Jackdaw Posts

Imagine standing at the foot of Mount Fuji, staring up at its near-perfect cone, feeling like an ant sizing up a skyscraper. At 3,776 meters, it’s Japan’s tallest peak, and if you haven’t made the pilgrimage yet, join the club. But Fuji isn’t just a mountain; it’s a monument to time itself, an untouchable force that has witnessed emperors rise, shoguns fall, and tourists attempt the ascent in ill-advised sneakers.   Image is courtesy of Unsplash.com   A Volcano That Won’t Be Ignored Mount Fuji is a stratovolcano, which is a fancy way of saying it’s built layer by layer from centuries of eruptions. Its last tantrum was in 1707 , spewing enough ash to reach Tokyo, nearly 100 kilometers away. Since then, Fuji has been suspiciously quiet, and if that doesn’t make you uneasy, it should. Scientists say it’s still active, lurking, waiting. But don’t worry—probably not today. Maybe. Pack a gas mask just in case. The Sacred Ascent: More Than Just a Hike Long before Fuji was a magnet fo...

Amsterdam. The city that looks like a postcard but feels like a plot twist. It’s a place where you can fall in love with the cobblestone streets one minute and nearly get flattened by a bike the next. It’s as beautiful as it is bonkers, a perfect cocktail of art, chaos, and “did that really just happen?” Here’s your guide to the city of canals, coffeeshops, and questionable decisions—divided into three sections for your reading pleasure: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.   Image is courtesy of Unsplash.com The Good Let’s start with the obvious: Amsterdam is ridiculously good-looking. It’s like the city got dressed up for a date and forgot to take the outfit off. The canals? Stunning. They wind their way through the city like a drunk snake, reflecting rows of 17th-century houses that lean slightly, like they’ve had a little too much Heineken. You’ll want to take a boat tour. Everyone does. And yes, it’s as magical as you’ve heard—unless you get stuck behind one of those slow, overcr...