would halt in their rhythmic procession ever upwards.

Yes, I did take pictures. Enough to fill my 2gig memory card and make me wish I had brought a spare. I couldn't possibly pick and choose only a few pictures to post here, but I will put up an album on Flickr which you can access in the sidebar (or dooblydoo, as I will refer to it henceforth). The posting size allowance here also doesn't quite do them justice. Here's a sneak peak though, since I think a blog entry itself is incomplete without a picture at least.

This is the sunset from the 6th station when we had only just begun to climb. Man was I tired when we reached the summit, but reaching the top filled me with new energy and relief that we had made it I was running to the bathroom and back to watch the sun rise. Oh! I almost forgot! The bathrooms! Never, in my life have I had to pay money to pee, but lo and behold, 200yen was the price for the station bathrooms, and 300yen at the peak! I think I spent a total of 5000yen (about $55) during the trip, probably over 1000 of it on bathrooms! Sheesh. Oh well. It's for the maintenance of the facilities as well, since thousands upon thousands use them on the way up the mountain and their contents probably have to be removed by air or something to preserve the environment. It was still a bit cold in the morning, so I renewed my strength with some 600yen miso soup, which was perhaps the most delicious miso soup I have ever tasted yet. Still, small bottles of water at the top are 500yen ($5), and I see now why the old Japanese saying goes: If you never climb Mt Fuji you are a fool, and if you climb it more than once you are a fool.

Perhaps I will yet become a fool, if I am not already. I took a 4 hour nap once I got back. The descent was much much faster, but almost as rigorous since you are still going down zig zag style, but now you are sliding on the volcanic gravel and occasionally people fall since it is so unstable. I had to put on my knee brace before because my left knee was starting to hurt from the climb, but I had been favoring my right knee since then and on the way down it recieved such a pummeling that I had to switch my brace half-way down. I even have cuts on the backs of my knees from the brace rubbing as I walked. I suppose that's well enough though. My left to go up and my right to go down, and my feet the whole way felt like they had been shattered by the time we reached the 5th station bus again.

But it was worth it. Every single step.

Take care,
~Kira

farm tour

Hello again, though at this point I may not yet have that many people reading this. (Probably only my papa. Hi papa! I love you!!) But I feel this is a necessary entry at this point. Plus I have pictures! I deliberately went out before the sun set to take these. It really is quite busy here, even without customers and guests yet! Anyhow, moving on to...

My home this summer, but not where I sleep. You see, guests come often to this small place and want to stay the night, so each and every lovely, hardworking intern gets a tent or shack in the fields to call their very own! (I'm gonna be booted out soon as well.) At least there is free wireless internet and food. Nah, I really am coming to like the place. It's well worn already, but in a nice way.

The Kids Field! Where I've been spending most of my time this week. Mostly planting vegetables like chili peppers, eggplant, potatoes, etc. Eternal weeding. There are some herbs as well like the German and Roman chamomile patches. An evil pumpkin plant attempting to take over the potato bed too! Lots of weeding and planting. Yes, lots of plants.

Peppermint! Our main crop. It's pretty easy to grow after all. We've got to do some transplanting soon though in the mint field. I expect to be smelling of mint soon. Better than the sweat and grunge of a week or more's worth of work though. :)

This is the greenhouse next to the cafe by the road. Everyone calls it Rob's Greenhouse because Rob is usually the one who takes care of it in the mornings. It's also storage for gardening tools, gloves, pots, and other useful plant-wise paraphernalia. First things first when weeding. Get gloves. Very important. It's astounding how quickly dirt finds it's way beneath your fingernails. Short is a must.

And last, one of our lovely quirks here that I have witnessed firsthand is the conservation of water. We collect rainwater around the farm in barrels such as these for things like watering plants, showering, laundry, etc. Our storage tanks for drinking and washing water for dishes and vegetables must get clean water that gets trucked in and usually lasts a month apparently. Not two days after I arrive though we run out. Brilliant. It works out alright though. A bunch of dishes stack up and you try to drink a little less, but a few days later we're back online.
Charming little place. Verily.

