Set loose on Obon

"Set loose on Obon"
Part 1 - Fuji in the Clouds

Scene: Ashley and B.D. are sitting in their room at the Minshuku after a hot bath downstairs. It’s dark outside their window, the air-conditioning is on, and they're both in complementary yukata.

Ashley pulls the curtain back from the window and tries to see Fuji in the darkness.

Ashley: Who'd have thought we'd come all the way to Fuji just to have the mountain hide from us. I'd say it seems like our luck...but we still got a good view of it.

She looks over at B.D. and sees her quickly drinking the remainder of a water bottle.

Even if it was hot.

B.D.: Yeah. I like what you said about Fuji giving us a ‘strip tease’ though :P

B.D. flops down on the futon. She stares up at the pictures on the wall.

Not gonna lie, I’m a little bummed about not seeing the whole thing but, the moment we were able to see the peak was definitely magical.

She turns her head to Ashley who is now sitting on her own futon, rummaging through her bag.

Japan adventures!

Ashley: Right?! And the whole adventure started rather rough, didn't it? 

Ashley looks up from her bag.

Do you have a comb?

B.D. turns over on her stomach and starts searching the bag behind her.

B.D.: Haha! I mean, if you’re talking about how you managed to take the train to the wrong station…Here.

 

Ashley: AND how I got in about 30 minutes after I was supposed to. AND got stuck on a single platform station in the middle of rice fields (which is just my luck but). It was pretty funny though.

She takes the comb that B.D. holds out and starts brushing out her hair. B.D. lies back again.

B.D.: I mean, actually, you kind of got here when we originally planned but 30 minutes after the new plan (that became null when the train-thing didn’t work out).

She looks over at Ashley.

I felt bad about that one.

Ashley: At least our Shinkansen went smoothly.

B.D.: Yeah, that was good. But, we did have to wait an hour for the bus xD

Ashley: But in that hour we got sandwiches and talked to some other foreigners, and the bus ride was really pretty! We even saw the...base... of Fuji a little bit.

Ashley hands the comb back to B.D. and starts braiding her hair. B.D. stretches, her hands held up toward the ceiling.

B.D.: True. That was fun. 

Ashley: It was shocking to hear English somehow, wasn't it? xD Like – where’s the English coming from? Why are those foreigners here?

Someone gargles loudly at the sink in the hall. Ashley and B.D. exchange strange faces. There is a pause. Then, more gargles, vigorous throat clearing and an emphatic spit. When there is finally silence, B.D. sits up, laughing quietly. Ashley shakes her head.

That’s too gross.

B.D.: I know, but. It’s hilarious somehow.

Ashley: I guess like everything here even the noises are communal? :P 

B.D. smirks and starts searching her bag again.

It's still funny how there were really only clouds up at the top, and not really around other mountains.

She picks her phone up off the table and swipes a few times.

B.D.: Honestly, I think the clouds gathered there on purpose >.> 

Ashley: We could see every other mountain for miles but that one! See?

B.D.: But, at least the lake and those mountains were pretty <3

B.D. finally finds what she was looking for - a rouge toothbrush - and comes closer to see the screen.

Ashley: Right?!

I mean, just look at them!

B.D: We had a pretty good time finding all of those random little temples and shrines and walking around near Fuji.

Ashley: Because we could! Random shrines are very Japan, somehow. 

Sarah: I seriously can’t get over that temple for some reason. I’ve never seen one like it before.

Ashley: Haha! I can tell. And we did manage to see the top of Fuji!

B.D.: Haha! At least :P 

Ashley taps the top of her phone and the screen goes blank. She puts it down on the table. B.D. sits back against it and let's out a contented sigh, surveying the room. 

Ashley: I also think it’s hilarious how Japanese this Minshuku is. We are just going hard core Japan today.

She takes in the room from one side to the other. 

B.D.: Not sure if that makes us basically natives or completely tourist.

Ashley: I mean, we did come all the way to Fuji and eat…Indian food.

B.D.: I’ll call that ‘tourist’.

B.D. crawls back to her futon and flops down again. She puts an arm over her eyes lazily. Ashley lies back on her own futon and muses aloud. 

Ashley: But, at least we got to soak in an onsen and we’ll sleep on tatami and our hotel's matron is really sweet.

B.D. lifts the arm from her eyes and turns to Ashley.

B.D.: Also! The vanilla and blue rose ice cream that looked like Fuji was cool.

Ashley: Right?! So, even if we didn't really see much of the mountain, it's been a good adventure. So far. ;) 

In a few moments the lights are off and the travelers are sleeping to the sound of an on-again off-again air conditioning unit. In the morning, it mercifully blocks the noisy cicada siren song.