Kamakura!!!!!!!!

---

While all you aussies were enjoying your easter weekend, gorging on chocolate, not working on friday and monday, holidaying at the beach and being rained out at oakbank or the clare races Marissa and I caught the shinkansen to a touristy town called Kamakura a couple of hours away for a Saturday trip. The sun was shining, the birds were singing the octopus was hot and the beach was cold. All in all what a lovely (and long) day!!

Also a few random photos from driving around on Sunday

---

Photos

Hey Buddha
It took great skill and ability to get these shots, its a good thing noone knows us here!!

Shopping!!
This street was full of touristy little shops, food stalls and people!!

Kamakura fortunes
These things with paper on are outside all temples, you buy a fortune and then tie it to the string so it will come true (i think)

Octopus balls
We bought some of these balls for lunch. They were yuk, kind of mushy yet chewy and not at all a nice taste.

Wedding
We were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to see a traditional japanese wedding in on of the temples in kamakura. Apparently, you pay about $100 to be a guest at a wedding in japan, more if your a bridesmaid or groomsman!!

Cheese!
In front of the main temple, just getting into the japanese way!

Clap twice
Inside the temple, you throw your money (yes, the gods take bribes), clap twice and then bow twice before wishing (or after, not sure). Two friendly old japanese men demonstrated for we uneducated westerners!

Good luck
Step 1. Scoop water flowing form bamboo pipe

Good luck
Step 2. Drink water by pouring it into hand, try not to touch the cup (coz millions of others have slobbered on it). Spit water into trough below (cover mouth coz its more lady like)

Good luck
Step 3. Pour remaining water down the handle to clean it for the next person. Replace cup.

Feed the birds... tuppence a bag
Even the pigeons didnt like the octopus balls

Intersection
Check out all the zebra crossings!!! Pedestrians and bikes get priority in Japan, especially in the more touristy places.

The cat man
Another unexplainable. Just hanging around on the end of the shopping road with his tail hanging out his pants smoking his cat pipe and selling his mini cat sculptures

The cat man
The cat mans cart. He was selling these little things for ridiculous prices, no i did not buy one. I dont even like cats!

What the?
Please someone print this off and send it in to Rove.

The Great Buddha Daibutsu
Kamakuras main attraction. Built in 1252 out of bronze. Was inside a temple that was destroyed in a tidal wave in 1498, the Buddha survived.

Buddha
From the inside!! He has had work done to enable the body to move on the base in case of earthquake. He is 13.35 metres tall and weighs 121 tonnes

Comments

[Stephen Paul]

ni fu ni
ha ha! Only Aussie could pick Buddha nose! I had to rate that photo 5 stars. Never before have I seen the great Daibutsu so violated. Buddha would be laughing out loud, thats hilarious! I love all of these Pictures Amy, each one is illustrative, great colors, diverse. And it made me jealous too- Ive always wanted to see Daibutsu in Kamakura!!