Our travels to Japan started this past Tuesday at 5:00 am. Getting ready for our flight from Chengdu, China to Tokyo, Japan, we had high hopes to be standing on the top of Mt. Fuji 24 hours after our departure. Our more than gracious and helpful hosts were of course up again to see us off. The unwavering hospitality of Chengdu University of Technology and the State Key Laboratory for Geo-Hazard Prevention and Geo-Environmental Protection (SKLGP) was one of China’s most impressive qualities. It has become readily apparent that the Chinese culture strongly encourages respect and kindness to each other, and especially to guests. The SKLGP’s extraordinary support reflected the quick-to-help attitude of the locals we interacted with in Beijing and Chengdu. It's hard to leave when we are eating and living like kings, but I think we are all really excited for Mt. Fuji and the tsunami research in Sendai, Japan.
The Chengdu International airport was very thorough with security. By thorough, I mean, imagine going through security check three times. Before entering airport, you and your bags are scanned. Approaching customs, your bags are scanned. And finally, before entering the terminal, everything, head to toe, is scanned again. I think I provided my passport and ticket at least four times throughout process. You may think, what a nightmare, but I think I got through to the gate in same amount of time. The longest line I stood in was to get a boarding pass from the airline provider. So I got through security in the same amount of time as US TSA security, and I was checked three times. Effectiveness, efficiency, convenience, deterrence – these are all give-and-takes. I'm sure everyone will form their own opinion, but be ready if you intend to travel to China.
The first thing noticeable in Japan is that when the plane descends from blue skies, they stay blue on the ground. This was the start of our 9 hour journey to the base of Mt. Fuji. After a plane, a train, an urban stroll, a subway, a “rocket” train, a 100 meter dash to catch another local train, and a $130 taxi at midnight, and we had made it. Now for the easy part. THE CLIMB. I can’t begin to describe the mental and physical challenge of completing a six hour climb in three hours and 15 minutes in order to make sunrise by 0500. We snapped the photos to prove it, so if you've got ten minutes, hit one of us up on campus. Though Trevor Clark (our classmate and communications plan organizer) didn't come with us this trip, he has previously made his own all-day journey to the tallest point in Japan. Can't wait to see all that Japan has to offer. Spirits are high – about 12,389 feet high.
– Kieron
