I took many photos of Mt Fuji today, and this is the best one. It is also the first one.

I would have saved myself so much time and energy if I’d realised that at the time!

“Sometimes Fuji is shy. She hides her face behind the clouds like a quilt. We see the Fuji twice on this trip, so we have a good chance to see her,” said Ben.

Fuji is actually 4 mountains and it has 2 craters. It last erupted 300 years ago, from the crater on the side. It was so large that the sand on the beach is still black. 

There’s an 80% chance that it will erupt in the next 30 years. People in Tokyo have regular drills on what to do when it happens.

Of course, Mt Fuji is big Kami.

Fortunate Frogdancer is on this tour! It’s cloudy, but the top of Mt Fuji can clearly be seen.

We arrived at the museum and raced to the top floor to see Fuji.

I’ve got to admit, I was more moved than I expected to be. It was so beautiful!

After I’d snapped a couple of shots, I went downstairs and watched a 10 minute video about the mountain. They did a good job – it was actually interesting. 

I spent more time in the gift shop looking for a decent souvenir of Fuji than I actually spent looking at her, so after I selected the least hideous magnet, I went upstairs again. Clouds were beginning to sweep across the top of the mountain and it looked very different, even in such a short time.

Our next stop was Lake Kawaguchi, where we were to grab lunch and then jump on a boat to catch the best views of Fuji.

Barbara, Lyn, Robyn and I went to a cafe called ‘ The Apple Pie Lab’ which seriously had the best apple pie I’ve ever eaten. The coffee was strong, too. If you ever see one, you could do far worse than to grab a lunch here.

We wandered around afterward, and discovered this sculpture that an artist who was 101 made. Isn’t it beautiful?

We had a little time to kill before the boat ride and as I walked beside the harbour, I was suddenly filled with happiness. The sun was shining, I was looking at a snowy place with not even a jumper on, I could hear birds in the air and my little black ducks with the white faces were swimming in the water. It was all so peaceful and lovely.

The boat ride on the lake was amazing. The view of Mt Fuji was incredibly impressive. However , I couldn’t get a decent view on my phone for you, and believe me… I tried. In the end, I put my phone away and lived in the moment.

The photos are wishy-washy but the view in real life definitely wasn’t!

This was me thinking I’d left it too late to get a decent shot of the mountain, but it actually isn’t too bad. Anyway, once we were on dry land, we were in the bus and away. It was a full- on driving afternoon.

I slept on the bus after this, but every now and then I surfaced to see the view. This reminded me of the Alaskan/Canadian trip, with snowy mountains by the road. Admittedly, the Japanese ones were smaller and were further away from the road, but the echoes were still there.

A view from the wrong side of the bus. Hey, I can’t be Fortunate Frogdancer ALL the time!

We arrived at Nagano, a town high in the Alps region, at around 4:30.
Ben said that our rooms would be small by Australian standards…

There’s no window behind that curtain.

I appreciate how, despite the lack of floor space, the toilet still has everything I’ve come to expect.

If there’s one thing I’m beginning to appreciate, after being on so many trips, is that if the guide recommends something, it’s probably a good idea to check it out.

I knew that if I went and got dinner immediately after checking in, I was going to end up with lots of time on my hands. Even with writing this post – these travel posts take anywhere from 2 to 3 hours to put together – I’d still be left with nothing but a book to read.

As we drove into town, Ben recommended going to see a “very famous” shrine a kilometres walk from the hotel.

Now, you all know how much I hate exercise. But I thought of my tens of readers and decided to take that walk. It was up a hill, so I hope you appreciate it.

Actually, it was terrific. Always listen to your guide!

As I walked, I snapped a few photos.

I liked the look of this garden. Did I mention that this walk was uphill?

I knew this place would be awesome when I saw this.

How whimsical!

This is a close-up of the statues in the first gate.

Then there was a row of shops. Luckily for me, most of them were already closed for the day. The Art shop was shut. Phew! I still haven’t quite recovered from buying the silken embroidered piece from Hoi An 2 weeks ago.

There was something fabulous here that I didn’t notice until I was on my way out…

Looking back the way I’d come. It was getting cold and I had to tuck my hands into my sleeves to try and keep them warm. But I was very glad I’d come.

Walking up towards the last building.

These buildings were all original. They’d escaped being bombed in the war.

Look at his expression! I’d find a place for him at home in a heartbeat.

This was a sneaky shot.

How could I have missed seeing the cat?? 😂😂

I may have quickly stepped into traffic to take this shot. I like the way the buildings relate to each other.

And another echo of Canada. I was reminded of Banff when I saw the mountain at the end of the street.

I bumped into Lyn and Barbara at the supermarket and we bought our dinners. I’ve demolished mine, and I’ll finish my little bottle of sake while I finish my book.

Tomorrow it’s another early start.

I’m enjoying this tour. Even though it’s a large number of people, everyone is chilled, on time and agreeable. There’s no one who’s annoying.

Unless… oh god!… maybe this means that it’s ME??? 😳

Dad Joke of the Day: