Playing with the Band (posted by Ric)

Hey someone actually paid Ric to play guitar!!! He hooked up with a really nice group of musicians and dancers that put on occasional shows. A couple of practices and it was off to the first show and his first time to even try playing Hawaiian music. The real talent that holds the bands comes from Miko-san, the Japanese singer/ukelele player; Ito-san, a wailing lead guitarist; Rudy, the passionate band leader; and Kimi, his lead dancer wife. Next concert is the last Saturday in September!

Mt. Fuji

We did it (at least part of it)! Daniel and I did the trek from the 5th to the 6th Station and slightly beyond. The first two photos above show "Fuji San" - the affectionate name for Mt. Fuji -- from the Visitor's Center. The next couple of photos show the stores/restaurants at the 5th Station (the last station to which you can drive). The final two photos show Daniel and I at the 6th Station and on our way to the 7th Station. Since we were on an organized tour, we did not have the time to make it to the 7th Station (or beyond) and left that for another day. We were, however, satisfied with what we accomplished!

Fuji Facts

Mt. Fuji is Japan’s tallest mountain, rising 3776 metres (12,000+ ft.) above sea level (you'll see many souvenir T-shirts and hats with "3776" on them). Its summit is circular and is about 500 metres across.

According to Wikipedia, scientists have identified four distinct phases of volcanic activity in the formation of Mt. Fuji. The first phase, called Sen-komitake, is composed of an andesite core recently discovered deep within the mountain. Sen-komitake was followed by the "Komitake Fuji," a basalt layer believed to be formed several hundred thousand years ago. Approximately 100,000 years ago, "Old Fuji" was formed over the top of Komitake Fuji. The modern, "New Fuji" is believed to have formed over the top of Old Fuji around 10,000 years ago.

Fuji last erupted on December 16, 1707. They say that Fuji erupts about every 300 years....

Official climbing season: July 1 - Aug. 26th. Climbing is restricted to this season because (1) most of the rest huts and other climber services are available only during this season; (2) the temperature at the top is the warmest of the year (about 40 deg. F/ 5 deg C); and (3) climbing in the off-season is dangerous.

The hike from the foot of the mountain is divided into 10 stations. There are paved roads up to the fifth station, which is about 2,300 metres (7,683 ft.) above sea level.

Hundreds of thousands of people climb Mt. Fuji every year. This popularity has caused a pollution problem so severe that it has prevented Mt. Fuji from being a candidate for nomination as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage site. Significant educational and clean-up efforts are underway to change this.

Getting Nostalgic (posted by Ric)

Our 13th wedding anniversary is in two days and I have been feeling nostalgic about travel. Don't really know if they are related but here are the three thoughts I wanted to share:

1. In 1983, I went to Sierra Leone with the Peace Corps. Five years later, in 1988, I was traveling mostly in Thailand and Guatemala (taking time off before graduate school). Ten years later, in 1998, Bobbie and I took 3 months off and rented an apartment within the castle in Budapest. We used that as a base to visit Turkey, Greece, Italy, Germany and Austria, and had such great a great experience that we vowed to do another long adventure ten years later. Ten years later, in 2008, we moved to Japan. But this move wasn't really a conscious effort to comply with that promise to ourselves. It just worked out that way. And looking back, it feels like it was the right choice.

2. Japan was not on our travel radar. It was never a vacation destination. We always dismissed it as too far and too expensive. Sierra Leone was not on my radar when I joined the Peace Corps. When the position was offered to me, I had to find it on the map. But both places are fantastic adventures because they are off the beaten bath. Unlike Europe, which we visited in March with other hoards of tourists, we can get lost here and hardly encounter another westerner. I remember, in Sierra Leone, stopping any traveler we saw up country to find out what their story was. The other blessing about coming here is that we had very few expectations of how it "had" to be. Fewer expectations result in less disappointment. Each mini-adventure is a wonderful surprise.

3. The type of travel that occurred in five and ten year increments is a poignant parallel to the periods of my life. Sierra Leone was testosterone fueled outdoor adventure. Brief intense encounters, and impulsive changes of plans. Defying authority. Fishing the ocean in a rubber dingy and line wrapped around a board. Sailing up the west coast of Africa and jumping ship in the the Canaries. Thailand in the late twenties--still single and adventurous-- searching for deeper connections and meaning. Budapest, married and trying to build the nest nest and family. Big focus of that trip was trying to decide if we would want to live in Hungary and deciding that San Diego was so much easier. But we were childless and still willing to pop into town without reservations. Since Danny was born our vacations have been mostly to warm places on the beach. Now we are discussing our plans to visit China and saying, "it would be OK with me if we went on an organized tour and had all arrangements taken care of by others."

Yokohama