Sulphur Mines, Pirates and Halloween in Osaka

Woke up again today and skipped breakfast, the weather isn’t what we had hoped for; we are going up to a Mount Fuji viewing point so the group was hoping for clear skies all day. Nonetheless the group makes its way to the gondola to ride up the mountain to the view point. As we make our way up it starts to smell, like a lot of rotting eggs, it is bad. I hadn’t realised this ride was going to take us over sulphur mines – we float over a massive minescape with patches of yellow scarring the mountain side. As we reach the mid point we notice some of the workers down there working the mines and all I hope is that they have some form of gas mask because I am gagging and I am meters and meters above the mine. Once we reach the top the smell is entering into my brain I can’t even think about seeing Mount Fuji. Luckily Katie comes to the rescue and lets me borrow a spare face mask she has which helps reduce the smell. Now back in reality spared from the sulphuric gases floating around I can appreciate just how cloudy it is. Don’t get me wrong it is still a remarkable place and every now and then we can get a glimpse of the views this place would have but, unfortunately, we won’t be seeing Mount Fuji in all its glory today. Luckily on the trains yesterday most of the group including me got some good views of the mountain even if we couldn’t get a good photo! Rachel gives us a little time at the viewpoint to have a wander round the shop and cafe area, some of the group opt to try the black eggs they sell here. These are eggs that have been cooked in the heat of the sulphur mines turning the shells black, those who try them say they taste the same as any other hard boiled egg but between the rotten egg smell that is permeating the air and the black shells I decide to avoid this so called local delicacy. I do however treat myself to a rip-off Patagonia T-shirt with Mount Fuji on.

After the group has had enough of shopping, eggs and sulphur, we head back down the mountain a different way. Although this area has been a popular relaxing stop for those travelling between cities in Japan the locals wanted to increase tourism to the area and so on Lake Ashi there are now a number of old school pirate ships offering ferry services around the lake so, you better believe it, we are going on the pirate ship! While we wait in line I am getting visibly excited, the everlasting child in me loves pirates! A love that was only more deeply fuelled by my time in North Carolina during my year in America, an area famous for pirates and Black Beard himself. I have to admit neither Rachel or I have any clue why this area decided on pirate ships but I am excited nonetheless! It is rather chilly on the ship but it doesn’t stop the group having a load of photos. As we set off Mark and Sarah say I should take one with the cannon so I straddle it and try to do my best sexy model pose. After which the cold starts to get to me and I cuddle up with a few people in the group on one of the benches for warmth. At the first stop for some reason we get transferred to a second trip for the rest of our journey which causes some confusion as the announcements are all in Japanese and a lot of the people on this ship including us are tourists who clearly don’t speak the language. I actually rather like the second boat, we get seats inside and this one has a load of pirate statues so I can get photos with them, just wish they sold costumes – after all it is Halloween.

After the pirate ferry we start our journey to Osaka, and on arrival the group has some time to settle and more importantly get some Halloween costumes. The group splits with some heading for the face painter others, including me, head to a costume shop. The shop seems to mainly cater for women to be honest. The majority of the costumes are rather sexual and even the men’s section is mainly tight dresses. Stephen and I decide to share a costume pack that has two doctors lab coats and then go get our face painted. We fail at both these missions, first the queue for the face painting is too long and would make us late for dinner then, when we get to the hostel to change, we realise our costume pack has only one jacket in it. Stephen very kindly lets me have it as well as a face mask to add to the look. On top of that Sarah has some make up that she puts round my eyes and the look gets completed I am ready to go out. The group meets in the lobby to see each others costumes to full effect and then head to the restaurant. It is a bbq place where you cook the food at the table – this meal is included and everyone in the group opts for ‘the all you can drink’ package. I am on a table with Sarah, Mark, Rebecca, Marley and Lucinda and we make it our mission to get our money’s worth. So with a system of food ordering and Rebecca stepping up and pretty much cooking everything, I focus on the drinks. We need to drink roughly three drinks in this 90 minute period I think, my memory gets a little hazy from here, but I think by the end of the 90 minutes I have had about 20 drinks, most of my table having had a similar amount. After a great meal the group heads to a karaoke bar where we all get stuck in and have a great night, my memory as mentioned is a little hazy, but I do know I had a great night!

The picture of Mount Fuji we, sadly, weren't able to get