Home again, home again, jiggety-jig.

Home again, home again, jiggety-jig.

Well thats it time is up on my Japan trip. In eighteen hours I will be back in Melbourne. 

This morning I went out to Rikugien gardens which is a Strolling garden, with 88 views that were of special beauty or interest. There was a wonderful old teahouse called Tsutsji-no-chaya nestled amongst the maples. It is an extremely well planed and maintained garden and it was lovely to spend a few hours, walking, sketching, looking and reading in it. 

Some parting thoughts....

For some reason I keep forgetting to mention the birds I come across in my travels so I will mention some of them now: 

In the Nikko National park I saw seventeen eagles all at once. Five of then in the foreground and another twelve in the background. They were just gliding in the air looking for food.

In Naoshima and Hugi there were eagles or hawks ( I cant tell the difference very well). Every now and then you wold be walking and the reelitive silence would be broken by a eagles screech.  You cold often see them near the coast. It is  very beautiful how they seam to be suspended in the air and I always find it amazing that such a big and heavy bird can look so very elegant up in the air. 

Japan is not a third so wacky as the commercials or the anima or the stories would lead you to believe. Most people are delightfully ordinary although there are set neashis where behaviour or dress is particularly interesting, like cosplay and the love of AKB48. 

I really enjoy seeing lots of people on bikes and not just young people but people of all ages. As cars are so expensive bike riding is a  legitimate form of transport in Japan the face that you can buy almost anything you need in your local area is also a bonus as you don't have to travel far.  you will see mums with dropping of children at day care on bikes, business men in suits on bikes, elderly men and women on bikes even people in the delivery service on bikes with small trailers behind them.  I also like that people are just wearing there normal clothes and it is a very lated back form of transport. 

Well thats it from me. I now need to think about getting a train out to the airport. See you all when I get back to Melbourne.

Acushla