Rockin' up Mt Takao at 23 weeks.

Since my dad and sister returned from climbing Mt Kilimanjaro earlier this month, I've been hankering for a good hike. I also found myself a bit grumpy at work lately and in need of an escape from the island - however short. So Saturday morning, Hubby and I jumped out of bed at 430am and on a flight to Tokyo and then 3 different trains. By 230pm, we had bellies full of soba noodles and were on our way up Mt Takao, outside of Tokyo. Predeparture research led me to believe the hike was a 90 minute stroll up to the summit, and 90 mins down. A gondola offered less vigorous hikers a lift about half way up the mountain but being the sturdy couple that we are, we opted to walk the whole thing both ways. Well, the gondola exists for good reason. It was straight up and up and up about two thirds of the way. There were little shrines and statues along the way and the weather was gorgeous. Despite these little stops, we were sweaty and winded as we climbed higher and higher. Pregnancy decreases a woman's lung capacity and I felt it!

The view from the summit, past a temple that sits atop a zillion stairs, was beautiful. On the way back, we decided to take an alternate route which was nearly empty of the many hikers that made the ascent. The path wound along a beautiful brook that bubbled over mossy rocks and tree stumps. The trees! They were so incredibly tall and provided lovely shade and breeze. As the ascent was straight up, the descent was also steeply inclined but we romped along, seemingly alone in the woods. As the sun set, the trail delivered us not where had started but a little ways outside of town and we walked along a winding road back to the town center where cones of cherry blossom flavored ice cream awaited us. There, we hitched a train back to Tokyo to a hotel, stopped at a grocery store and picked up a basket of always-amazing sweet strawberries, an apple, and some cold drinks. I'm not sure if this is a pregnancy thing or not but I have had an aversion to Japanese food lately, the thick gravies, salty soups, the crispy fried veggies, and of course everyone makes it known that I'm guilty of child abuse if I even consider sushi. We were oh so tired and sore but our fruits would not suffice for dinner so...good old McDonalds to the rescue with a fish filet, a small burger, and French fries. We are normally quite the culinary adventurists but as tired and achy as we were, this simple meal hit the spot. Back in our room, it was lights out early.

We were up, sipping green tea and reading the paper by 630 Sunday morning. By 800, out the door and walking toward Shinjuku station where a bakery supplied us with flaky French pastries and hot coffee. The Japanese have mastered the art of French baking. While still early in March, I noticed a few cherry blossom trees in bloom from the train the day before. After breakfast, we walked to a big public park in Shinjuku. Strolling along we saw a few cherry trees in bloom surrounded by hordes of older Japanese men with giant cameras equipped with telephoto lenses snapping the perfect shot.
Since we were both sore from our hike the day before, especially achy pregnant me, we parked ourselves on a bench, soaked up some sun and people watched. As we headed back to the train station, we stopped in a clothing store and bought our first (and very over priced) gift for our little guy: a shirt that says "I love lettuce, string beans, radishes, and being naughty". How perfect. By 1230, we we hungry again and I loved the salad I picked from a train station eatery. It was fresh greens with grapefruit, avocado, and almonds. Then, we boarded the train back to the airport and snoozed, our first successful family trip to Japan. (Second one actually if you count the getaway to Sapporo at 10 weeks.)