With an early start this morning we were hoping to beat the crowds to Mount Yoshino which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan for the cherry blossom. The fact that the trees are late and they were predicting an 80 percent chance of rain helped stave them off.
We got to our destination around 830, after stopping along the way to buy breakfast at a Japanese 7-11. We also bought some see-through umbrellas...not just because of the forecast but also because they create lovely effects when you shoot through them at the blossom.
It was misty in the mountains, the road was very windy and not many trees were flowering, but those that were, looked lovely with the foggy look. We hiked up a steep path to the top for the view, but the higher we got the fewer trees were flowering and then the mist closed in.
Walking back down to the town of Yoshino, very sweaty due to the high humidity, we had a second breakfast at a charming little restaurant. This town is fabulous. The nicest we have seen so far, full of very interesting shops, some gorgeous shrines and temples with flowering trees, and lots of stalls by the road selling food.
Next time we visit Japan, this would be the place to stay as there was so much to see and do, and it was full of charming inns and restaurants. It is a very old village dating back to the 7th century. The cherries here are mostly the Somei Yoshina variety which are not fruit bearing.
The blossom was a fabulous mix of soft pink and deep rose.
We had a lovely time wandering around taking photographs and could have spent all day here but our guide, Tomo, was in a hurry to get us to our destinations on time.
We boarded the coach shortly after 1130am and took the two hour bus drive to Osaka. There we stopped at a popular tourist destination, Dotonbori Arcade, which is full of ridiculous neon signs and lots of shops, full of bustling people. It was noisy and chaotic but did make for some interesting people watching. There was also a river, one street behind it, which had lovely reflections of signs and was more quiet, so we sat down and had a beer there, whilst mulling over our trip.
It is sad it has come to an end after an incredible experience. Japan is such an interesting contrast between very simple lines of beauty and very complex customs, the old and the new clashing with traditional tea ceremonies versus bright neon. People are incredibly friendly and helpful and are so happy to show you how things work. If you ask directions, they generally drop everything and walk you several yards to get you pointed the right way. Food has been superb, with everything available in the big cities. We discovered there are myriad ways of presenting sushi and sashimi and invariably you get many pretty dishes and a wonderful presentation. Towns and villages are very clean but with lots of charm, not in an antiseptic way.
Yoshino was a wonderful way to end our trip.
In Osaka we got to the hotel Nikko, had another final presentation of our shots and shown how to make a book of them (Christmas gifting will be easy this year!!)before our farewell dinner. We have a lot of fun on these trips and the group is wonderful. We are all returning to our normal lives as doctors, vets, real estate investors, pilots etc in New Zealand, Djakarta, and all over the States.
Tomorrow is a day off, before our alumni day on Sunday for those veterans of us who have done several workshops with Seth and J.P.
