The Land of The Rising Sun 富士

by Bizzy Ridley (United Kingdom (Great Britain))

I didn't expect to find Japan

So I begin my story in no ordinary way, 25 different countries and too much I could say. So many adventures, friendships, highs and lows, I’ll start in Japan and we’ll see where this goes… I stretch out my arms get my feet on the floor How many times will she bang on this door? “Ohio, Ohio” she calls out in song, No wonder she’s noisy we haven’t got long! We’re excited to embark on our biggest journey to date, But time is not on our side when I’m running so late! Jessi pulls me downstairs and we sprint through the street, Beads of sweat in my eyes as we charge through the heat. 10 minutes until departure platform 4 or 5 “I’ve forgotten my torch, I’ll meet you inside!” “We’ll miss the train” Jessi calls out in anguish and worry, But I’m always late and used to being in a hurry. I sprint back to the room and start looking around, Why on earth can’t I find it? This torch must be found! 5 minutes to go and I’m all of a flutter Running about the whole flat like an absolute nutter! Finally I see it hidden out of my sight, If there’s one thing I’ll need it’s my torch in the night! I sprint out to the platform I’ve got a minute to spare, I catch my reflection, is that really my hair?! We arrive in Shinjuku we’ve got to catch the bus, But of course we don’t get there without any fuss! Jessi catches her shorts on the side of the stairs, What I can only describe is something of nightmares! The noise from our gasps draws attention in the station, The look on Jessi’s face is just utter humiliation. I throw her my jumper to save what’s left of her pride, But her dignity lost, I think she’d sooner have died. The calamity’s over and she buys some new gear, We make it to our bus so we crack open a beer. We knock back a few bottles and my stomach starts to sink, What usually happens when you’ve had a few drinks? Yes that’s right! And no toilets on the bus! Of course there’s no journey without any fuss! I hold it and hold it before I can’t anymore “Driver driver! You must open this door!” He stops on the motorway 30 faces staring. My turn to lose my dignity with my bottom all bearing! Is this really what travel and adventure is all about? I’ve just turned 27 and I still can’t work it out… We make it to our destination hopeful, eager and raring, T minus 5 hours and we were being a little daring. We start our walk, I chuckle “this is so easy”, But all too soon I start feeling a rather queasy. My pace starts to drop, my brain is popping out my head I screamed out to Jessi “you must go on ahead”. “NO!” she replies “We will do this together, We’re a team in this whether it takes us forever!” The hours roll over and the temperature drops, We’re at station 8 and it’s almost the final stop. Exhausted, numb, dizzy and weak, What once seemed like an achievement suddenly looks so bleak. So we clamber through dirt and we clamber over rocks, What are we girls if we can’t take a few knocks? Battered and bruised “can we stop yet?” I plea, But something caught our eye and we’re astonished to see… A 360° spectacle of a sky orange, red and pink, The land of the rising sun that’s all we could think… The view was something outstanding just like a painting. This was it. This was real. This was why we’d been waiting... The most incredible sunset one could only see in their dreams, The sun was bright and fiery with electrifying beams. So although we were tired, dazed and woozy, Here we sat on top of the world. On top of Mount Fuji.