Getting to Fuji Rock

Friday. I got to Baba station late, at 7:20, and headed for the Koban (police box). Met Phil and Baz there. Baz was an English teacher for Waseda Uni. students, and said he has 3 months vacation during the year, paid. He's going back to Australia for a few months 'to pour beers' for extra cash. We got on the train and took it for the end of the line. Phil got a big watermelon slice and was chomping into in while seated. Astonished Japanese commuters watched the spray fly out as he took each bite and spat the seeds into a small plastic bag. We all had a good laugh about the inevitably malevolent thoughts going through their heads about these awful gaijin.
We walked about a kilometer to the entrance of the Niigata-bound highway, then made some strategy: everyone for himself to Naeba Ski Jou. Phil got the first ride, then Baz in a red Beemer with a young lady. He said they listened to Jamariqoui. I was pretty nervous, having only hitched in a mountain town in Costa Rica. A few truck drivers stopped but were going towards Tokyo, and a bunch of people smiled. Some waved, some bowed slightly with their heads. Finally a guy in his 50s picked me up after about 10 minutes. He was very kind, we didn't talk much and there was no music. I told him that my friend just got a ride in a Beemer from a bird, then regretted it and I felt bad. He dropped me off soon after, at a rest stop.
Miraculously, Phil and Baz got dropped off there too. Baz got another, then Phil and I saw a car slow, a 20s girl stopped and said she's going to Fuji too! Get in! I'm Ayaka! She was happy to have us, and we a direct ride. Her car had marijuana leaves painted in green nail polish on the rear view mirror, and incense burner on the dash. She was very cool, agreed to pick up Baz down the road, and when she met up with her boyfriend he drove us in his Dead/Phish-stickered van to the entrance of the place.