Mt. Fuji Day - Everything went incredibly smoothly! I went out to catch the pre-booked bus to Mt. Fuji. I had allowed plenty of time because the travel guides said the boarding point was particularly difficult to find, but it turned out to be very close to my hotel; I just turned the corner and arrived! [Applause]
After boarding, I found my seat was in the first row, with an unobstructed view of the bus window right in front of me! [Wink] Probably due to the excellent visibility around Mt. Fuji, there was absolutely no traffic that day. I woke up to find Mt. Fuji completely unobstructed before my eyes! [Please] So happy... A year ago, I watched Keko's "Neon Legend with Shoji" and was instantly captivated by the Mt. Fuji cycling experience... I included it as a must-do on this trip, and God was really kind to me, allowing me to fulfill my dream without any regrets TT
I cycled along, stopping frequently, and randomly grabbed many people to take photos for me. Surprisingly, this shrine wasn't mentioned in the travel guides for Lake Yamanaka. I found it on the map myself and went to visit it; it's absolutely gorgeous... so beautiful that I went back there to sit after my afternoon bike ride, truly moved to tears by its beauty. After visiting in the morning, I was about to leave but decided to take a photo, so I went back to "catch" some people. I caught a group of Japanese guys, and after some semi-obstacles communication, I got a pretty good Polaroid photo and a travel photo that made me look taller. But I don't know if my reaction wasn't as enthusiastic as they expected, as they kept asking, "Is this okay?" Dude! The photo you took of me is one of the better ones taken by the others after me! Passing by Shiratori Beach, I saw swans and happened to meet a Japanese couple whose dog was about to fight with the swans—it was hilarious! In the end, the dog was forcibly dragged away by its owner. I then asked the woman to take a photo of me with the swans, and in the final picture, I realized how timid I looked!
And then, my absolute favorite Polaroid photo from this trip! A group of girls who were also cycling stopped to admire the scenery. I went up to them and asked them to take a picture of me cycling on Mount Fuji. The composition was perfect, the image was perfect, and there was no overexposure. There was even a gust of wind blowing my hair. Oh, I admired the picture for a long time after taking it [smiling face][smiling face][smiling face]. Out of politeness, I also asked if she needed me to take a picture of them. She happily handed me her phone, and then I realized that a couple behind them were also with them. They were a family! So I took a picture of the five of them cycling with Mount Fuji in the background. One of the girls was very surprised when she saw the photo and kept saying "sugoi sugoi" [winking face]. When we said goodbye, all five of them rode over on their bicycles and gave me a high five. Oh my... I was in a really good mood [back to school season].
Also, while queuing for a restaurant where you can eat while looking at Mount Fuji, I met an adorable dog. I saw its little hat and asked the owner if it was its birthday. The owner said no, it was a carp's purse. It sounded familiar, but my brain didn't immediately register it. So I tried searching to see what holiday it was, and then the owner saw me and jokingly asked if I didn't know what "鯉のぼり" (koi no bori) was [crying emoji]. He then explained it to me in the simplest terms: it's Japanese Children's Day, but it's only for boys? The koi on the chest is a blessing. This shop definitely has a great view, and the pancakes are huge!