fuji-san, mt fuji in japan

if you are in japan for a while, as i was, you have to climb mt fuji [3,776 m, 12,388 ft] – the window is from july through end august for optimal weather conditions. the mountain is easily accessible from tokyo by several public transportation systems, and tour operators. we took a bus from shinjuku.  my colleagues and i postponed the climb until the last weekend of the season when the forecast was for beautiful clear skies. but as we started the climb, we encountered one of the worst storms of the season, that required the park rangers to close the mountain, and urge all climbers to seek refuge in the lodges along the ascent path. the climb, as with almost any activity in japan, was packed with japanese hikers of all age groups, along the route from the popular starting point at the fifth station to the top.  due to the storm, we crashed in one of the lodges in our wet clothes until the morning, a very cold and cloudy one. we marched on to the peak, we were not going to leave without making it to the top. it was unfortunately disappointing: no sunrise due to the cloudy weather, it was raining, and all we saw at the top were a couple of shops and vending machines – they have vending machines everywhere in japan!  i am told that the view is spectacular from the top of this majestic looking mountain, which has been an inspiration for many ukiyo-e artists over the years – my only consolation is the view of mt fuji from the shinkansen on my many trips between tokyo and kyoto.  if you spent any time in japan, you also know that ”you have to climb mt fuji once, but to climb it twice you have to be stupid”. so, would i go back for a clear sunrise?

google earth coordinates
35° 21′ 28.8″ N, 138° 43′ 51.6″ E

climbing mt sinai

as with almost any mountain climb, you will want to start before dawn, so you can reach the summit in time for sunrise.  the view from mt sinai   [2,285 m, 7,497 ft], located in the southern part of the sinai peninsula, egypt,  at sunrise is almost consistently spectacular, unlike other mountains like mt fuji or mt bromo, that may be covered in thick clouds, or worse, pouring rain.  ask again and again how long it takes to reach the top, and take lots of warm clothes so you won’t do what i did, and arrive more than an hour before sunrise. it is cold up there, several degrees colder than where you start - i climbed in late december, and an hour at the summit is cold. trust me, very cold. the climb turned out to take less time than what i was told. you will be appoached by the bedouins for a camel ride to get you closer, faster – i walked. though in the dark without a flash light, you may want to watch where you step, or you might step into some fresh camel dung. the climb is relatively easy, except towards the end when you have been already climbing for almost 2 hours and you come to the 3,750 steps you will need to cllimb to the summit - anyone in any state of fitness can make it.  it is well worth the climb for the panoramic view of the surrounding mountain ranges, and the reward on the way down is is a tour of the famous st catherine monastery.

google earth coordinates
28° 32′ 23″ N, 33° 58′ 24″

mt bromo – go ahead climb a volcano

there are several volcanos in indonesia, including the famous krakatao.  in eastern java, indonesia’s main island, its most popular, though perhaps not the tallest or the most impressive looking volcano, is mt bromo [2,329 m, 7,641 ft], recognizable by its missing top – it was blown off during one of its eruptions. to be sure, mt bromo is still active. you can climb (250 steps)to the top of the crater, a precarious narrow edge, look down into the volcano and see the active molten lava. you will also catch more than a whiff of sulphur!  on my way from jogjakarta to bali, i stopped at mt bromo - it was a good way to break the long bus journey, but you can also take a garuda flight from jakarta to surabaya, then drive for 3 hours to get to mt bromo.  make sure you arrive in the afternoon, find a cottage or hotel near the volcano, most likely in cemoro lawang (the closest point to the crater), and get some sleep.  most people get an early start, to catch the sunrise over the landscape which under a full moon looks like a lunar landscape. it’s quite spectacular actually. there are several ways to experience your visit. you can hire a jeep, take a donkey or just walk. i walked – the long way, first going to mt batok, an inactive volcano, and away from all the visitors, then descended into the caldera and on to mt bromo. there are many mountain trails in the area, and if you have the time, it is well worth staying an extra day to hike, and take in the views. you will also likely run into many villagers.

google earth locator
-7° 56′ 24.00″, +112° 56′ 60.00″

gray’s papaya – a classic ny experience

a sign, one of many, on the store exterior, says, “when you’re hungry, or broke, or just in a hurry”.  this faster than fast food hot dog joint has become a veritable manhattan dining experience. i am very familiar with the location on broadway and 72nd street – i keep an apartment on the upper west side.  over the years, i have in fact gone there when i was hungry, when i was broke and when i was just in a hurry, but often i still find myself going there just to grab 2 hot dogs and a papaya juice – and at $3.50, it is practically a steal. the hot dogs are grilled and not steamed like the many sold at the street carts. and you can be sure gray’s dogs are grilled to crispiness. walk up to the counter and ask for “2 well done with sauerkraut”, then go over to the counter and pour as much mustard or ketchup from the oversized industrial containers on your “dogs”. you will surely go back and not for why the sign says. no one knows why they go back for more, but they do, and many of them do for that matter.  and i don’t think it’s because they read zagat’s review.