Ulla kirjutab maast ja ilmast: Kaunis Fuji m2gi // Stunning Mt Fuji

Tokyost s6itsime me bussiga Fujinomiya linna, mis asub Tokyost umbes kahe tunni kaugusel ning Fuji m2est otse l6unas.

Kuni me ootasime, et hostel meie voodid valmis seaks (hostel on muuseas k6ige puhtam ja hubasem mida ma eales n2inud olen), l2ksime me l2hedalasuvasse parki jalutama. Pargis asub peamine Fuji m2ele pyhendatud tempel ning imekaunis tiik. Pargis saime esmakordselt Fuji m2ge oma silmaga imetleda (kui v2lja arvata hetk bussis kui vilksamisi teda juba n2gime). Fuji m2gi on tegelikult vulkaan, ja v2idetavalt on ta aktiivne, vaatamata sellele, et viimati purskas ta 1707. aastal. Uus purse v6ib tulla igal hetkel kyll ja v2idetavalt on Jaapani valitsusel plaanis ohutsoonis asuvad elanikud kiiremas korras mujale paigutada. Fuji m2gi on 3776-meetrisena yhtlasi ka Jaapani k6rgeim tipp ning jaapanlaste jaoks on tegu pyha paiga ja palver2nnakute sihtpuntiga. L2bi ajaloo oli naistele ja v66ramaalastele Fuji m2e otsa ronimine keelatud, see aga muutus 19. sajandil - esmalt, kui yks julge jaapanlanna end meheks maskeeris ja m2e vallutas, ning seej2rel kui yks briti diplomaat otsustas m2e otsa ronida vaatamata sellele, et ta polnud jaapanlane.

Meie hostel pakkus soodsat hommikust Fuji m2e tuuri mille me ka koheselt kinni panime. M2e tippu saab kyll ronida, ent tegu on raske 10-tunnise matkaga, mida saab teha ainult juulis ja augustis, mil m2etipp on ohutum. Meie tuur viis meid hoopis kuni ronimisjaama, mis asus umbes m2e keskpaigas ja kust me saime minna lyhikesele matkale m88da m2ekylge kuni Hoei kraatrini (mis tekkis 1707. aasta purske tulemusena), mis asub Fuji enda kyljel ja kust avanesid suurep2rased vaated kogu ymbrusele.

Meiega koos tuuril oli ka kanada poiss Humza, kellega me s6brunesime ning veetsime ylej22nud Fujinomiyas veetud aja koos. P2rast tuuri l2ksime me l6unat s88ma l2hedalasuvasse hypermarketisse, mis pakkus uskumatut valmistoitude valikut (sushi, tempura ja k6iksugu muu maitsev ja tervislik jaapani toit) ja hiljem 6htustasime koos yhes lahedas nuudlibaaris.

Meil oli plaanis j2rgmisel p2eval (st t2na) Fujinomiyast Kyotosse reisida, ent kui me saime teada, et me peaksime kas maksma yle 10,000e jeeni (80+ eurot) kiirrongi eest, v6i siis s6itma tavalise ja odavama rongiga, mis aga sisaldaks kaheksat (!) ymberistumist, saatsime me rongi yldse metsa ja otsustasime 88bussi kasuks - mis, kuigi ebamugav, maksis rongist poole v2hem ja yhtlasi aitab meil yhe 88 majutuse pealt kokku hoida. Kuna buss s6idab siit minema alles 6htul hilja, oli meil j2rsku veel yks t2isp2ev Fujinomiyas. Otsustasime Humzaga koos s6ita l2hedalasuva Tanuki j2rve 22rde, et seal veel natuke kauneid vaateid Fuji m2ele nautida. P2rast 45-minutilist bussis6itu olimegi j2rve 22res, kust avanes imekaunis, kuigi vahelduv (t2nu pilvisele ilmale) vaade Fuji m2ele. Jalutasime m88da j2rve 22rt veekogu teisele poole, kust p88rasime metsaraja peale, et sealt ringiga tagasi alustuspunkti j6uda. Metsarada oli imekaunis, ent p2ris kurnav, kuna pool teed oli pidev ja j2rsk ylesminek, ja teine pool pidev ja j2rsk allaminek. Aga asi oli seda v22rt, kuna poole tee peal saime n2ha veel kord imekaunist vaadet Fujile ja Tanuki j2rvele endale.

