Like this:

Sunday:

12pm: I went to Akihabara (“The Electric Town”) to buy this camera for $380 -_- ah well, at least it was blue, and I finally got a camera

2:30pm: Got back home to pack and to fill out our budget request for ITASA (woot!)

5:00pm: Took the train to Shinjuku

6:00pm: Found out that the 6:10pm bus to Mount Fuji was full, bought tickets for the 7:10pm one and ate dinner instead

7:10pm: Took a 2.5 hour bus to Mount Fuji’s 5th station (there are 10 total), where most people start to climb because it’s the last station vehicles can access. It was already around 60F and windy so I changed into long pants. I also bought a huge wooden stick that I could brand at some stations and finally the top, to prove that I really did get here.

10:30pm: Started ascending the mountain! First it was just a gravel path sloping up and few stone steps…

11:30pm: 6th station! This was really deceiving because it really didn’t take that much effort to get there and it only took us an hour…

Monday

1:00am: 7th station! The bottled water here is already costing $5. And it’s starting to get cold despite me sweating… I put on a sweatshirt

2:00am: We pass a few rest stops but they’re still the 7th station. Instead of nice steps, it’s rocks all the way. It was like rock climbing, except it was pitch dark. Basically I climbed one handed cuz the other hand was holding the flashlight, hehe.

2:30am: 8th station! It’s starting to get freezing… I put on my fleece. The wind is crazy!

3:30am: 8.5th station! That’s actually what it’s called…

4:45am: The sun rises, but we’re not at the top! It’s okay cuz we get an awesome view, and you could hear all the people at the top shouting.

5:15am: 9th station! The sign says only 30 minutes left but there’s a huge line of people trying to get to the top, so it takes us much longer

6:15am: We get to the top! And it’s freezing! There was ice everywhere so it was definitely below freezing. We eat ramen at a noodle place, which was nice and hot. The wind was so strong at the very top that I almost fell over a few times…

7:00am: Started going down. The descending path is a completely different path than the one going up. Even though it’s longer, it’s way easier since it’s just ash, sand, and random small rocks that make up the path going down. I had to dump my shoes a few times cuz they got filled with sand

10:45am: We are back at the 5th station! Even though going down is longer, distance-wise, it was much, much easier, though painful cuz my legs were starting to get sore and going down a sandy hill that constantly slopped downwards really made my shins hurt.

11:00am: 2.5 hour bus back to Shinjuku. Luckily the seat next to me was empty so I laid down and slept for the first time in 24 hours.

3:00pm: Arrived back home!

4:00pm: Left to go to a birthday party of this girl I met on couchsurfing

10:30pm: After talking to like 30 people in the last 5 hours, I finally let the party to go home. I really got to practice Japanese!

12:00am: Home and a much needed sleep before work the next day!

I went with Amy and her friend, Kenton. This is between the 5th and 6th stations.

Branding the stick at the 7th station!

Climbing some rocks!

the sun is almost here!

it’s coming!

oooooooooooo…

the line of people going up to the summit

me with a my stick at the top, and being very cold

So icy and frozen lavay!

why are you so lonely, mr. cloud?

The path down…

Look at all the little people descending!

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