I left Tokyo via the overnight bus last night. My longest ride to date--though I'll be taking an even longer one next month--I spent 9 hours crammed into my seat trying to get some sleep, and then another hour and a half with a bit more space once my seat mate got off.
By the time I could stretch out a little more, the sun had come up. I opened the curtains covering my window to enjoy the landscape of Japan from something other than the window of a train, for a change.
The bus headed out of Osaka and on to my final destination: Wakayama, about 600km west of Tokyo. The views weren't all as nature-y as pictured above; it was mostly industrial areas, in fact, but either way it was a refreshing break from skyscrapers.
Once I'd dropped my suitcase off at my hotel, I took a bus to the castle grounds.
If you like cityscapes, I've found that castles are often the best (and cheapest) way to get them while traveling in Japan. Castle entry is usually between 200-400 yen, and in many cases visitors are treated to 360° views.
Inside the castles there are usually exhibits of centuries-old body armor or swords, as well as miniature models of the town or historical maps. This one also included artworks, some of them painted on scrolls.
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| If I'm reading this right, this scroll is basically a Japanese version of "Who are the people in your neighborhood?" (Who else remembers that song from Sesame Street?!) |
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| Close-up of a giant temari (also called goten-mari), which are decorative silk thread balls |
The path behind the castle led to a small garden.
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| Wakayama Castle Momijidani-teien |
Next, I decided to bet that the rain would let up and got on another bus to a temple. I lost the bet, but fortunately there was a woman selling umbrellas at her souvenir shop on the road leading up to the temple entrance.
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| Some famous Wakayama mikan (foreground) and persimmons at a market near the temple |
By the time I got that far my shirt was wet through--and I had to be careful not to let my camera get too wet either--but it was actually a pleasant, picturesque visit.
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| The half-way point |
Once I got up the stairs, that is...
The grounds at Kimi-idera include the main temple and a couple of smaller shrines, a two-storied pagoda, Japan's largest wooden Buddha, and a lookout point that affords views of the bay.
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| The roof of the main temple |
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| At the steps to the main temple |
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| "Japan's largest wooden Buddha" |
Once I made it back down the stairs, I was ready to return to my hotel. Sufficiently wet and cold, I was looking forward to a cup of hot soy milk. My fingers weren't too cold, though, to take one more picture of a house between the temple and the station:
And tomorrow? Maybe a mountain...
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