Today, I went on a big hike with Darryl, Caitlyn, our supervisor Nakagawa-san, and two of his friends. It was a blast. It was also one of the hardest workouts I've had in awhile! Which, I know, is kind of sad for me....I am so out of shape these days! We got up early...like 5:30 am! We caught a train to a town not far from here, then a short bus ride, then we were to our starting point. We started our hike at a beautiful looking lake/reservoir. (I hope to go back soon to try bass fishing!).
We proceeded up the mountain from there. It seemed easy at first. Then, it got more steep and more difficult. The weather was great and the trail was really pretty. We passed some streams and waterfalls which were beautiful.
After maybe three hours of hiking, we reached the summit. We ate lunch up there and took in the amazing view. We could literally see the ocean on one side and many, many cities linked together as we looked the other way. I couldn't believe how far we could see! We took it all in for a little while before we headed back down.
The hike down was the really hard part! My little chicken legs were shaking like jello! Thankfully, I had walking sticks to put some of the burden on my arms and shoulders. Also, the trail was so muddy and slippery and we were hiking in slick-bottomed New Balance tennis shoes...so we were slipping all over the place. The walking sticks were lifesavers for balance as well as taking some of the burden off of my legs. Caitlyn fell several times...laughing hysterically each time! It was pretty funny. After finally reaching the bottom....exhausted and trembling (me anyway)....we had the privilege of enjoying an onsen. It was so nice to shower off (in a hot shower I might add!) and soak my tired muscles in the warm water. Afterward, we headed off for home. It was a great day and one of my most treasured Japanese experiences so far! I hope to go again in the future on other hikes with Nakagawa-san and my friends....and hopefully Sarah can/will join in next time as well.
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