WHEN WE HIT JAPAN!!! Post 4

Mt. Fuji

Well it was now time to make way to our group overnight stay at Mt. Fuji. This was a real experience as the bus ride was a good 3 hours long. The first stop was at a roadhouse, which looked like a huge shopping mall. We had lunch at the main restaurant at the hall, which had a huge glass cabinet at the front with every meal available encased in perplex. I pointed at a seafood and rice dish which when it arrived it looked like it also was covered in perplex. Thankfully the taste was superb as all the food here in Japan has been. The trip continued to wind up to a stop where we went and visited one of the spectacular waterfalls that are found here in Japan, 180 steps later and the view was one of true majesty.

Tired and weary when we first saw a glimpse of Mt. Fuji the excitement was palpable. We make our way to the hotel and get ready for dinner. The students were all excited about being on a sleepover and were a little too jumpy, however when they were asked to turn the lights out at 10 pm they did so. The staff had an opportunity to let off a little steam however I decided to get an early night. Getting up at 5:00 AM I was able to see Mt. Fuji Burst through the night in what can only be called awe-inspiring. After sitting there and watching the sun come up I went back to sleep. A quick breakfast later the Lakeside crew went on a walk around the town visiting all the little shops and stalls. We saw a serene Japanese garden, tasted the freshest spring water ever and returned to a hearty Japanese barbecue.

We made the long trip back up north to Inzai and experienced first hand the dread of peek hour traffic in Japan. Exhausted the students were dispersed to their host families ready for a day of school at Inzai Junior High School.