Mt. Fuji 2013

After a few missed opportunities last summer to climb Mt. Fuji, I finally checked it off my Japanese Bucket List. The weather was terrible at the top, resulting in a soaking wet camera and fogged up lens, so I didn't get any grandiose shots from the summit. Also, I was shivering uncontrollably and didn't have use of my hands or fingers to work the camera anyway. Good times.

View from the balcony of the lodge we spent two nights at

The lodge

We had to park over a mile from Station 5, which proved to be a pain on the way back.

Group photo at Station 5

Before the real climbing began

I hiked most of the way up and down with Spencer, the one in the flip flops. The Japanese hikers couldn't get enough of that. 

 The trail below

 

It was all downhill from here. And by downhill, I mean uphill, hurricane winds, freezing cold, and misery. Then we ran down.

 All you can eat buffet to celebrate our accomplishment.

Dinner and games at the Clark's on Sunday

Monteverde

We left La Fortuna yesterday for Monteverde, which required two bumpy van rides and a boat trip across Lake Arenal.

We found a terrific place at the end of the dirt road from our hostel serving delicious organic food. This sandwich was divine. 

This morning we went on a Canopy Zip-line tour at Selvatura. This is us waiting for instructions before taking off.

Our foursome in Monteverde: Alexis (Australian), Me, Brandon, and Sarah (Canadian)

Sarah on a zip-line

Brandon on the Tarzan Swing

We did their suspension bridge tour as well. The bridges allowed for spectacular views of the jungle. 

This is a shot I took from a bridge of the final 1 km zip-line we did. You are literally flying hundreds of feet above the canopy. Words can't describe. 

Arenal National Park

Photos from today, in chronological order.

Breakfast juices

We went to Arenal National Park this morning at the base of the volcano. Sights from our hike:

Lunch

Costa Rica: Liberia to La Fortuna

Brandon and I are running wild in Costa Rica for the next two weeks. Our adventure began at the Atlanta airport where we had an overnight layover. No choice but to build a fort and camp out in the E Concourse.

The Liberia International Airport is more of a open air wharehouse with nightclub style security. That's Brandon on the left looking like a bearded terrorist.

We took a taxi to La Fortuna. The drive around Lake Arenal was beautiful. 

After checking into our hostel we went straight to dinner. Our first real meal of the day. This is a typical Costa Rican plate: Meat, rice, beans, slaw, mashed potatoes, and fried plantains.

La Fortuna sits at the base of Arenal Volcano, shrouded in clouds below. 

Local flora

Lake Atitlán to Antigua

We took a boat tour around Lake Atitlán yesterday, a large volcanic lake--the deepest in Central America, although there are parts that have not yet been sounded. It's surrounded by 3 volcanoes.

From the docks of Panajachel.

June

New construction on the old church in San Pedro de Laguna across the lake

On the steps of the main church in Santiago. Steve in the background.

Olivia & June on the dance floor. New Year's Eve in Antigua, Guatemala.

Olivia & Jessica + the requisite creepy old dude who keeps trying to squirm his way into our dance circle.
[Note: In this scenario, I'm not the creepy old dude]