I didn't travel.

I didn't go anywhere crazy this weekend. This isn't an entry like most of the others. Instead I worked.

Funny statistic: I have monday off after I work a weekend. SO, The number of Mondays I have had off can be taken as a sign of weekends worked. Last week one of the other teachers told me that it was the third Monday we had worked since the Semester had started. Third. That means I have worked three weekends a month since I got here. Wow.

The plus side to this: We went to the elementary school for a lecture where I do a visit every once in a while. The Junior high students were putting their bags away in the first graders' room to store them until after the lecture. I took that opportunity to walk around and see the kids' room since I usually see them in a play room.

In some, maybe most of the 6 or 7 desks, the students had saved the handouts I had given them in class. It was kind of heart warming to know that the kids were enjoying my class and getting something out of it, or at the very least they liked the pictures I drew for them. Regardless, the fact that just a few of them had different sheets as decoration on their desk meant that they weren't forced to by their teacher. Moments like that make me glad I'm in a small village, and I know all my kids... and their parents... and their cousins, brothers, grandparents, postmen, barbers, tofu delivery men...

Kyoto

Yesterday I went to Kyoto. That's 4 hours away. Kashima san, a friend from Urugi likes to drive. He likes to drive English Speakers. Tons of Jets from Nagano know him because they rode with him on trips to places all over, Shizuoka, Kyoto, Tokyo. He's famous among the English Teacher community.

He drove me to Kyoto where I was able to visit a few more shrines and temples. These were definitely some of the most well kept shrines I've seen thus far. Gorgeous. Even stumbled across a little parade festival, not unlike the one I saw last weekend in my own village. What with the "Washoi!" and all.

Next we met up with his friends. 'Met up' might be a little off though. Kashima picked me up after my walk on the Philosopher's Path and they were in the car. I had no idea what was going on and only a vague idea of his relation to the family. We went to see a Kimono Fashion show, then to a great outdoor market on a temple's grounds and last to the area outside the Emperor's Palace in Kyoto. The kids and I climbed trees while the family discussed where we would go for dinner.

The Incredible Growing Hike.

Kyoko asked if I wanted to go hiking. Of course! Kyoko said that we would be gone one night and stay in a cabin. Great, I have trouble sleeping in tents. She also said that it wouldn't be too hard. That's fine, it's been a while since I've done a real hike.

Kyoko called a few days before to correct the following items:
A) It's now two nights.
B) It's going to be very cold. I have complete foul weather gear, gloves, long underwear etc. right?
C) No more cabin. I need a tent.
D) Now we are hiking on ice. I have spikes for my boots right? (Good thing boots had just arrived...)
E) We would be hiking about 8 hours every day.
F) No I shouldn't worry about that Typhoon I heard about. (Silly American)

This was not the casual hike I had thought, but I wasn't going to wuss out. I do like hiking, I just don't like hiking on snow.

Day 1

I meet Kyoko at 6 am and we drive up to meet her hiking friends. We get to Hakuba and get hiking at about 10. We start off at an altitude of
about 1400 m. First day, we climb up to 2700 or so. Most of that is up snow and ice. The other people in the group are all older than me (At least twice my age) but they did a good job handicapping me by getting me to carry the tent and giving me the items they couldn't fit in their own bags. "You're so young!"

When we hit the top it was SO cold because of the wind. I never thought I would be so happy to have my City Year jacket from last year. After that we turned in at abut 6 in the afternoon. 5 of us in a 6 person tent, plus our bags. It was cozy and I was basically snuggling with everyone else and trying to avoid Kyoko sleeping at my feet. Lucky for me we went to be early though, because tomorrow we would wake up at 4 AM.

P.S. If you look close, just to the right of me, that's Mt. Fuji in the distance.

Day 2
I hate 4 AM. After listening to the radio in the morning, we decide to change course because of the typhoon that will hit the next day. (Silly American nothing! I win!) Today we peak the first mountain at about 2900 m. So windy and cold on top I don't even want to take my hands out of my gloves and pockets. And maybe I'm a wuss, but every once in a while I do catch myself taking deeper breaths because the air is a little thin. then we walked along a ridge. We ditched out bags for a "2" hour hike to another peak at 2600 m. Ends up taking three hours. Today we were supposed to hike for 8 hours. At 6, I ask how much further out of curiosity. 2 more our navigator says. 2 hours later, I ask again. 2 more he says. I'm not the only one who's surprised. 2 hours later I ask again. 2 more. No just kidding, only 20 minutes. I couldn't understand the Japanese, but some people were definitely making fun of our navigator by this point. Wait, no his mistake. 1 hr. and 45 min. Just under 12 hours on the trail that day. My feet were killing me by the time we got to camp and set up our tent.

Day 3
We were supposed to sleep late, til 9 or so. But at 5, the typhoon was too strong and our tent was flooded. Time to make breakfast and bail. The way home was really relaxing. We stopped to take an onsen (hot spring). It was a lot better than my first visit where the Japanese people just avoided me and even went so far as to leave tubs when the ripples from where I stepped in hit them. Being with other Japanese in the tubs seemed to somehow legitimize my presence. Travelling with older women is great too. We stopped for cake and tea twice. I love cake.

This was the first time I've ever really gone hiking to peak mountains. It was great. The group is training to climb Fuji. I've already told them I want to go to. We might give it a go next summer.

Link to more photos:
Mountain Climb October