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!!!

Welcome to Kameari!!!

Well, on Sunday we found an studio apartment to move into, and we have moved in this week. Which is why I haven't been blogging as much (trying to catch up now - so sorry if you've had a load of entries to read) We have a balcony!!! it is the worlds smallest balcony but you can sit there, relax and get a suntan... so what more could you want from a balcony!!!

We are loving it here, with the space or 20 mins walk from here there is everything you could imagine needing and wanting!!! there are doctors dentist, supermarkets, gyms etc etc, and then there is a huge shopping mall!!! Honestly... why you would need to go anywhere else is beyond me!!! hehe!

So Kameari is home to the worlds first Anime characters so the buses are like these and there are loads of statues of the original Anime characters all around Kameari. So far we are loving it here. :-) and the weather couldn't be more perfect!!!! It is hot about 33 degrees, not muggy and NOT raining!!! WOOP!

International Party

We had a great time at Leaf Cup's international party... we met some lovely people and are planning to go again next weekend :-)

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Buildings

Ok, so maybe not the best very ever... it was absolutely chucking it down!!! So this photo is taken from the 45th floor from the Tokyo Government Buildings. I don't really have much else to say about it apart from I am going to go back on a clear day in the autumn and you can see Mt. Fuji from here!!! I am going to get that picture!!!!

Meeting KT on her Lunch Break

Ok... so just a quick blog and more photos to come, I went to meet KT on her lunch break today. We went to the top of her building - 26 floors and we ate and I took a few photos. This is taken from Kamyacho. I going to find out exactly which way it is looking before I tell you some incorrect information! This photo is made out of 10 different photos. I took 5 left to right of the horizon, and 5 left to right looking down and then put them together and Voila (I hope I've spelt that right - I remember writing an essay and I think I wrote Viola and Matt fell about laughing :-( It's a good job I don't mind being laughed at hey - hehe) After I had lunch I went to the Tokyo Metropolitan Goverment Buildings which you could go to a viewing point at the top of each for free... that was 45 floors up so I look forward to posting that!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Day at Ueno Zoo

So, as Fran started his training yesterday ... I had to keep myself entertained!!! I decided to go to the zoo! I got off at about 10am, and it took just over half an hour to get the Subway to Ueno. I came out in Ueno Park, and I am soooooo taking Fran back there!!! It is huge and had so many things to do... the zoo, an amusement park, and museums I think, and the park itself was beautiful!!!


So I stayed there the whole day which was alot of walking, and I saw EVERYTHING!!!! Never done that before!!!! It cost me ¥1120 to get there and back and cost only ¥600 admission!!! Very cheap!!!
I got sooooooo many photos and I can't put them all up on the blog so please please please check out them out by clicking here. So here are a few of my fave with a few of my thoughts about the zoo

So there was only 1 tiger in here... to be honest there were a few of the animals which I felt bad for... there always are at any zoo ... like a hand full of animals looked bored and sad and there were others that looked like they were having so much fun so I just though, well I am using this as experience for my photography... and I'm here, so I better make the most of it!!!!!!

There were so many birds here that I'd never seen before!!! Like this one!!! How great is he?!?

The Meerkats were totally cute!!! honestly they looked like they were having so much fun!!!

The Emperor Penguins looked pretty sad, the zoo were in the process of building them a brand new environment so they were in a small plastic room encloser with not much light and really not much room!!! :-( It made me sad that I had wanted to see them so much (I'd never seen them before today!) and then they were coped up. This has definitely made me want to go see them in the wild in their own habitat... I don't know how or when... but I really really want to do it!!!

The beautiful view over the west side of the zoo, looking out over Ueno Park and Ueno!!!

Cutie little Japanese bird! Ok ok, I've posted too many photos, there are so many more I like but I'll only post 1 more I promise!!!! Really pleased with this one...

Also, very quickly, I was very sad that there were no Giant Pandas there like I had hoped... Ling Ling (their last Giant Panda) passed away in April 2010. :-( so Ueno Zoo have NO Giant Pandas :-( :-( :-(

Everything is going well jobwise!!!!

Fran started training for his job today! He has training all day today, tomorrow and Friday.
I begin my training on Saturday - I will be working with children ages 3-11 on a Summer School at the end of July!!! I really am very very very excited about that as I will not only be teaching english but MUSIC as well!!!! WOOP! So Yeah... things are looking a lot better than we thought - we can start flat hunting now!!! We've been talking to people who have been in the same situation as us and they are all shocked that we've only been here 3 and a half weeks... literally people have been saying it has taken them anywhere between 2 months to 7 months, to 1. run out of money and 2. actually find work! So we are feeling very pleased with ourselves!!!
On my way to the interview (which by the way I turned up one day EARLY for!!! they just laughed and said it was good that I was keen - I felt so stupid, haha) for the summer school job, I walked past Tokyo Tower and had to get some photos.

Here a little information about Tokyo Tower -It was originally built, based on the Eiffel Tower but is 333m high (Eiffel Tower only 320m) which makes it the tallest self-supporting steel tower in the world (hehe). I want to go up there on a clear night and take lots of photos of Tokyo I bet the view in incredible!!!! At night, the tower is lit up and is looks so beautiful... so we will definitely be going back there!!!

Also, have you noticed I have installed a toolbar to the bottom of the blog. It allows you to do a number of things (change language, tell other people about the site, facebook like tool), but the main thing I BEG you to look at is the Photos button... Promise you ! It's really really cool!!!

Hike up Mt. Takayama

Fran is just back from another interview that seems to have gone well. We started the weekend with great news. On Friday I was offered a job that I couldn't turn down... despite it not starting til September. So I am frantically trying to find something to tire me over til then. And we both have another interview so I think things may be looking better which is a relief!

Dave and KT suggested that we went with them on a hike up Mt. Takayama on Saturday. We did but I found this walk a real stuggle... well the ascent! And had to stop a fair few times on the way up to catch my breathe!!! We were quite excited about getting to the top to see the view.... however, the stupid rain and clouds got in the way and this was our view from the top... stupid rainy season!!!

We stopped for a sandwich here, taking shelter from the rain under the viewing tower and there were loads of photos of a beautiful clear view from the tower, made me very jealous!!! I want to go back to take photos on a beautiful clear day when we can see Mt. Fuji!!! Apparently in October/November time the sky will be perfectly clear so we will be able to see everything!!! Fingers crossed!
This temple looked beautiful in the mist!

I was shocked to see stray cats around the top of Mt. Takayama and the shrine. They all had strange eyes like they had been in fights. These ones just stared at us. And as we were walking down there were cat that just popped out of the bushes... meow-ing at us quite strange! Fran says that I want to set up a help center for stray cats on top of mountains... haha. I don't by the way, but I did feel sorry for them...
Anyway, this is Dave, KT and Fran taking in the view... hm!!!

Dave and KT walking down the hill.

The view as we were coming out of the clouds.

I got a few pictures of butterflies on the hike. There really are soooo many different types of butterflies here!!! I love seeing one I haven't seen before but they always seem to fly faster then the ones I have already seen!! When we were on our way down we saw a MASSIVE black butterfly. it was bigger than a bat a it's body was huge, I ducked as it flew over our heads I was too shocked to take a photo to be honest... I will though!!! promise!!!

Fran enjoying a well deserved big pepsi after the hike!

We chilled at the beach at Tsukuihama, in Kanagawa for about half an hour, it was overcast but not raining anymore. The volcanic black sand didn't really make me want to go and walk on it... but I imagine it will be something I get used to! There were loads and loads of wind surfers out on the sea, see the dots on the horizon... they are winder surfers. Was pretty cool to watch!!!!