Kurashiki

It took us three trains and much of the day to reach Kurashiki, the southernmost spot we are visiting on Honshu, the main Japanese island. We left the cold weather behind and I moved my warm clothes at the bottom of my suitcase. We spent a day and a half here, strolling along the river and riding bicycles through rice fields.

: We have taken several Shinkansen, bullet trains. They are fast, smooth, and much more comfortable than planes. Maybe we’ll get one in California some day.

: Raj and Katy, no wheeled luggage for them

: Rail pass in hand, ready for travel

: Enjoying the blossoms and warm weather

: Tourists getting a ride on Kurashiki River

: A popular spot for bridal photographs

: Kimonos can be rented by the day

: Nancy trying to find a route to the shrine that does not include stairs

: On the ceiling of a side building at Achi Shrine

: A happy bunch

: Foxes, regarded as the messengers, are often found in Inari shrines

: Daruma Dolls, a symbol of perseverance and good luck

: Late afternoon in Kurashiki

: Boatman

: Storefronts along Kurashiki River

: Late light on blossoms

: Doorway

: Kurashiki architecture

: Our second afternoon was rainy

: There were many blooming trees along the river

: Evening along Kurashiki River

: The bike path was better labeled in some sections than others; I may have lost my way without a guide.

: Mari told us about the legend of Momotarō, a.k.a. Peach Boy, a folk hero who originated in this prefecture (Okayama)

: Fish flags flying for Boys Day, May 5

: At a shrine along bike path

: Alana and torii gates

: Not bad, considering I took this shoot blindly over my shoulder while riding

: Raj photographing a cemetery

: These nose rings are from cattle, thanking them for their sacrifice

: A weathered figure

: A temple along bike path

: Alana at shrine

: This shrine is dedicated to the prince who beheaded a fierce demon. It’s head is buried here; a continual fire is kept burning to keep him from returning.

: Katy, Raj, and Marty

: Dori

: Random sighting along bike path

: Approaching burial mound, near where we stopped for lunch

: Nancy

: Mari, our effervescent guide

: Rain hoods on

: Tired of the rain, we skipped touring the temple near this pagoda

: How we felt after our ride

April 5 – Stoll through Old Town

We checked into our hotel in mid-afternoon and walked a block to the old part of town where we strolled along the river, glad to have finally reached the land of blooming trees. Nancy and I walked uphill to the shrine. She stared aghast at the length of the staircase. The temple closed before we reached it, but we enjoyed the beautiful light, peach ice cream (closer to sorbet), and laughed through dinner with a waiter who spoke no English and kept trying to get us to order things we didn’t want. Fortunately, Mari, our guide, was persistent. Nancy and I split a couple dishes, including a tasty rice porridge with chicken and veggies.

April 6 – Kibiji Bike Ride

We took a couple short train rides to reach the beginning of our 22 km ride on the Kibiji bike route. Our one-speed bicycles had comfortable seats and a basket in front like in ET or the Wizard of Oz; this came in handy for holding the bottle of peach water I purchased at a vending machine and the lunch we picked up at the largest grocery store we’ve seen in Japan. We rode through rice fields and stopped at ancient sights – shrines, temples, and burial mounds. It was overcast at the start, then the rain started so we skipped a few sights in the second half. It was only one train back from Araki, our endpoint, to Kurashiki.

Back in town we strolled along the canal, picking up peach cider to drink with crepes served like ice cream cones. My strawberry, chocolate, custard combo is the best dessert I’ve had in Japan.