I Stopped At...

2009/08/09 The Ryouanji premises This temple is an old Buddhist temple in Kyoto. This was famous as a meditating center and still is.  This temple is situated a little away from the normal temple city area. But this has not been a reason in the least  to stop visitors coming. This is situated in the middle of a large green woods with a beautiful pond in the middle. What we visit as the Ryouanji is only one portion of what it really was. A trail lined with beautiful maple trees and sakura led us to the main hall of Rouanji. As it is seen in the picture below the steps leading to the hall is roofed with green maple leaves. It was so serene and calm just reminding me of the serenity and the calmness of the Buddhist temples back home(Sri Lanka). The entrance Once you have entered the premises, you see an enlarged photo of the famous rock garden on the inner entrance. Then a model of the rock garden is kept for exhibition....

2015/4/4 So it is the Sakura season, awakening the world top a new beginning.. It is a moment everybody waits eagerly to receive liveliness and to get freshened for the next fiscal year. I will start the post with an introduction to flower viewing or Hanami. This is what the Wikipedia has to say. " "Hanami" is the centuries-old practice of picnicking under a blooming  sakura  or  ume  tree. The custom is said to have started during the  Nara Period  (710–794) when it was  ume  blossoms that people admired in the beginning. But by the  Heian Period (794–1185), cherry blossoms came to attract more attention and  hanami  was synonymous with  sakura . [7]  From then on, in both  waka  and  haiku , "flowers"  ( 花   hana ? )  meant "cherry blossoms". The custom was originally limited to the elite of the Imperial Court, but soon spread to  samurai  society and, by the  Edo period...

2015/4/2 The main Sakura event in 2015 for me was at Meguro River. Meguro River is a famous Sakura spot in Japan. A Sakura viewing event is held every year.  Thousands of people come to walk along the riverside in day and night under the fully bloomed Sakura  trees. Following are some moments I captured with my phone.. Sakura Pinkier with the Lantern Light Long river with Sakura hanging over Sakura at night Pinkier than ever All Rights Reserved.

2009/08/11 Hiroshima castle is not a famous castle in Japan. I know it is not the best way to start the post but it is the truth. But for me it was one of the most interesting castles in Japan. Unlike most of the castles I have visited, Hiroshima castle was built of wood. walls, floor, ceilings were all wooden. The castle you see today is not the original castle which was built some hundred years ago. The original castle was burnt down completely and this was the reconstructed version.  I has great respect to this castle because it stood tall against the great disaster of the atomic bomb.  Inside the castle has turned in to a small museum. Swords, knives and interior designing materials are displayed. Well, this photo below is of a carriages used to carry high ranked people around. This was also used in Sri Lanka too. I have seen such carriages in several museums through out Japan and I always wondered about one single thing. How did they man...

You com across  Ondome falls when you visit Shiroito falls in Shizuoka. Ondome means the deafness or blocking the sound but I have no idea why this falls was named like that. I had the chance to witness the life of  a waterfall at the Ondome falls.  This is  the river or the stream which becomes the ondome Falls. This is how the water way looks like just before it falls down the cliff. This is the top of the waterfalls.It is a very rare chance to see the very top of the waterfall. This is the second phase of the life, and the most beautiful one. This is the waterfall of Ondome. This is how the waterfall ends up in a river and flows towards the sea. Special thanks to Mr and Mrs. Deguchi and the family for taking me to this beautiful spot. All Rights Reserved.

2011/12/04 Mt. Kagenobu is a mountain situated in Tokyo near mount Takao. This is not that much of  a famous mountain but people who know the area don`t miss it. Unlike mt.Takao, it does not have good trails but some woody unclear mountain trails. A hiker needs a good hold of the foot. I was out on the hike towards the end of the autumn of 2011, and  a little glimpse of beautiful autumn leaves still could be seen. Below is such one moment. The capture below is how the greenery is gradually getting ready for the winter. It s beautiful on its own way with the light colour shades. In the distance the concrete world of  Tokyo can be seen. From now on I am going to share some captures from the top of Mt. Kagenobu. The Tokyo bay, Tokyo area can be seen over the mountain range from the top of the Mt.Kagenobu MT. Fuji from the top Lake Sagami can also be seen The last capture shows how it Mt. Takao appears to the top of the Mt.Kagenobu. ...

Singapore has one of the most delicious cousines, with chinese, malay and indian mixed. Today I am going to introduce you to the famous dish of chilli crab. Sri Lanka , which is famous for its nutrition filled sea, is contributing to this dish by exporting giant crabs. According to the Singaporeans I met, a good big Sri Lankan crab may cost several hundred dollars. Little crab dishes could still costs up to 10singapore dollars. I would like to recommend the Chili Crab dish as a must if you are in Singapore.