Bandai-san: 磐梯山

As my friend Daniel so eloquently put it, "If the earth had breasts, they would be Bandai-san." Bandai-san is a voluptuous volcano in Fukushima Prefecture in northern Japan. Back in the day it erupted, rather, exploded. The northern side of its caldera burst out, like that one time I drank an entire bottle of prune juice even though I was already regular. The debris and liquid hot magma (that is probably my favorite phrase to say...liquid hot magma) clogged the rivers and streams, forming lakes and ponds copiously.

Some of the ponds are tinted cyan, saffron, or brick red from the minerals in the water. The colors were so bright at times that I felt I was walking through different divisions at the Crayola warehouse. In fact, I even pondered if chemicals were being added to heighten the effect. Honestly, you have no idea how much tourist revenue a couple colored ponds brings a community in Japan.

Well, anyway, we continued our hiking pilgrimage by making a weekend of Bandai-san. We camped near a lake along with the mosquito population equivalent of China. Enid played the role of martyr by wearing shorts.

With magnificent views surrounding us, Daniel and I bonded near the summit. You may remember Daniel from such hikes as Asama-yama Part 1, Cloud-grabber Mountain: A Survivor Story, and the lesser known Aka-dake: This Would be Really Gorgeous If There Weren't So Many Clouds. Sadly, Bandai-san was our last hike together. Right after this photo was taken, he fell 300 meters to his death. Well, in actuality, he didn't die. He is staying in Japan and I am leaving. So, save me a hike for when we see each other again Daniel, and some stories.