On Friday November 23rd there was a holiday. It's one of only two holidays during the year that I actually get (all of the others fall on Mondays, my regular day off) so I was going to take advantage of it, darnit. Rather serendipitously (ooo big word), both Fil and my dad were in Japan (how cool is that!?!) that day so they joined me and Elspeth on our autumn leaf hunt.
We had originally planned to go to Korankei, a gorge in Aichi prefecture with a red bridge but Elspeth went there last year and wasn't that impressed with it, so we had a last minute change of plans and headed off in the direction of Lake Biwa. (We actually went to the same area I went last year when I was sick but determined to see leaves.)
We got up early (poor Elspeth had to get up REALLY early to meet us) and took a train, then an electric train and then a bus to this area. Someone told me that because the summer in Japan was so ridiculously hot, it damaged the leaves and they didn't turn as red as last year. Looking back on my pictures though, they do look quite red!
From my pictures you may think that we stumbled upon a quiet, deserted, hidden temple, which we had all to ourselves. No way. Autumn is the busiest travel season in Japan. Tour buses rumbled by, tour guides waved their Hello Kitty decorated sticks and people pushed and shoved to get the best pictures.
(Check out those cools girls and their fake LeSportSac bags from Taipei!)
At some point, while we were waiting for my dad and Fil to finish taking serious, arty photos (which according to Fil aren't that hard to take and he's no longer so impressed with my blog photos, thanks a lot Fil), Elspeth and I decided that fun pictures were better. Maybe this is because we already have 5000 photos of leaves from last year!
(Giant Elspeth in the teeny doorway)
(Elspeth asked her homestay dad what these statues were for and he thinks they are for aborted babies)
(Getting in Fil's face, while he munches on delicious green tea yaki-mochi)
(The camera just wouldn't focus on the mochi...not when those gorgeous leaves were hogging all the attention)
(Fine, leaves - take the spotlight...)
We wandered around gardens, snapping pictures and enjoying the beautiful weather. Just look at this stunning shot. I sat there for hours just waiting for all the tour groups to pass by in order to get it.
Actually, that's a cardboard picture they had on display. There was no way I was waiting long enough for EVERYONE to get out of my picture...
(At one point, while crossing over a little bridge, a little old woman pushed by Fil so violently that they almost ended up in the pond!)
(I like my arty shots. So what if Fil thinks that Japan makes them easy to take. Thanks a lot, Fil - heehee, you know I'm never going to let you forget that!)
[My dad (left) joined in on the fun photos with me (centre) and Elspeth (right)]
(My dad giving me bunny ears)
After a delicious udon lunch, we caught one of the last buses back to the electric train station. There, we pointed and laughed at the religious pop group poster and tried to stay warm while waiting for the train.
We made it back to my apartment where we feasted on takoyaki and gyoza, which in my opinion are the perfect meal after a long and exhausting day of leaf hunting. The next day my dad went home, Fil headed to Kyoto and Elspeth and I went back to work. I love mid-week holidays!
On Friday November 23rd there was a holiday. It's one of only two holidays during the year that I actually get (all of the others fall on Mondays, my regular day off) so I was going to take advantage of it, darnit. Rather serendipitously (ooo big word), both Fil and my dad were in Japan (how cool is that!?!) that day so they joined me and Elspeth on our autumn leaf hunt.
We had originally planned to go to Korankei, a gorge in Aichi prefecture with a red bridge but Elspeth went there last year and wasn't that impressed with it, so we had a last minute change of plans and headed off in the direction of Lake Biwa. (We actually went to the same area I went last year when I was sick but determined to see leaves.)
We got up early (poor Elspeth had to get up REALLY early to meet us) and took a train, then an electric train and then a bus to this area. Someone told me that because the summer in Japan was so ridiculously hot, it damaged the leaves and they didn't turn as red as last year. Looking back on my pictures though, they do look quite red!
From my pictures you may think that we stumbled upon a quiet, deserted, hidden temple, which we had all to ourselves. No way. Autumn is the busiest travel season in Japan. Tour buses rumbled by, tour guides waved their Hello Kitty decorated sticks and people pushed and shoved to get the best pictures.
(Check out those cools girls and their fake LeSportSac bags from Taipei!)
(Giant Elspeth in the teeny doorway)
(Elspeth asked her homestay dad what these statues were for and he thinks they are for aborted babies)
(Getting in Fil's face, while he munches on delicious green tea yaki-mochi)
(The camera just wouldn't focus on the mochi...not when those gorgeous leaves were hogging all the attention)
(Fine, leaves - take the spotlight...)
We wandered around gardens, snapping pictures and enjoying the beautiful weather. Just look at this stunning shot. I sat there for hours just waiting for all the tour groups to pass by in order to get it.
Actually, that's a cardboard picture they had on display. There was no way I was waiting long enough for EVERYONE to get out of my picture...
(At one point, while crossing over a little bridge, a little old woman pushed by Fil so violently that they almost ended up in the pond!)
(I like my arty shots. So what if Fil thinks that Japan makes them easy to take. Thanks a lot, Fil - heehee, you know I'm never going to let you forget that!)
[My dad (left) joined in on the fun photos with me (centre) and Elspeth (right)]
(My dad giving me bunny ears)
After a delicious udon lunch, we caught one of the last buses back to the electric train station. There, we pointed and laughed at the religious pop group poster and tried to stay warm while waiting for the train.
We made it back to my apartment where we feasted on takoyaki and gyoza, which in my opinion are the perfect meal after a long and exhausting day of leaf hunting. The next day my dad went home, Fil headed to Kyoto and Elspeth and I went back to work. I love mid-week holidays!
4 comments:
Laura, you lot should of taken a pic for the 'San (3)' series!!!
While you guys eat delicious food and enjoyed the beautiful scenery...we on the other hand have 'magical white powder' - (yes, I call snow 'magical white powder now' b/c of an incident at work...) turned blacken slush as backdrop...Booo.
Can't wait till you guys return!! 3 more days!
Aaron, you want 'san' pictures, or as everyone calls them here, 'Aaron' pictures - just you wait until my next post!
I can't wait to get home!!
I don't know about Japan making the pretty pictures so easy, because I certainly recall you taking fantastic pictures in all of the non-Japan locations we traveled to on the Extravaganza! Regardless, even Tony (who used to work as a professional photographer) has been impressed with your shots. So, to throw back to an old blog saying: Sorry if that offends you, Fil! ;)
Maybe it's just me but I think gyoza (and I'll soon see about takoyaki, right?) is always the perfect meal to end any day!
Can't wait to see ya! December 27th can't get here soon enough for me!
Oh wow, i'm still blown away by the fact that you still HAD leaves -- and pretty ones at that -- on 23rd November. We had snow. So yay leaves!!
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