Had a extended sleep this morning until about 10.30 it was nice. Slept reasonably well in the new gaff, though the novelty of having rice bags for pillows is starting to wear off. Not only is it like sleeping on rice, but it's so small, it's the size of a facecloth, not really what I'd call suitable for sleeping.
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Dandered down to Lake Kawaguchiko, it's pretty overcast, with some rather ominous looking clouds about the place, on the plus side there is some fairly dramatic thunder rumbles bellowing through the valley. Maybe get some lightning, let's hope. The master of the island, Mt Fuji is looming ever present in the background of this tranquil valley. Did a bit of recon regarding buses and departure options, looks like I can get a return to the 5th station for 2000 yen, which is pretty pricey for a 20 min bus trip. I don't see that I have much of a choice though, unless I want to tackle the whole mountain, approximately 8 hours worth of climbing. Feet are feeling better today, so I'll definitely be doing the beast, just a matter of when. I'll also be in town for the fire festival, which marks the end of the official climbing season, 26th and 27th, it's one of the most unique festivals in Japan so it'll be good to see what commotion is involved in that.
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It's a completely different pace here in the mountains compared with the mayhem of Tokyo, it's nice for a change, though after my couple of days I can't help but miss the frantic metropolis!
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Met a bunch of people today, this is a popular place to come before Mt Fuji. Went out for dinner with Christine, ended up not being able to find anywhere and so went to a Lawson and got some sushi and beers and went down to the lake. Good Craic. We then came back to the hostel and played darts for a while before bed time.