Mount Fuji is considered the single most popular tourist site in Japan. It happens to be the tallest mountain in Japan standing at 12,380 feet. It is also considered a sacred place for Shinto believers. The last recorded eruption of Mount Fuji was more than 300 years ago - in 1707.
The visibility of Mount Fuji depends on the weather. On the day we attempted to go at the foot of Mt Fuji, luckily, the sky was clear. During the bus ride, I was actually asleep most of the time but when I heard someone in the bus exclaim “Mt. Fuji!”, I was instantly up holding my camera. Haha…
Here was my first glimpse of Mt. Fuji.
I tried snapping more photos along the way and I was hoping to get a shot with cherry blossoms on the foreground but this was the best shot I have on the bus. Haha…
After taking several shots, I slept again on the bus. Then I heard someone say “Is that snow?”, instantly, I was up again! (I just realized I have selected hearing on my sleep! Haha…)
Anyway, you see, it’s my first time to see snow! I wasn’t expecting to see snow on this trip but there it was! My first glimpse of snow on the bus…
I was more happy to see snow than Mount Fuji. Haha…. In fact, I didn't go back to sleep anymore until we reached Station 1 of Mount Fuji. We were supposed to go to Mount Fuji's Station 5 but on that day, you can only go up to Station 1. According to our tour guide, officials are more careful now since an avalanche occurred in February.
I couldn't resist to take a photo of myself standing on snow for the first time. Funny, I was just wearing ballerina flats. Totally not snow-ready. Haha...
I actually checked the weather forecast before our trip and the forecast ranged from 7 degrees Celsius (night) to 17 degrees Celsius (day) which was tolerable - just aircon temperature. But since there were days when it rained, the day temperature dropped to as low as 10 degrees Celsius! Fortunately, I survived with my thermal undergarments, regular jacket and flats. Whew...
Here's my photo with my tour mates. I was traveling with 3 doctors - I was the lone non-doctor within our sub-group (we were a total of 30 Pinoys in the tour group). One of the doctors, Doc Vicky, was my tour mate in Europe two years ago and we have kept in touch since then. She invited me to join her other friends, Doc Evelyn and Doc Ottie. Even in foot wear, I was the odd (wo)man out. Haha...
And here's our photo holding snow. Yay! I actually wanted to make an Olaf. Haha...
From Mount Fuji's Station 1, we headed to a place called Oshino Hakkai. It's a place at the foot of Mount Fuji that boasts of 8 ponds. They say the ponds are fed by snow that melts from Mount Fuji which gets filtered by porous layers of lava resulting to clear spring water. Fishes and plant life thrive in the ponds.
Here are more photos at Oshino Hakkai.
And to cap our day, I got my best shot of Mount Fuji at Oshino Hakkai. :)