Nyyd oleme tagasi hostelis, kus peame veel paar tundi surnuks l88ma enne kui bussi peale l2hme ja homme hommikul Kyotos, iidses Jaapani pealinnas yles 2rkame.

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From Tokyo, we took a bus to Fujinomiya town, which lies about two hours away from Tokyo, just south of the famous Mt Fuji.

While we were waiting to be able to check in to our hostel (which, by the way, is the cosiest and cleanest hostel I have ever seen), we went for a walk in a local park that houses the main shrine dedicated to Mt Fuji, as well as a gorgeous pond. This is where we got our first proper view of the iconic mountain (not counting the glimpse we got while on the bus). Mt Fuji is in fact a volcano, and classified as an active one, even though the last time it erupted was in 1707. A new eruption could happen at any time though, and apparently the Japanese government has plans to relocate inhabitants that live too close to the potential danger zone. Mt Fuji is also the highest peak in Japan, at 3776 meters, and for the Japanese people, it is a sacred place and has been a pilgrimage site for centuries. For most of history, women and non-Japanese were strictly forbidden to climb Mt Fuji, but this changed in the 19th century - first, when a daring young Japanese women disguised herself as a man and reached the summit, and then when a British diplomat climbed it despite not being Japanese.

Our hostel offered us a morning tour to the mountain which we booked. While it is possible to climb the mountain, it is an arduous, 10-hour hike, and can only be done during July and August when it's safest. Our tour took us instead to a station halfway up the mountain where we got to go for a short hike along the mountainside, and to reach the edge of the huge Hoei crater (which was formed during the 1707 eruption), which sits on the side of Mt Fuji itself, and provided beautiful views all around.

On the tour with us was also a Canadian boy called Humza, who we became friends with and spent the rest of our stay together with. We went for lunch in the nearby hypermarket, which has an amazing variety of tasty ready-made meals (sushi, tempura, and all kinds of other healthy, delicious Japanese food), and for dinner to a really cool noodle shop.

We had planned to leave Fujinomiya and go to Kyoto the following day (i.e. today), but since we learned that either we have to pay over 10,000 yen (80+ euros) and get the bullet train, or take the cheaper, regular train but then have to make 8 (!) changes, we decided to skip the train entirely and go for a night bus - which, while inconvenient, cost half the price of the train and would also save us having to pay for a night's accommodation. Since the bus leaves late in the evening, we had another full day here, and together with Humza decided to go to Lake Tanuki for some more views of the stunningly beautiful Mt Fuji. A 45-minute bus ride later, we were at the lake and were treated to beautiful, if intermittent (due to clouds) views of the mountain. We walked along the lake, and then took a forest trail to circle back to where we started. The forest trail was gorgeous and quite challenging since half of it was a steep climb uphill, and the other half a steep climb downhill, but it was totally worth it since at the top of the ridge we got another beautiful view of Mt Fuji and Lake Tanuki itself.

Now we are back at the hostel for a few more hours before getting the bus and waking up tomorrow in Kyoto, the ancient Japanese capital.

Vesi otse Fuji m2elt // Water straight from Mt Fuji

Fotosessioon Fujinomiya pargis // Photo session at Fujinomiya park

Imekaunis tiik // Gorgeous pond

Esimesel 6htul l2ksime s88ma kohta kus pidime ise oma toidu valmis tegema // The first night we had dinner in a place where we had to cook our own food

Fuji!

Vaade Fuji m2elt // View from Mt Fuji

Hoei kraater // Hoei crater

Fuji tipp paistab // Fuji summit in the background

K6verad puud kasvavad Fujil // Crooked trees growing on Mt Fuji

Paolo ja Humza hypermarketist ostetud toiduga // Paolo and Humza with their hypermarket-bought food

Nuudlibaaris kohalikega // In a noodle bar with some locals

Fuji m2gi ja Tanuki j2rv // Mt Fuji and Lake Tanuki

Kaunis metsatee ymber Tanuki j2rve // Beautiful trail along Lake Tanuki

Pidus88k // It's a feast!

Ei ole fotomanipulatsioon, oligi selline kontrast kahe m2ekylje vahel - yhel pool ainult okasmets ja teisel pool lehtmets. // Not photoshopped, the contrast was real between the two sides of the mountain - one had only conifers and the other only broadleaves.