worldstallestpygmy: May 2012

New York

The right price and 13 hours on a plane equals 7 days in New York. What to say about this city? While we only stayed on the island every day was filled with something new to see and experience from the famous Statue of Liberty, stage shows to some great food and candy (lolly) shopping, and eating cake.

Brooklyn Bridge

Night time Times Square

Empire State building from the top of the Rockefeller centre

Central Park from the top of the Rockefeller centre

Knights inside the Meteropolitan museum

Empire State building from 5th ave.

New York Stock exchange ready for Memorial Day

Union Square markets

Empire State building from Union Square

Central Park

Central Park boating

Central Park pond

Central Park stone bridge

Enoshima Island

About 30 minutes by train from Kamakura is Enoshima Island, a small island protruding into Sagami Bay. The main reason I visited the island was for the amazing views of Mt Fuji across the water, this the best time for these views (see my other post with pictures of Mt. Fuji from Enoshima Island).

Located on the highest point of the island, and offering spectacular 360 degree views of the coast line, Mt Fuji and the other side of the bay is the Enoshima observation lighthouse. For a small fee you can catch the elevator to the observation deck about 100 meters above the ocean and get great views of the surrounding area.

Linked to the mainland by a 600 metre long bridge the peak of the island is dominated by a shrine to Benzaiten, the goddess of music and entertainment. Benzaiten is said to have made the island rise from the bottom of the sea in sixth century and is apparently one of the three most famous goddesses in Japan.

Enoshima Island is also very popular with fisherman and on the day I visited they were everywhere trying their luck in a spectacular location.

On the back side of the island are two 6000 year old caves, the Enoshima Iwaya, made by the action of the waves. You can explore the cave if the weather is right with one cave containing religious artefacts, historical photographs and an automated fire-breathing dragon with guides handing out candles to visitor – just one thing – duck, the roof in places is very low.

You Tube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyzQ3BmdLnY

8:58 PM | Category: Mount Fuji, Out and about, outdoors | 0 comments

Mt. Fuji from Enoshima Island

Following a recent visit to Enoshima Island I realised I had taken a huge number of photos of Mt. Fuji and couldn’t decide which ones to leave out.

8:57 PM | Category: Mount Fuji, Out and about, outdoors | 0 comments

Thai festival 2012

After the events of March 2011 the Thai food festival took a break and came back better and bigger than ever. I don’t know the stats but this festival has to be one of the best attended festivals in Tokyo. There were soooo many people – almost too many – packed into the festival area. As with 2010 Singh beer was popular early in the day and the food was spectacular – fish cakes, dumpling, beef salad with chilli and mangoes - just to name a few of the excellent selections available.