And that's the place! I'll be having pictures up of a certain something soon, along with many adventures to be sure. There hasn't been much lately in the way of that however. Work, work, and more work. LOTS of rain and weeding, a little more than what's healthy this week, I believe. Regardless! I should very much be looking forward to recording more happenings in the coming weeks! Though looking through the organized chaos I can see before me yet, there seems to be much in store. The busy season is ahead!

Take care,
~kira

A Malstrom of Beginnings

Guess what? First thing I did when I got to Earth Embassy? Went to the onsen. (hot spring bathhouse) :)
Oh my goodness, it is quite possibly one of the best onsen ever. They had a myriad of soaking pools, including a sauna and cold pool, bubbles!, lavander pool, Mt. Fuji viewing tubs on a balcony, and oh my goodness, a water light-show. I was so clean. I couldn't wait to get filthy enough to warrant making the trek back!

In my first day alone, I have: planted pepper plants, weeded, mulched, sown seed beds, washed a sink of dishes, harvested blueberries, made salad, and played Settlers of Catan! This place is perfect. Even though it rained for half the day. This, was a very good day.

Full of good food too! I wish I had taken more pictures. I should be more conscious of it anyhow, so I'll try in the next few days. There's also quite a bit to get acquainted with, but I'm sure in the next week or two I'll be able to work with everyone and know where to go pretty well. It's only my first day out after all. Though I'm not quite sure where I'm sleeping tonight. Oh well. Futons abound. Goodnight.

Take care,
~Kira

Leaving Tokyo

It's been a fun few days in Tokyo so far. Mostly I've been seeing places that I've been to before, but there have been new discoveries to be sure. Such being the festival at Asakusa yesterday! It was called Hozuki matsuri, I believe, hozuki meaning 'ground cherry' which resemble small orange paper lanterns to me. I didn't take pictures that day because there were so many people! There was so much going on too, I walked down and around down some of the side streets a bit before I got some dango and left.

As the day progressed, however, I realized another important fact when one is walking around Tokyo in mid-summer. Always carry an umbrella! The rain came down just as I arrived in Akihabara, and the streets were lined with girls in maid-like outfits handing out fliers and tissues as usual, umbrellas in hand. Smart girls. The ginko trees which line Tokyo streets are rather good though at rain protection. However their radius is not very big, and I knew that I was going to end up soaked through one way or another. So after a short stop at a guruguru zushi restaurant for some supper I high-tailed it back to the station to head home to Shinagawa, where I marched through the downpour to my hostel. Very refreshing, I must say.

And soon! I will be off to internship land! Provided I can survive on public transportation with my beast of a pack. I do hope that long distance buses have storage space.
Here's one of my favorite of the small amount of pics I took this past week!

Ravens! (In Japanese: カラス kah-rah-su). This park that I would walk through to get to the station was filled with them. Always chattering away.
Anyways, I'm off!

Take care,
~Kira

A day of opposites

Today I went in search of brown rice, which is very hard to find in Japan. In Tokyo anyway, it seems.
Here's a historical tidbit. Back in the old days, white rice was highly prized and therefore more expensive, becoming the food of wealthy people, such as nobles, emperors, and successful merchants. The poor were left to eat their rice unpolished, so the aesthetics of rice became so that white rice was more desirable than brown.

Unfortunately, my digestive system has failed to comply with this Japanese aesthetic.

So I did a little research and came up with a few places, the closest being in Nezu-cho called Nezunoya. Cute. Several trains, side streets, and an unexpectedly welcome shrine discovery, I discovered the cafe only a little ways down in the opposite direction of which I had wandered. Figures. I wish I had brought my camera that day, the brown rice onigiri I had were so good, I even bought two more for breakfast! I must go back and get some pickles too. They were the most sublime pickles I've ever had, I think. Tsukemono no ryouri (pickle cooking) is perhaps one of the most interesting and delicious kinds of Japanese food I have come to discover. Especially daikon! Ahhh. Daikon.

From this simple setting I then plunged into the maelstrom that is Shibuya, be it rain or shine which today of course the heavens were pelting us with tiny scatterings of water droplets which seemed intent on find their way into my eyes, which they did more often than I thought possible. Crosswalks became death zones of umbrella edges, and around every corner there was usually one or two foreigners inspecting some sign or walking doggedly on through the crowds. I was a little much, but nothing compared to when I entered a 10 level multi complex building comprised of nothing but floor after floor or womens clothing stores, all blaring music or containing sales women screaming about bargain prices waving brightly colored sales signs. 5 floors later I was glad to be back outside in the streams of umbrella wielding bodies. Whew. After some standing sushi to sooth my stomach, a peek at the Hachiko statue to satisfy my curiosity and I was back on the train to Shinagawa-shuku.
Boy my feet hurt.

