Monday May 20 Tokyo: We started the day hoping a taxi to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. This was the pickup point for the tour. The hotel was grand with a waterfall out in the parking entrance. We were very early so that we could have breakfast at the hotel. We were directed to the 38th floor. We went up with ears popping it was so fast. Stepping out of the elevator we walked in a very large dining area with ceiling to floor windows overlooking the city. The day was cold, misty with some fog so the view was gray but impressive. Breakfast was a buffet that started at $28 for the continental and more for the next level. Then the parade of waiters began with water, two kinds of juice, coffee and tea. There were two forks and two knives so this was not going to be a simple meal. There were two tables one with pastries, rolls, banana bread and soup. The other table had salad, fruit and smoked salmon. There was also a hot section with chefs waiting to fill our order for just about anything. Bob told a young lady that we had the continental and was the hot section open to us. I think there was some missed communication because she waved her hands and I think meant it was all available. So why was there two prices on the menu? It was all too much. We enjoyed the foggy view and had a very nice breakfast. In the lobby we met a Jewish couple who were taking the city tour and also waiting to be picked up. They had done extensive travel and liked Seattle and Portland. They confirmed that there were more Jews in the US than in Israel. About that time I discovered that I had left my camera back at Ks. Bob loaned me his camera and when I went to take a picture of the waterfall the message change battery displayed so no pictures on this tour.
We were lucky that we were early because a brisk young lady gathered us up and rushed us off to a bus. We then proceeded to two more stops gathering other tourists. I have to say something about the bus drivers here. The are faced with narrow streets, scooters, motorcycles and impossible traffic density but they manage to squeak through the tightest spaces with no horns or mad maneuvers. They are truly phenomenal. We finally arrived at the dispersal center and were assigned a bus and seats. We were on our way to Fuji. Traffic just crawled. There was a two lane expressway out of the city but it was down to one lane because one lane was being repaved. The tour guide launched into a long story about how Japan had borrowed extensively from the world bank to finance their transportation system and went way into debt. There was a cycle of borrowing and debt with various political parties promising to be fiscally responsible and turning around and borrowing more.
The whole day was drizzly with low lying clouds that didn't promise a view of Fuji. Our first stop was at the Fuji visitors center. It had a shop and good exhibits that explained the geological evolution of Fuji. The problem was we only had 15 minutes there. Our slow start out of the city probably through the whole schedule off. From there we started on the way up to 5th station which is about half way up the mountain. Just below 5th station the clouds parted and we could see most of the mountain. It is very impressive with the long gentle slopes steepening towards the summit. There was still snow on the slopes and it was very beautiful. 5th station is where many climbers start their ascent of Fuji. There are several shops. Bob pointed out the aerosol cans of oxygen. Bob showed me around the station and we even stated up the summit trail for a short walk away from the hustle and bustle. It was quiet and we heard birds. I think Bob was moved by his memories.
Down the mountain we went to Kawaguchiko for lunch. It was a Japanese style lunch in smooth black bento box. There was tuna sushi, shrimp and eggplant tempura, breaded chicken, a noodle mizo soup, rice and a gooey sweet wrapped in a leaf and tea. It was excellent!
We continued on to Ashi lake that was very large. This is a resort area so there were lots of peddle paddle boats shaped like huge swans. We boarded a large catamaran and went for a brisk ride up the lake in a slight drizzle. At the next landing we docked just below the entrance to a cable car that went up to Mt. Komagatoke. It was weird ascending into the clouds. It was pretty damp at the top so I went back down on the first car. That was the last of the scheduled stops so it was back to Tokyo.
We arrived about 7:30 and were dropped off in the downtown area a few blocks from from Tokyo station. The walk to the station was a blaze of store fronts and bright signs. There was one sign that was a huge crawling sign like the one at Times Square. At the station everything speeded up. There were so many commuters rushing this way and that. There didn't seem to be any bumping it was all weave and forge ahead. We had one situation on a wide staircase with solid body of commuters coming down while we were going up. They must have been five wide and endless. Bob and I hugged the rail and made it up. at the top we noticed there was a railing separating the stairs that we could have taken but it was a case of how to cross that stream. On escalators you stand to the side because there are all these type A's that charge down the moving escalator. I even saw one working an iPad while he fast walked down. We were bushed so we got MacDonalds takeout grabbed a grape drink from a machine on the way back to Ks and collapsed. The last tour day was another good one.
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