TOKYO - OCTOBER, 2012 [PART TWO]

I took a day trip to Mount Fuji and Hakone, outside of Tokyo. Mount Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan, and is shaped like a volcanic cone. Because of its height it is always covered with snow at the top of the peak. Unfortunately, because of its height it is most often obscured by clouds at the top. I took pictures of the area around the mountain, and you can see the top of the mountain in one photo if you look very closely. I also included a picture from the internet to show what the view would be if the clouds were not present.

This is a photo taken from the area below Mt. Fuji. The clouds parted for about one minute, and I was able to get a picture showing the top of Mt. Fuji, above the clouds. It is hard to see where the clouds end, and the snow covered top of the mountain begins.

As we drove further up the mountain, the leaves on the trees began to show more fall colors. The air  was cold, crisp, and fresh. I love to be in the mountains.

We drove to the area called the Fifth Station, which is the furtherest up the mountain you can travel by vehicle. There was a great chateau like building with a restaurant (and of course souvenirs) with a viewing platform to view Mt. Fuji up close (if the clouds weren't there). There was also a small shrine for the hikers who would continue up the mountain from there on foot.

Part of the day trip to Mt. Fuji was a cruise on Lake Ashi, which is outside of the Mt. Fuji area in Hakone [about two hours southwest of Tokyo]. The cruise was on boats that were like pirate ships or galleons. It was kind of funny, but the Japanese tourists went crazy over it.

These are pictures taken from the boat of the shoreline along the lake, and of the sun setting behind the mountains. As part of the trip we were supposed to take a ropeway [cablecar] to the top of the mountain shown in the middle picture above, but because of the heavy traffic coming from Mt. Fuji we were not able to make it in time before it closed.

Because we were not able to go to the ropeway [cablecar] we were taken to the Narukawa Art Museum in Hakone which is on a hillside overlooking Lake Ashi (with a view of Mt. Fuji, weather permitting.) There was an outside terrace overlooking the lake, with beautiful views of the area around Hakone. The third picture above I found on the internet which shows the same area in the two pictures I took above it that shows the view of Mt. Fuji without the clouds.

TOKYO - OCTOBER, 2012 [PART ONE]

This was my third trip to Tokyo. Because I had seen most of the sights in the city before, I spent most of this trip seeing sights outside of the city. I really enjoy Japan. It is very modern, and the people are very nice. I spent one week there on this trip, and as always, I really enjoyed my time there.

This is the Tokyo Skytree Tower which opened in May, 2012. It is the tallest freestanding tower in the world, and is now the number one tourist attraction in Japan. At the top are restaurants and an observation tower, and in the complex below is a large retail and restaurant area.

This is the Sensoji Temple, which is the oldest temple in Tokyo, built in 628 A.D. It is in the Asakusa area of Tokyo, which is the oldest area in Tokyo. It is a major tourist attraction, and is always crowded.

I took a day trip from Tokyo to Nikko National Park, which is a 2 1/2 hour trip by train north of Tokyo. Inside the park are several Buddist Temples and Shinto Shrines which are among the oldest, and most famous in Japan. The picture above is of the Rinnoji Temple. The temple is undergoing renovation, and is inside of the building shown in the picture [the temple image was painted on the outside of the building if you look closely. This temple was built in 766 A.D. You were able to go inside and see the inside of the temple, but photos were not allowed.

This is the entrance gate to the Toshogu Shrine, one of the most famous shrines in Japan.

Because Nikko National Park, and the shrines and temples inside the park are so historically and culturally important to the Japanese people, there were a lot of student groups on field trips there. Eack class wore different colored baseball caps so that the groups could be easily identified, and the students would not wander off, and get separated from their group.

Walking between the shrines and temples was very beautiful. Nikko National Park is in the mountains, and the area was very forested with old growth trees. It was very quiet, and the air was crisp and fresh.

This is the Shinkyo (Sacred Bridge) which was built in the 8th century A.D. It is one of the most famous bridges in Japan. The bridge is at the entryway to the Nikko National Park.

The leaves on the trees were just beginning to turn to the autumn colors.

These are some pictures that I took from the train window on the trip back to Tokyo. It was interesting to see the changes from the highly urbanized area of greater Tokyo travelling to Nikko through gradually increasing hills, and agricultural areas, to the mountains of Nikko. It was a very beautiful trip to take, and gave me an additional view of Japanese life outside of the big cities.

BERLIN-SEPTEMBER, 2012

This was my first trip to Berlin. I was there for one week, and I was blessed with good weather the entire time I was there. The picture above is of the Brandenberg Gate which was previously between East and West Berlin during the time the Berlin Wall was erected, preventing those living in East Berlin from traveling to West Berlin [and freedom.] I stayed in an area that was formerly in East Berlin. Although East Berlin was not as modern as West Berlin when the Berlin Wall separated the two portions of the city, East Berlin is now the area of most of the development, and the area where new boutique hotels and restaurants are being built.

SINGAPORE- MAY, 2012

This was my first trip to Singapore. It was a very long flight, 12.5 hours from L.A.to Tokyo, then another 8.5 hours from Tokyo to Singapore. There were storms surrounding Singapore when I landed, and it looked like the 4th of July with all the lightening strikes around the island. This picture is of the downtown financial district on Marina Bay. The weather was very hot and humid, and was unfortunately the cloudiest day I experienced when I was
there.

This is the Singapore River as it flows through the city. The old warehouses and shops have been turned into stores and restaurants.

This is the gated entryway into Fort Canning. Fort Canning was the British military headquarters during World War II, and was the last area to surrender to the Japanese invaders of Singapore. The gate is the last remaining part of the original fort, except for the underground bunker.

 

This picture was taken inside the restored command center of the British army in the underground bunker at Fort Canning. It represents the scene just before the British surrender to the Japanese.

 

This is the Fire Department Headquarters in downtown Singapore, and reflects the classic colonial architecture of the British colonial period.

 

This is the Parliament Building in Singapore.

This is a picture of the Singapore River as it flows toward Marina Bay through the downtown business district. Along the banks are wide walkways where you can walk along the river, as well as shops and restaurants to eat.

 

The Merlion is the symbol of Singapore. It is a combination of a lion and a sea dragon. This statue is on Marina Bay at the foot of the business district. It is a major tourist attraction.

 

Singapore's population is composed of equal numbers of Indian, Malay, and Chinese immigrants. This picture was taken on Arab Street in the Muslim part of Singapore with the main mosque in the background.

 

Another picture of the mosque which was undergoing renovation.

This picture was taken in the Indian area of Singapore. If you like food with curry, this is the place is for you!

This picture shows the entrance to one of the Hindu shrines in the Indian area of Singapore. The shrines were open to the public, but photos inside were discouraged.

 

I flew from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Malasia for a day trip. This is the Presidential Palace.

 

This photo is of the downtown area of Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur, like Singapore, is a very modern city with a lot of construction taking place. You probably recognize the Petronas Towers [twin towers] which are often featured in movies. It was very hot and humid the day I spent in Kuala Lumpur, and the aiconditioning in the tour bus was not working, so it felt like being in a steam oven.
 

This is another Hindu Temple in Singapore. The carvings were very ornate and strange, symbols of the Hindu religion.

 

This photo was taken in the Chinatown area of Singapore. This is where I bought the T-shirts for the grandkids. I really enjoyed my trip to Singapore. The city is a mixture of the old and the new, and Singapore is rapidly becoming one of the financial and trading centers of Asia and the world.