Day 13

 . . . . . A Big Buddha and a Plodge


Big (ish) trip today . . . . . .  we are going to Kamakura.


Kamakura is a small city on the coast, it's incredibly popular with tourists as it's perfect as a day out from Tokyo.  Kamakura is very popular with Tokyo-ites during the summer as they all go there to go to the beach.  It's about 55km away and will take us about an hour on the train to get there.  


There are a load of Shrines and Temples to see, but the main thing I wanted to see was the Great Buddha (the Kamakura Daibutsu).


We got the train to Kamakura, then had to change onto the Enoden railway line - which is like  street car type of train to get us to Hase.  As usual, when we got to Kamakura to get the Enoden train, there were a load of school kids (are they following us or what - we are getting a bit paranoid about this now!!!)


On the bright side (literally), the rain has finally stopped and the sun is now shining . . . .  very brightly and incredibly hotly!!  We just can't win - it's either hot and raining, cold and raining or dry but hotter than the surface of the sun.  Where is the dry cool weather that was expected in May???


I think this hot/humid weather has caught the Japanese out a bit and I more people (and shops) are using their aircon's.  Tokyo and the surrounding areas are still on energy conservation - though there have been no black-outs and most of the big neon lights and escalators have been on, but since this hot weather arrived and aircon's have been switched on, some power needs to be saved elsewhere and we have noticed a lot more escalators in the stations have been switched off this week.  We have climbed up a LOT of steps getting in ad out of stations this week . . . . . 


Anyway - back to Kamakura.  It's hot, humid and sticky and we have just spent 10 minutes crammed on a small train with 50million school children!  It was a relief to get off the train.


Just 10 minute walk up the road and there he is . . . . 

Actually, he doesn't look as big in the pictures, but he really is!  If you look at the people below him, you might get some perspective, but trust me - he's big!!!


Here are his stats:

• He is 13.35 meters (43.8ft) tall and is the second tallest bronze Buddha in Japan.  The tallest one is in Nara.
• He weighs 93 tonnes
• His face is 7.7m
• He was built in 1252 and was originally under cover in a Temple
• The Temple kept getting destroyed, so since 1495, he has been out in the open air
• He stands in the grounds of the Kotokuin Temple

The Buddha is hollow inside and you can go and climb up him for Y50, but it was busy (and full of kids) so we didn't do that.


We walked round the Temple, which was very pretty, the made our way back to the main street.  As I have said, there are a lot of Temples and Shrines in Kamakura, but there are also a lot of shops!  Of course we had to check some of them out - especially the ones that have aircon!


We then went to the Hase Temple

 

After our trip to Kyoto, we seem to be all Temple'd out, so this was the only one we went to.


As it was so hot, we decided to go to the beach.  I couldn't come all this way and not have a plodge in the Pacific!


So, on the sand, shoes off and in the water we go

 Scott having a plodge

The sand here was black, but as we went further up the beach it turned into just crushed shells, so it's not like Seaham beach - plus this beach is clean.  There were a few people sitting on the sand but there were loads of people in the water with their surfboards.  The surf didn't look too good to me, but I think the tide was changing and they were waiting for the big waves.


We had a lovely walk along the beach, with our feet in the Pacific.


At the end of the walk, we sat for a bit and let our feet dry so we could put our shoes back on . . .  and I spotted a toilet block.  Now, from experience of toilet blocks at the beach at home, I was a little wary of using these ones . . . . but as usual, they were spotlessly clean, there was loo roll and seat cleaner in each loo and there was soap to wash up after.  I have no idea who looks after these toilets, but they are doing a great job!


There were two types of loo in the ladies - I have come across this a couple of times in outdoor loos .  . . .  there is a western toilet and a Japanese toilet.  We all know what a western toilet is like, but the Japanese toilet . . .  well:

Yes - it's a hole in the ground!  You have to squat over the hole in the ground, facing the pipes and pee!!!  Needless to say, I went in the next cubicle and used the western toilet!


We got back on the street car type train and went back into Kamakura and had a look around.  Kamakura is a strange place and is not too sure what it wants to be.  As it's on the coast, it is full of sea chintzy type things, but in Kamakura itself, there are a lot of shops that sell western style chintz . . . .  white wicker baskets and doilies . . . . . there also seems to be a big French influence there, with a lot of Bistros and patisseries.


The place is also full of 'ladies what lunch'.  A very pretty, if somewhat slightly strange place!


We made our way back to Tokyo and ended up in Asakasua by the Nakamise-dori, so we did a bit of shopping.  Sorry - did I say 'we' shopped . . . I mean I shopped!!!


 Scott is panicking about how we are going to get it all in the suitcases!!!  Plenty of time to worry about that later - there's still another couple of shopping days yet and we are going to The Ginza on Saturday . . .  . Louis Vuitton bags, Tiffany's and Chanel!!!


However, at this point, the sun and heat are starting to take their toll and my feet are killing me!  So, back to the Bunker.


On the way home, we stopped off at quite a large supermarket to get some snacks.  We have been quite good this holiday and have been eating a lot of noodles and sushi, but we needed to hit the crisps and snacks now.


So, we here is what we bought:-

• Cheese curls - Ooooh definitely NOT cheese . . .  slightly sweet then actually quite nasty - went in the bin (well they looked like cheese curls on the packet)
• Strawberry Pocky - I knew what these were (in the UK they are called 'Mikado')
• Choco Pie - wagon wheel type biscuits without the crunchy bit
• Rice crisps - ended up being prawn rice crisps
• Chococo - basically thin half chocolate covered biscuits

So, all in all we did quite well - apart from the Cheese curl things (which I can still taste - urgh!!)  The only thing is - everything is individually wrapped.  All the biscuits in the box have their own wrapping, even the prawn rice crisps are individually wrapped.  It's driving Scott bananas as he has to keep unwrapping things.


But we are now going to relax with our snack corner and put my poor aching feet up!!!


Finally - Happy birthday to my baby bro's . . . . . hope you both had lovely days - love you both xxx