I Stopped At...

31/07/2010 This trip was so sudden. Friends called me out to join  with them to  go to Ishikawa. I had already been to Kanazawa  but my love for traveling won. By 8.40 in the morning, I was waiting for my friends at the Toyama station. These two bridges connect the Noto isalnd with Honshu, the main island of Japan.Leaving the second bridge brings you to Noto of Ishikawa prefecture. It is a place where no trains run, only buses. I always wanted to visit here but the transportation was  a problem. Well, after all it was  a dream coming true. We headed to "gan mon" of Ishikawa. A boat ride around the place shows you , the different natural patterns and designs on the rocks in the beach. Being different from the sea we saw at the other side of the Noto Island the Sea near ganmon is really windy and rough. Well, it resembles the beaches of Sri Lanka. The cave in the rocky wall at the dock GanMon Cave where people...

31/07/2010 Three different shades of gray - the sky, the sea and the sand It was already mid afternoon. The sun was hard on us even though we were in the car. We were back from Noto and returning to Kanazawa and sensei said that we were going to get a surprise. It was something to do with the sea. The car stopped at  a sand art competition. Well it was the first time , seeing a sand art competition. Well, of course we were excited. But the surprise was yet to come.Once we got back in to the car, the sensei did not reverse the car. He went forward towards the sea!! Of course we were not on a suicidal trip or something. Suddenly he turned to left and a long unending, unwinding beach emerged straight ahead us. It was infinitive and was of sand, completely yellow sand. The driveway through the windshield The driveway from the window Only a rope was the boundary of waves. Speed limits were staring at us, and even parked vehicles too. What was mor...

18/07/2010 It was the second day in Kanazawa and was in nagamchi the Samurai town. There are rebuilt samurai houses indicating the old living patterns. Some houses still have old ornaments cutlery,toilets left.I am always surprised of the Japanese  people  who lived in very little spaces. The inside plan of a foot soldier house. The view of the inside from the entrance Cutlery used in the  house The living room An old fireplace In early japan people used to sit around the fireplace wholeday making tea, cooking,eating, chatting and even sleeping. This habit is still left in Japan, now around kotatsu instead of the fireplace. kotatsu is a small table with a heater attached and till recently it had a coal heater attached. The extra sleeping room upstairs and the ladder used to get in. The ancient closets more like `pettagam in` sinhala The backside of the house The bathtub O...

17/07/2010 The Kanazawa castle from the private outer garden After the morning walk in the infinitive garden of kenrokuen next trip was to the Kanazawa castle. As we could not battle the scorching sun  in the castles private garden. The beautiful green lawn was cooling the eyes and body. We could not bring ourselves to get going until it was too late.we rested under the cool shades of old trees When we entered the premises it was already closed for the day.But the grandness the majesty of the castle could not be concealed. The entrance to Kanazawa castle Ishikawa Gate and the Nagaya watch tower over the green lawn. Behind of  Yagura watch tower Nagura watch tower The castle of Kanazawa The tower in the left is the three storied yagura watch tower and the right side corner roof is teh nagaya watch tower. The hall in between was used as a storehouse in the early years. The whitish roof is said to ...

17/07/2010 I t was a  hot day,nearly 36 degrees. It was too much to handle but the cool greenery of Kenrokuen was a relief . It was a Saturday, the 17th of July. My friends had promised to arrive at Kanazawa by 11 o`clock and I waited for them at Kenroku Garden entrance. Finally, we got together at 11.45 and so we started our trip in Kanazawa. Well, this was our first stop. This is the famous kotoji garden lamp with the tea house in the background at Lake Biwa. Famous Karasaki pine tree with the glimpse of  lake Biwa The Flying Geese bridge laid to resemble the formation of a flying flock of geese. Beautiful green grass yard with a pine tree and the statue of  Yamato Takeru. Old rest house with an ancient roof - Shiguretei The oldest fountain in Japan still working with natural water pressure. At this time it was nearly two meters high. The entrance to Kanazawa shrine. Click on the pi...