Oh boy. I meant to do this post yesterday, but I was so tired I was falling asleep at my computer, so I went to bed at 8:45pm. Yesterday was quite the adventure. It rained all day, but that didn't stop us from exploring town. We had lunch at place that served the yummiest ramen, which was a wonderful shelter from the cold!
To get around in Hikone, we use bikes. It's surprisingly easy to get around, and the land is pretty flat. That first bike ride we had to the ramen place was probably the best that I've felt in a while, even though the rain was whipping in my face. All the stress that I've been feeling melted in that moment as I looked around Lake Biwa (Biwa-ko) and the surrounding homes.
The rain and fogginess of the hills remind me of what it's like to be alive, although this happens too few and far between, I think. The wind and the rain brings to mind what I've lost, what I've gained and where I'm going to be in the future. It's renewing, I suppose.
After our outing in town and biking in the pouring rain (we didn't go to Hikone Castle due to the rain), I decided to get a few more photographs while it was still a little light outside. I changed my dripping wet capris and gathered my camera equipment yet again.
We passed this graveyard while on our way to the ramen restaurant, and I felt an immediate draw to it. It was beautiful even at that time of day, with the rain bouncing off the granite markers and the sound of the waves of Biwa-ko in the background. Most of the markers had signs of it being seen recently- candles and flowers all around. If I remember correctly, the Japanese have much respect for the dead so this display of honoring the dead didn't surprise me much.
きょう は、わたしのたんじょうび ですよ！
(Today is my birthday!... at least in Japan :) Kyoto today!
Awesome. I'd love to see the wider angle or a fuller image. I think this is the best image since Hikone in the Fog.
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