Monday, November 24th

Countdown begins on our final week. We leave the hotel at 9:00 a.m. missed one team member Scott VanAsche who did not make it home last night and is AWOL. Our first stop was at the Sengenjinya Temple or Shinto Shrine. Our team was treated to a special Shinto ceremony. Shinton religion has parents bring the three, five and seven year old to the Temple for a special ceremony with them dressed in the Japanese traditional costume. We were able to take pictures of a three year old girl and boy. Another great Japanese lunch cooked in the middle of our table, featuring a dish that had a very thin huge pancake on the bottom topped with lots of veggies, and at the right time the gal turned the entire thing over. WOW! She had been cooking this for 50 years. Kinda of a Japanese pizza. The final course featured noodles cooked on the grill with lots of other good stuff. Today was the last day of the year that vehicles were allowed to drive to stage 5 on Mt. Fuji and we did. The problem was that is snowed on us and it was very cloudy. We were at 2,400 meters high and Mt. Fuji is over 3,000 meters (or 12,000 ft. high). Another Osaka Distillery on the way back to the hotel. Two young Japanese girls who were daughters of the owners accompanied us on the tour. Free samples and gifts. When we arrived at the hotel Scott VanAsche was there. We are glad that he is safe but he did make our team look very day today. Tonight a very fun high class dinner with the Fuji Nomiya West Rotary Club. I must repack my suitcase and prepare to meet my new host family tomorrow.