After a warm night in the Mountain View Inn (Camp Fuji), we were awakened by loud explosions from heavy artillery that shook our room. If I hadn't already been accustomed to living on military bases, this would have scared me more than it did. Shortly after that the U.S. and Japan anthems played over the speakers marking that it was 0800. I was excited to peek outside to get my first glimpse of the great mountain, but our window was facing the wrong direction. We took our time getting ready for the day and then decided to find some food on base. We were told that we could eat in the mess hall if we acted as if we were traveling with this high school band who were on base preparing for a performance. By the time we got there, the mess hall was closed and the only other place to eat was for enlisted members only. In addition to needing food, we also needed gas. The fuel pumps were located at the most raw, industrial setup of a gas station I had ever seen. Also, the attendant doesn't work on weekends, so we had to call to see if he would come out to turn on the pumps. We waited for awhile and gave up and found gas out in town. Gas is a lot more expensive off base since you are charged by the liter instead of the gallon.
The town where Mt. Fuji is located is called Gotenba (pronounced Go-tem-bah). It is very Westernized with road medians, Denny's and Big Boy restaurants. We ate at Denny's, but the only Denny's-esque dish available was french toast. The rest was a kind of Japanese food common in family-style restaurants that does not agree with my stomach.
After our meal we went back to the Inn so I could take a nap before starting the hike. I had about an hour of sleep and then I woke up to pack my gear. As it turns out, an hour nap is not enough. But, more on that later.
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