on top of ol' Fuji

cliche top of mountain shot
Originally uploaded by freebeets.

Hidemi and I climbed Mt. Fuji Saturday night and toughed out some brutal weather to watch the sunrise. 32 degrees in Tokyo and 0 at 3776 meters (celsius kids). The wind was crazy- jackets were flappin, people were falling down, shivering, huddling. The deal is you start climbing at 8 pm or so and get there for the sunrise. As morning approached everyone thought all we'd be able to see was clouds churning above. The sun poked through the clouds now and then, and everyone blasted away with cameras and cell phones. Not the most stunning sunrise ever, but we had great seats.
I had a fever coming down the next morning and was all goofy and achey. Japanese hikers come in all shapes and colors and from all periods of time. We saw a guy in glow in the dark pants, two girls dressed in this Scottish school girl/leather cowboy hat style holding hands.