Sunday, July 17, 2005

Kyoto and the Gion Matsuri festival

i just spent a wonderful morning in Kyoto, about a 30 minute train ride North of Osaka. The Gion Matsuri festival was taking place this weekend, culminating in a parade of tall, pointy yama boko foats, richly decorated with Nishijin silk. Originally held to keep the plague out of Kyoto in the hot and humid summer months, it was a sight to behold. There was just people everywhere. It was madness in the heat and humidity. I shall post some shots up on the photopage in the next day or so as I took over 100, so it will take a bit of time to sift through. Kyoto is a wonderful city with fabulous little streets and over a 1000 temples, gardens, excellent museums and is steeped in traditional Japanese culture. I will definitely have to go back there and spend some more time just wandering around and visiting the temples...they are so serene and peaceful, a lovely change from the bustle of Osaka. There is no point in trying to explain the size and colour of the floats so I hope the photos do them justice. There was plenty of Black Kites about, circling in flocks of 40 or more, fantastic to see.

It's a long weekend for us so I may go out on the town tonight. We were supposed to go out on Friday night but we just ended up going back to one of the lads' place from work in Konikeishinden (where I live) and I did what Deb has seen me do most Friday nights, fall asleep where I sit..so I woke up at 10 am on Saturday morning in a total hungover daze and walked home in my suit in the blistering heat and humidity...not pleasant. As a result, yesterday was a total write off. A few of us went to see Star Wars last night and had a bite to eat in a really nice Vietnamese restaurant in Umeda. The food was great and the film was okay, probably the better of the recent Star Wars films. Still think they could have picked someone who could act to play Anakin Skywalker...as regards Ms. Portman, say no more.

On that note, I bid thee farewell...I have to hang up my washing..

9 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

hey fella - just to let you know that the langer was trying to e-mail you from de ship using his hi-tech, hi-spec fancy-assed mobile & laptop and succeeded in picking up a backdoor virus (!) which knocked out his interweb capability so once again he says hi via me! I've to send him the virus cure to the ship & he'll get it when next in auginish.

he's some langer eh?

As for lack of posts, no not been away, just not been out and you can get fed up of counting common sands! speak soon boy.

July 19, 2005 12:48 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey dude,glad to see all is well in the land of the rising sun.All remains thoroughly soggy here in Gawkland,but big high pressure hitting over the weekend so things are due to pick up.Spent the weekend down in Raglan fighting for waves with a few kiwis who desperately need to see the business end of a new hammer.Managed to pick out a few (including dropping in on one of the memebers of the Volcom team ha ha ha) and even scored a wonderful pee wee sized barrell before getting eaten alive by the ocean.Headed out in style this weekend,big bunch of cork posse present so things should get dirty at a truly alarming pace.Bring it.LONG MAY YOU RUN ! ! ! ! !

July 19, 2005 5:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

eejit! cronin has fixed his backdoor virus but is probly in UK by now then espana I tink so it could still be a while!

de seawatching has been heating up a little right enough - de foley and hussey have been down a bit too and t'was them who turned up de YLG at clon.

de sooty tern is still knocking about Anglesey and guess where we is going early august by ferry? Tick City if its still about!

July 20, 2005 5:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Mark,
Excellent pics of the tame Night Heron! Never seen one as close as that seems to have been, at least not without inadvertently flushing it!
Good to see you're seeing some nice birds, however infrequently.
H

July 21, 2005 8:30 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jaysus!that gaff of yours looks down right luxurious by japanese standards!!
Nice!

July 21, 2005 11:55 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hola mate - reckon you should post that night heron on surfburds and say it was at Cuskinnny for de laugh!

Cracking shots of the apartemente although I must say I think you have missed yer calling - should have been a hostess on one of those game shows I reckon - its probly not too late! Beautifully modelled throughout!

July 22, 2005 6:14 AM  
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