Kamakura on Monday

On Monday, we took the trains to Kamakura, a lovely ocean-side town famous for it's temples and the Great Buddha. This giant meditating guy was cast in the 1250's. Originally, he sat inside a massive structure, but it was washed away during a tsunami that left him sitting out in the elements now for a couple centuries. We wandered up the main street of the town, and Nathan led us to a Korean restaurant where they serve you food (sometimes raw) in very hot stone bowls. as you stir and sizzle, the food cooks, the flavors blend, and yum! It was a good find. Nathan has a nose for good eating.

The best part of the day was on the way back to the train station, we turned down a street toward what looked like a shrine on the hill side. We looked in and were not sure if we wanted to pay the admission fee, but since Julia had not seen a garden yet, and it looked very beautiful, we entered and were stunned by what we found. Inside the grounds we found a water garden with floating iris boxes, carp, turtles and fountains. As we walked along the paths there were more discoveries: a cave with candles burning in it, and little figures of a god with a musical instrument. Then there were shrines with hundreds of statues of the same god and a pathway that led us up the hillside that was covered by gorgeous hydrangea bushes. As we went higher, we could see more of the town and the ocean, the waves on the beach, and the hopeful surfers out in the waves. Eventually we were at a lookout point and enjoyed watching a couple of hawks flying by. It was a lovely and serene place. I think everyone enjoyed it- even Chris, who I know had been fading and wanted to get home. he was like a mountain goat after we got there, though. I think the winding paths, the view and the flowers re-energized him. The clouds cleared while we were there too. It was one of those lovely Japan surprises that make the day especially memorable.