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| nikko |
| november 23-25 after spending almost all of last year abroad, morgan and i figured it was time to do a little travelling in japan, so we headed to nikko, one of the most famous temple towns in japan. we drove, making it the first time my sweet little car left nagano ken. it was an incredible drive, over mountain passes, through steep valleys, and along the so-called "romantic road". nikko itself did not disappoint, with great temples unlike any i've seen yet in japan. hordes of tour busses not withstanding, it was a really nice weekend getaway. |
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| close to the ryokan we stayed in was this great little walk. the buddhas stretched on for more than a football field. |
| opposite the buddhas was a picturesque river. definitely a great way to start the day. |
| a pagoda at the toshogu shrine. |
| nikko's main attraction is a cluster of shrines and temples in the hills, built amidst enormous trees. they were built to honor one of japan's longest ruling families after the death of the main patriarch. people say they have more in common with chinese style shrines than japanese, as they are covered with ornate carvings. regardless, the area was impressive, and i wish the pictures turned out better... |
| a big monkey in front of his famous 'hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil' cousins. |
| a ghostly me in front of part of the main toshogu temple. we had just bought a new camera, and were having some trouble with the flash settings. check out the detail in the carving, if you can... |
| a protector god at the main entrance to one of the smaller temples. the bright colors are another distinctive trait of nikko attractions. |
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