Asakusa Temple

This photo is my first HDR photo... HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. To simplify it, I took 3 photos all with different levels of exposure, so I had one very bright one, one very dark one and one normal one, then I merged them together and bring out the best bits from each photos - creating a photo with higher dynamic range than a normal photo :-) So this is my first and it certainly won't be my last - I love it!!!!!!

We visited Asakusa only for a couple of hours, I wanted to go to see the temple but Fran had had his first day at work so was feeling quite tired, and to be honest the heat just makes you want to sleep!!!
We turned right out of the Asakusa train JR line station and we came to a river, it was beautiful watching people queuing up to take a Tokyo Tour on the ferry and the sun glistening across the water! Also, I have never seen the sky look so blue as it is in Japan... it's very surreal, you feel like you could be in a dream but it was so relaxing and peaceful.

You see these carts? you would think they would pulled by horses, right? Well you'd be wrong! I couldn't believe my eyes when one of these went past us and there was a person carrying these carts with people in them, they were running too! We saw a girl struggling up hill with one of them. I dread to think how much they would actually weight if someone got in them. There were people shouting for us to get in one for a tour around Asakus... needless to say we didn't go on one...!

We went up a shopping street which would lead us to the temple, there was so many shops lining the streets selling touristy things like, Japanese fans, chopsticks and other ornate items. I saw a small Ice cream parlor, Fran was feeling tired so I offered to get him an ice cream (this was after I saw a man walking away from the shop with a bright green coloured ice cream) The picture above was only one half of the fairly odd flavours... Chocolate Chips OK average, Coffee - OK a little strange I guess, Sesame ? really?, Tea??? TEA flavoured ice cream???, Sweet Potato Ok your taking the mick right, and OH MY GOD Pumpkin flavour who thought that was a good idea - Fran perked up... "Ow, I like Pumpkin" and off he went over to the shop... I couldn't quite believe it!! He bought a cup of ice cream, half pumpkin and half cookies and cream!

He said it wasn't the best, but it wasn't awful... I guess that means it was pretty good by Fran's standards and he ate it all!

This street leads to Asakusa Temple... which was just breathe taking...

We were quite sad to see that the actual Temple was having work done on it so was covered in scaffolding... so not so breathe taking, but we are definitely going to go back when its finished!

Before the people would go in to pray there was a big pot (like a cauldron) that had smoking ash coming from it, people would wafted the smoke at them - it is said that if you are ill, or have bad health, you put the smoke on you and you will be cured. Watch the video below to see.

This is a wish that someone has made, they are tied on a board and then they will come true.

Fran and I just sat here for about twenty minutes, just admiring the view, it was perfect. I really want to go back when the temple is renovated, and also it has made me want to go to Kyoto. Kyoto is the traditional part of Japan. I think about 3 hours away from Tokyo but it has lots of Temples and Shrines and gardens and and it is meant to be very peaceful!!!