第四站大家決定分開行，各有各節目。😆

Chuck 同 Mary 姐選擇輕鬆路線，留在 Cafe 休息，食一杯超濃味的綠茶雪糕 🍵🍦。

Jason 同恩恩就挑戰體力，行上 新倉山淺間公園，要爬足 398級「咲くや姫階段」，上到去就是非常出名的忠靈塔觀景位置，可以俯瞰富士吉田市；天氣好的時候，五重塔、富士山和城市可以一次過影晒，是這一帶最經典的景色之一。🗻⛩️

旁邊的 新倉富士淺間神社 歷史更加悠久，相傳創建於公元705年，與富士山信仰有很深的淵源。以前人們敬畏富士山的火山力量，亦把富士山視為神聖的地方；今天仍有不少人到這裡祈求消災、家庭幸福和平安。🙏🏻

至於我……沒有跟他們挑戰398級樓梯 😂，自己慢慢行，在下面逛了一個小神社。

這竟然是我第一次自己慢慢行日本神社。⛩️
地方不大，卻有一種很安靜的感覺。我沒有特別求甚麼，只是慢慢看看，最後買了一個小福包留作紀念。對我來說，旅行有時不一定要去最大的景點，小小的偶遇反而更容易記住。❤️

最搞笑的是——

返回車上大家互相睇相，我先發現原來 Jason同我一樣會影日本的坑渠蓋！ 😂

再睇落去不得了，連路邊的花，我哋竟然影埋同一朵！ 🌸🤣

明明分開行，各自拍自己的東西，最後相簿裡竟然出現一樣的畫面。

果然係兩母子，連旅行時留意的東西都一樣。❤️😂

31|⛩️ Mt. Fuji Trip | Fourth Stop: Arakurayama Sengen Park

At our fourth stop, we decided to split up and do our own thing. 😆

Chuck and Mary chose the relaxing option — staying at the café for a rest and enjoying some super rich matcha ice cream. 🍵🍦

Jason and Yan Yan went for the more challenging route and headed up Arakurayama Sengen Park, climbing all 398 steps of the “Sakuya-hime Stairs.” At the top is the famous Chureito Pagoda viewpoint, overlooking Fujiyoshida City. On a clear day, you can capture the five-storey pagoda, Mt. Fuji and the city all in one picture — one of the most iconic views in the area. 🗻⛩️

Nearby is Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine, which has an even longer history. It is said to have been founded in 705 AD and has deep connections with the traditional worship of Mt. Fuji. In the past, people respected and feared the volcanic power of Mt. Fuji and regarded the mountain as sacred. Even today, many people visit the shrine to pray for protection from misfortune, family happiness and peace. 🙏🏻

As for me… I decided not to take on those 398 steps! 😂 Instead, I took my time wandering around and visited the little shrine below.

Surprisingly, this was actually my first time slowly exploring a Japanese shrine on my own. ⛩️

It wasn’t a big place, but there was something very peaceful about it. I didn’t come to ask for anything in particular — I simply walked around, took in the atmosphere, and bought a little good-luck charm as a keepsake.

For me, travelling isn’t always about visiting the biggest or most famous attractions. Sometimes, it’s the little unexpected moments that stay in your memory the longest. ❤️

And then came the funniest part…

When we got back on the bus and started looking through our photos, I discovered that Jason likes taking pictures of Japanese manhole covers just like I do! 😂

Then I kept scrolling and realised something even funnier — we had both photographed exactly the same flower! 🌸🤣

We had been walking around separately, taking our own pictures, yet somehow ended up with the same things in our photo albums.

Like mother, like son! ❤️😂
Apparently, even when we travel separately, we still notice the same little things.