Shibuya

Consider yourselves one of the first people to hear that I am alive and well. After 8.5 hours of climbing up and down a volcano in the middle of the night, in moonlight, fog, sleet, rain, and blazing sun, I can now say that I have summited Japan's highest mountain. I won't go into extensive detail as the pictures clearly explain it in more than 10,000 words. The lack of sleep, cold and hot weather, and thin air (slight dizziness) almost made me walk off the mountain, yeah, no joking.

But let me tell you, the sunrise at 4:30 am was incredible. I got up there a little over an hour before it, so was shivering in the biting cold. Fortunately, I carried my sleeping bag in my pack so took that baby out and held myself dearly. I bought a $5 coffee and a $20 bowl of ramen; they were the best coffee and ramen I have ever had, in my life. Between shouts of "oohs" and "ahhhs," I managed to take about 100 pictures of the sun rising up from behind the clouds. Pictures to be posted soon.

The Japanese people have been so kind, welcoming, and positive so far. Not only do they greet people with a kind hello or thank you, but they carry extremely positive attitudes. They do not seem to whine or complain about their jobs, instead, they are patient, helpful with directions, and friendly. In the states, I seem to see much more people with negative attitudes of "why do I have to be doing this" or "when can I go home damnit."

And did I mention how much Japanese people love their cell phones? Whether it's on the train, in a bus, on the road, or atop Mt. Fuji, they find time to text message, chat, or play games on their mobile. Quite funny, but true, they are the cellular capital of the world, along with China.

More pics soon. Tomorrow, we're heading to Shinjuku in search for a spa and sake.