Inside Buddha's Head

      Nooo, this is not an essay about religious philosophy. I really did get inside Buddha's head...the Daibutsu Buddha at Kamakura. We ALL did actually. All six of us clambering around in his head may have shaken the Buddhist's foundations in more ways than one. And, yes, E has finally joined us in Tokyo!  It took 10 days for her to adjust to our new reality, but she is getting into the swing of things now.
      Directions: It is almost an hour ride on the Tokyo subway line from Ebisu through Yokohama to Kamakura. At the Kamakura station, get on the Enoden (electric train) for a short ride to the Hase Station.
     It was a sort of bleak day weather-wise, but that made for cooler walking temperatures. We wandered through the oceanside village looking at the traditional craft shops, bakeries and restaurants that line the narrow street leading to Daibutsu (which means "the Great Buddha".)

Walking through old village to the Kotoku-in Temple, 

home of the Great Buddha

Mini-History Lesson

Kamakura was the nation's capital for 141 years under the first shogun empire.

It is filled with many temples and shrines, surrounded by hills and trees. Construction of the Daibutsu began in 1252 and was completed in 10 years. 

The Daibutsu is 13.4 meters tall and weighs 121 tons.

(So, basically me, pregnant with A.)

A is too tall for the tunnel stairway!!!     Inside Buddha!!!!   

I think JE had more fun playing with the temple squirrels...so tame they will come and take food from your hand! And remember, Japan has never had a case of rabies, so I did not have to turn into Turtle Man (you have to look him up!) and prepare to wrestle the creature into a bag if it bit my child!!!

                        
   
                         Looks heavy JE!!!  Bye bye Buddha!

Ohhhh my, let me tell you, the food options were unique that day.
Hmmm....Should we try Sweet Potato Ice Cream or  Green Tea Ice Cream or just get crazy and get Sweet Potato Green Tea Ice Cream...only 300 yen...that is almost $4.00 for a tiny soft serve cone!

 Or why not just try the smashed octopus???

      

G and I were up for it when challenged to try the "Octopus Chip."  We watched the lady in the street side hut as she pulled a baby octopus body from a bowl where it floated with a few ice cubes.   She threw its carcass around on a board with a few tablespoons of flour and then VIOLENTLY smashed it between two heated metal plates.  The heinous device she used looked like a what you'd get if the George Foreman Grill was also for mammograms.  That baby octopus came out paper thin and all his legs and lips and eyes were spread out like Wile E. Coyote after the boulder rolls over him.  It was crisp and extremely salty and gave mom and G terrible fish breath!!! But we finished it all!! G and I are doin' the Tokyo thing!

 
  As I said, it was kind of a "almost about to rain day" all day, but we walked over to Yuigahama Beach. I absolutely can't fathom getting that close to the ocean and not SEEING it!!!   Turned out to be a bit of a let down, but G liked the oh-so-helpful Tsunami warning signs telling us, basically, if you think there is a tsunami, RUN AWAY!!!!

                                   Yuigahama Beach July 2012

I did graduate to biking around the city over the last two days, and a bike does make getting around a lot faster and more fun...unless you are buying groceries.  I have, of course, already had a few mishaps. It is late though, and I must go study now so my tutor will be proud of my progress.   (Shhhh...yesterday, in one of my street mishaps, I said "gracias" to a policeman followed by a full Homer Simpson DOH!smack to my head the moment I realized...this language thing is killing me.)

LAST THING...I promise...I had unknowingly turned off comment accessibility to this blog.  I have fixed that error, so COMMENT AWAY!!!