Through the Clouds
- Mar 12, 2017
- 4 min read
Location:
Lake Kawaguchiko, Mount Fuji, Japan
Even though we were only in walking distance to the train station, we didn’t leave ourselves with much time to get there. We have never missed a plane or train on the big adventure so far! That wasn’t going to change. Running down the street and through the train station, the panic was on. Were we going to make it? Our window for ‘Mount Fuji’ was already tight enough as it is. With our hearts racing and a sigh of relief, we stepped on board the train with our big backpacks, thankful that we had made it! We didn’t care that we walked from one end to the other from carriage to carriage, we were just relieved that it didn’t leave without us. For now, it’s time to put our feet up and relax for this journey will take slightly longer than just the standard couple of hours.
With the first train ticked off, it was time for train number two, which is more local than at the cutting edge of technology. It just so happens to be twinned with Switzerland. I wonder what our favourite cat lady would have to say about Mount Fuji. Could be up there with the Alps? Surely, she wouldn’t rate it higher than the Alps? Over an hour had passed and we had to endure a packed local bus where we couldn’t move and hoped our bags wouldn’t interfere with the doors every time they opened, we arrived at ‘K’s House Mt Fuji.’
Here we are, right beside the ever-impressive Mount Fuji. We didn’t waste much time getting out and going on a little walk in search of great views of one of the world’s most famous peaks. We were both starving after a long day of travelling, but our bellies could rumble a little bit longer, for great views are only a short distance away. Despite all the clouds, one can’t help but simply look and think to oneself that this is not a postcard, I am actually here, on my travels with my darling Jason, next to Mount Fuji. Dreams are great, but they are even better when they come true!
Little did we know that they were the clearest views we were going to get of the snow-capped peak. During our time in Japan, we have loved the cuisine on offer, but when you have the chance to try local cuisine in a more traditional Japanese setting, well that is special! Two nice big hot pot’s with ‘Boar’ and ‘Bear’ washed down with a couple of glasses of traditional Japanese ‘Sake.’ Life doesn’t get much better than this!
The following morning, I was determined to get up for sunrise. I thought staying next to Mount Fuji, it is something we should do. The only problem was, we couldn’t really see much of it as the peak was lost to the clouds. It was rather disappointing, but sure what can you do. I wasn’t going to let that put a dampener on things. It may have been cold, we may have been tired, but we didn’t rush back to our beds. We continued to walk around ‘Lake Kawaguchiko,’ well, until we got to the main bridge. After our early morning walk, we both went back to the hostel and straight into our beds for a few hours’ sleep!
With only a few hours to explore the area before we have to start our final journey back to Tokyo, we hired out two bikes so we could cycle around the lake, hoping the weather would clear up, if only for a short while. It may have been a lovely cycle, but as for those impressive views of Mount Fuji, well sadly it never happened, but we still enjoyed our nice, romantic cycle. We made a couple of little stops as the lake itself is stunning. I can only imagine what it must be like on a clear day. I don’t think both of us realised just how long it would take to do a loop of the entire lake. Trying to get back to the hostel in time was a bit of a panic, but thankfully, we were fine.
With only a 24-hour window to see Mount Fuji, things certainly didn’t go to plan. The more you travel, the more you realise life is not always black and white. Just because you have a plan and a vision of how something should be, don’t expect it to always go the way you want it. Of course, coming to Japan, top of my list was the perfect shot of Mount Fuji! Did it happen, well no! Did it spoil the whole trip for me? Hell no! We have had such an incredible time. Our little visit to the lake has been very enjoyable. We got to try some amazing food, enjoy some epic views and appreciate the finer things in life. Some day we will return, if even for that perfect shot I have dreamt about!
By Andrew
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