Hakone Part Two

SATURDAY


At 6:00 a.m. my alarm went off, and we were eating our Lawson’s convenience store breakfast at the bus stop by 7:00. The bus took us to Odawara Station, where we went to another bus stop to wait for the bus to take us to our final destination. There were only two people waiting at the bus stop, an older couple in their 60s perhaps, dressed in hiking clothes and wearing backpacks. I asked them what time it was, and then we spent the whole day together!

It wasn’t really planned, but M and I kept running into them all day! We talked a little bit at the bus stop about the hike, since we were both going to the same place, but they didn’t speak any English and M’s Japanese is about the same as mine. But they were a kind pair who wanted us to enjoy our time in Japan. Apparently they climbed this mountain every week, taking the train in from Yokohama. Now that’s something I want to do: be a retired person who goes hiking every week. That’s nice.

When we were dropped off in front of the temple in the mountains, we went our separate ways. The temple was absolutely beautiful, nestled high in the mountains with more levels than I counted. You enter through the huge gate (one more gate picture!) and go down a long path lined with high stones carved with poetry or prayers (?) on either side. The main courtyard is huge, and surrounded on each side with large wooden buildings. There are stone steps leading up to another level, where another temple and bell are. Then more steps, another level, more buildings. It was one of the biggest temple complexes I’ve seen so far, and also one of the most peaceful. Way back in the woods, up high in the mountains, you can’t hear anything but running water from the myriad waterfalls. I decided that if I ever become a Buddhist monk, I’ll try to get placed at that temple. (That’s probably not how it works, but that’s my idea.)

After we had spent about an hour at the temple, we began the actual hike. I was amazed at how quickly I ran out of breath and energy! The trees were thick and the first couple hundred meters went almost straight up over mossy rocks. It was fun to climb but I kept having to stop, and I’m sure M was wishing I’d hurry up. I guess biking to school for two weeks didn’t really prepare me for climbing a mountain.

After we’d walked about an hour and a half, we came up to a rest area overlooking the city below. There was a crude plank bench made of boards placed under two trees, and sitting on it were our new Japanese friends! We talked for a bit (“I’m so tired!”) and they shared a snack with us: cut up pineapple and fruit salad. In exchange, M gave them some chocolate covered macadamia nuts! They left before we did, and we gave them about a 15-minute start to get ahead of us.

We kept going, up and up and up, on this mountain that reminded me of the Appalachians, with its red dirt and pine trees, only reminding me I was in Japan with the bamboo grass and occasional bamboo thicket. Then the woods stopped and a sloping grass field was in front of us. This area used to be a ski slope (maybe?) and I think we were walking under where the cable cars used to be. About halfway up, we ran into Obaasan and Ojiisan again (funny, we never asked their names, and never told them ours, either). They were making it, slowly but surely. We walked together for about ten minutes, chatting amicably about the weather and the hike, before parting ways again.

Finally we made it to the summit! When we emerged from the trees and out into the wide open air, the first thing we saw was Mt. Fuji looming in the distance, standing out from every other mountain, with a white cap of snow still on the top. Looking at it from a distance, I couldn’t believe I had actually been on it before. What on earth was I thinking? From far away, it is so beautiful and majestic; from up close, it’s so rocky!

Ten or fifteen minutes after we made it, Ojiisan and Obaasan arrived. The four of us sat near each other and enjoyed a picnic lunch on the top of the mountain in the bright sunny afternoon. We only stayed at the top for thirty minutes or so before heading back down.

This time, all four of us stayed together. We trooped the two and a half hours down in a line: Ojiisan, me, Obaasan, M. It was fun to speak Japanese all afternoon, even though sometimes (mostly!) we had trouble communicating. And it was helpful to have such seasoned hikers with us—when I complained about my knee getting out of whack again, which it does every time I climb a mountain, Ojiisan made me a present of an Icy Hot pack for it.

We went all the way into town together before we finally parted ways at the bus station. I couldn’t tell them how fun it had been just to hang out all day, so I just said arigatou gozaimasu a lot. Before we left, we all shook hands, and I gave Obaasan a hug. I think she was a little taken aback, but . . .

M and I found a nearby onsen, and spent almost an hour soaking our tired muscles in the hot water. There was a “resting room” on the third floor, covered in tatami mats, and we stretched out for a little bit with all the other people after bathing.

That night, I wasn’t worth anything, and feel dead asleep around 8:00 p.m.