Here's a shot of Mt. Fuji from the bus, as they warned us it might disappear later.
A shot back at the ship: not small, but not huge.
Mt. Fuji was already at a record for latest in the season without snow, and it still had a week to go.
Our first main stop is the Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine.
A statue of a Samurai bowman.
The main temple of the shrine.
The gardens were very beautiful throughout.
These paper constructions are called shimenawa and mark the boundary of sacred areas.
This area is for cleansing before entering the temple.
Kimberly showing how it is done.
Wade at the temple.
Behind the temple in front is this pagoda.
Continuing to walk through the grounds, ...
...we come upon another beautiful pond area.
It is fed by this waterfall.
The Japanese use these torii gates to mark sacred areas.
Looking across this pond to where Mt. Fuji would be if you could see it.
A picture of some of the grounds on the way out.
Our second major stop is on the coast, at the Miho no Matsubara pine tree reserve.
A small shrine in the park.
This pine tree grove is considered one of the best places to get views of Mt. Fuji.
The trees themselves are several hundred years old and beautifully twisted.
You can see the beach in the distance.
We walk down to the shoreline.
Another view of what should have been Mt. Fuji in the background.
Back on the ship, a view across the main dining room.
Our dinner setting with a very nice charger.
