Mind-Altering Interlude

Fuji Rock 2007: Part 1
Arrival



It takes a bloody long time - nine hours - to drive from Kyoto to Naeba, but it was worth it to experience Fuji Rock 2007, now enjoying its 11th year. I headed up there with my friend Iain.

By the time we arrived last night it was dark and there were a few early arrivals mooching aimlessly around the town center. We scoped out a place to crash, pitching our tents on a deserted ski slope on the edge of town.

We headed to the festival site for the first night’s opening party where we danced and imbibed tequila with some goofy Czech, French, English and Irish party animals. After the party ended we headed to a field near the town center for a mind-altering interlude. Then it was time for bed.

We broke camp this morning and Fuji Rock is already proving to be a learning experience since Iain demonstrated that I’ve been packing up my tent wrongly all these years! The proper way is to flatten, fold into thirds then roooll.

In the interests of nutrition, I decide to keep a record of food consumption at the festival.

Breakfast: two cans of iced coffee and a delicious yaki o-nigiri (rice ball) from Lawson convenience store which had been slowly maturing in my back pack for the previous twenty-four hours. 6 out of 10.