Did or did the weather gods decide to bless me with a view of Mt Fuji after waiting 3 days?
Yes, yes they did.
And what an incredible view it turned out to be.
Crazy to think that for 2 whole days, the mountain was lurking in the back of every photo, at the turn of every corner, and looking over the hotel as I lay patiently for the cloud to pass.
Absolutely worth the wait, and Fuji-san is quite possibly one of the most incredible, and iconic, mountains I have ever seen.
Surrounding Areas of Mt Fuji
Hiring a car is always one way to get around in a new area, and Japan was no different. Having the ability to pop anywhere on the map, to the forgotten corners of tourism, and generally places that are more difficult than public transport.
That being said, Japan does have one of the most extensive transport systems in the world, and its rail networks are mind-blowingly good.
Fuji can be seen for miles and miles. Dominating the skyline at an impressive 3778m tall. If the sky is clear, and the weather is good, you don’t have to look too far to see this impressive mountain looming on the skyline.
Most of the beginning of the week was spent chasing waterfalls, despite what TLC tells you to do.
Some of them are big, some of beautiful, and one of them uses the spring water from the waterfall itself to grow Wasabi!
Japan isn’t as expensive as I thought
When you travel to Japan, the first thing everyone says is:
“OmG uR liVinG thE Dr3Am”
Well Sandra, firstly, I’m not. And secondly, if you didn’t eat out so much, drink as much alcohol, and spend money on pointless shit, you might be able to afford it too.
Secondly, it’s not MY dream. I appreciate it is a lot of people’s dream to backpack and travel. But my dream is to live in isolated Northern Norway in a small log cabin with a pack of sled dogs and monthly visits from my Niece and Nephew.
But they always say how expensive Japan is.
It really isn’t that expensive, or at least what I have experienced so far.
Most hotels, of decent quality, have been less than £40 a night.
In most convenience shops you can buy lunch or dinner for less than £5.
Fuel is less than £1/L and most temples, shrines and places of interest are free.
Sure, I’m not a foodie, so I’m not going out to restaurants, nor do I drink, so maybe it’s expensive if you do those things. But it’s still cheaper than the UK by a long shot.
Leaving Fuji behind and heading for Nara, Osaka, and Kyoto. Some of the most famous places in Japan are located here.
It rained for a full day, wisely used that time to travel between cities and explore some of rural Japan.
Driving through Shizuoka which is home to 70% of all of the Japanese tea plantations. Weirdly, they have fans in the fields and the powerlines are a bit of an eye-sore. But it’s to keep any more mildew and condensation off of the leaves. Interesting!
Nara was the first stop, and famed for the deer that take residence in one of the many parks. They’ll bow in exchange for food and this was personally one of the things I was most looking forward to during the entire trip. However, the hoards of screaming tourists, teasing of deer, and general behavior really left a sour taste in my mouth.
Osaka was a cool city, with lots to offer, and some of the best shopping districts I’ve ever seen in my life. Mile-long streets with every brand and anything you could ever need. Right in one place.
Monk Mode Week 12
I’ve actually made it to the final week with a clean scorecard and ready to finish the entire 90-day stretch. A lot of lessons and learnings, but definitely not as productive or game-changing as it could have been. However, a lot to be said for doing the thing for 90 days.
Feeding well into one of my favorite mantras of: “Do, then iterate.”
If you’re unfamiliar with Monk Mode it’s basically 90 days of trying to commit to the following:
– Create a video every day
– Write an article everyday
– Run 1 mile every day
Creation not Consumption
Probably my least favorite out of the three disciplines, and one I need to actively change to get better at in the future.
Writing daily
Enjoyed writing again, and Japan has given it a new fresh outlook.
Blog Views: 180
One Mile a Day
Some slight knee issues, but happy with the consistency here, even if it is only a mile, to repeatedly do it over a long period of time is the biggest win here.
The next adventure…
Another few weeks in Japan, and taking the little Nissan Micra to its extremes.
Thankfully the weather looks good, and I can close the Asian Adventure with a good few weeks in the books.
There’s actually one more country I am visiting on the Asian trip and one that’s got some unfinished business. But more about that in a few weeks.
Till next time.
Explore Strong.