On our 2 hour bus ride along a super expressway to Mt. Fuji, our guide, Hiro, was full of interesting trivia: fir trees created a lot of pollen causing “polinosis” (allergies); Japan is a stretched out version of California; favorite foods of Japanese people are barbequed eel and green tea; fuji means “Never Die”, “Rich Samurai Warrior,” and “Goddess of Fire.”
Our bus stopped at the 1st station to get a sunny view of Mt. Fujiyama where we learned that this active volcano with a large crater is 12,365 feet high and the last eruption was 300 years ago. At the 5th station, Hiro told us about some of the people who climb to the top of Fuji: Shinto pilgrims; many other visitors from 9 years olf to one man who was 103; and even famous dignitaries including Jimmy Carter.
