Last week was the family visit to Japan! I was very very proud of Mom for finally having a passport. The first weekend they were here we visited Kamakura, Yokohama and toured the USS George Washington. I have posted on Kamakura before, so I will only add a few pictures.
Kamakura was different this time than last in that it is now winter and all of the gorgeous and brilliant fall leaves have long since disappeared from the trees. Now, the cherry blossoms are beginning to appear! Mom enjoyed the place immensely, feeling the very peaceful aura the temple grounds exude. Diana found the graveyard and spent a good amount of time wandering around among the tombstones. These are generally stunning polished granite shrines that put to shame modern headstones. We drank maccha (green tea) at the top of the hill where a huge bell hangs ready to ring. There were views of the valley and it was lovely!
We took the Enoshima Line train to Hase to see the Great Buddha. He is a super cool bronze statue that was cast in 1252 AD. He's gorgeous and I always love visiting him.
Then we headed back to Yokohama where everyone was staying. We walked to Landmark Tower and ate dinner in the converted dry dock next to it. This is seriously the coolest place! Its an old tiered dry dock reminiscent of the ball courts of ancient Mayans. Inside all of the old tunnels and pump rooms are now restaurants and bars. The dock itself is lit with blue light. I love it. The photo is a little blurry.
Across the street is a very well kept tall ship used for training. The water in the dock was absolutely still and made for a perfect photo op! The cool lit up ferris wheel in the background is one of the largest in the world and holds 480 people! Amazing! The lights change color and pattern on a pretty log cycle. Yokohama is a very nice, very cool place. Definitely worth a visit.
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