Tomorrow there will be pictures. I promise.

Take care,
~Kira

Of planes and codfish

Well, this was by far the most interesting plane ride I have had yet in my plane riding experience! The whole day has been both peculiarly exhilarating and saddening, though a little of both is needed at times like these.

So yes, I cried. A lot. And papa was there taking me to Boston and being sillier than usual (which is very silly, let me tell you) being a silly papa. So I walk on, through the security gate, trying my hardest not to burst back out into tears again and remain my composure for the slabs of X-ray doom which got me thinking about breast cancer and whether or not they would take my tupperware of hummus on suspicion of being a hidden explosive. (the images they showed you of what they were looking at through the machine were kinda nifty though, if slightly startling).
Onwards my airport lanes took me until I reached the familiar grandiose wall of windows which contained gates B45 and B47 to Narita. (to my curious note, B46 being a few meters up the way on the right, however it got there I haven't the faintest. Poor B46. I'll never understand airports). The flight was delayed by 20 minutes which was good since I had to print out my tickets from the desk, however they had to re-check the tickets when I tried to board and only let me on the plane with 3 minutes to spare until take off! It was a fated day indeed.

I wish I had pictures, but alas, my camera was stowed and I wasn't exactly in a good position to be getting up or even taking pictures. My seat came three seats forward of the rear of the plane, smack dab in the middle too, Seat F. The circumstances under which I flew this time to Japan were also strange in and of themselves, but comforting in a way. On either side of me sat two men, both Asian (returning home to Singapore and Japan respectively), both wearing some shade of blue shirt and jeans, and both had their family in the row next over with at least two kids each. Very curious times these are. And to follow that theme, my movie listing runs very Time Burton-ish, with Alice and Big Fish being two of what I saw. (and I must say, Big Fish was better than expected).
I asked for the immigration and customs slips before we got there, (and I'm very very glad I remembered to do so) because where I thought it would take me 3 hours to get out of Narita, it then only took me about 1! I suppose I've never actually exited Narita alone before, and groups with luggage do take quite some time to get, er, moving along, in most respects. The last things I did today was get a bit lost trying to find my hostel in the hot, cloudy, wet, and humid afternoon where a few friendly side shop owners and a bit of Japanese helped clear things up pretty simply. It's a lovely little place here, this hostel. It's still strange, I've barely had time to even absorb the fact that I'm in Japan.

Yet here I am! About ready to fall down after an roughly estimated 20 hours of travel, about an hour's sleep (too little the night before as well) and much lugging of backpacks and stress.
Bed, here I come.

Home is behind, the world ahead.

Welcome, to those of you who have discovered my blog of travels in Japan! I'm incredibly excited to be returning, and equally excited that I can do it now without the restrictive aid of an educational program! (well, in a exterior controlled fashion, that is). To illustrate my journeys for those who may not be aware, this summer I will interning at an organization called Earth Embassy, which is located at the base of Mt. Fuji in a small village called Narusawa, where I will stay for about three months. After that, if my hands and photo taking device yet have vigor in them, I will be documenting my travels across the Kansai peninsula in my studies of Shinto beliefs and shrines in the fall as a residency. There will be so much adventure I can barely imagine it (which makes me a touch nervous), and so I must leave that which I cannot preordain to be as it may. The journey begins in only a few days!

Which brings me to the point and labours of packing. My very own beautiful backpacking pack will no doubt grace a few of my upcoming pictures, and has yet failed me to fit almost anything I could want to take with me on a 5 1/2 months excursion into the semi-wild world of abroad travel. Shoes are tricky though, but I think I have enough room to wedge my hiking boots in there. I'll just wear sandals on the plane and bring socks for cold feet.

That's pretty much all I've got so far. No doubt the airport will bring a story in and of itself, but that is for my arrival in Japan! I'm off to find an alarm clock.

Take care,
~Kira