Contemplating Mt Fuji

20120704-094933.jpgYesterday, we stayed in a fantastic Ryokan in Kawaguchiko. With only three rooms it was a nice, quiet place to relax before today’s challenge! I even plucked up the courage to visit an Onsen for the first time, where I had plenty of time to contemplate what I’m about to undertake.

It was about 8pm when I entered the Onsen, after washing thoroughly I headed outside and got into one of the three heated pools the Male Onsen had to offer. I’d read the water to this hot spring flows from Mt Fuji, so naturally that started me on a trail of thought…

I remember thinking “What the hell am I doing?” – despite my best efforts I’m still not the thinnest guy, this will be a huge undertaking, but I’ll do my best and it’ll take as long as it takes. My thoughts then shifted to today, “How will I feel when I’m standing at the 5th station, staring up at Mt Fuji?” “What will keep me going at those tough points?” “How will I feel when I reach the top?” The Onsen’s hot waters calmed me a great deal and worked wonders on my tired muscles – it rained alot yesterday and the walk to the Ryokan from Kawaguchiko station was not fun. A little more mentally set than before, I departed and headed upstairs to sleep, if you haven’t slept in a tatami mat room on a futon before, I highly recommend it!

There’s an old proverb, “If you come to Japan and don’t climb Mt. Fuji, you’re a fool; but if you climb it more than once, you’re an even BIGGER fool.”

So I best get on with it, lest I be a fool for life.

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