Monday, October 02, 2006

Tourist in Japan

I think I've gotten past my jet-lag so it's time to start posting a few more pictures from the rest of my trip.

I left off in Nikko, Japan where I was visiting some of the beatiful shrines that have made the region famous. After a quick lunch, my companions and I proceeded on to nearby Lake Chuzenji.




It may be a little difficult to believe, but this picture really was taken on the same day as the rest of the pictures I posted from this trip. The difference is, that by this point in the day, we had climbed up high enough into the mountains that we were above the clouds. That's right, Lake Chuzenji is actually up in the mountains. It was created as the result of a volcanic eruption which led to the formation of a natural dam, trapping a large mass of water.

This area is also home to a large number of waterfalls. I stopped by Yudaki falls, which is fed by water from nearby Lake Yunoko. Though not listed as one of the best waterfalls in Japan, it is certainly impressive.

Proceeding up a little higher into the mountains we come to Lake Yunoko. Though much smaller than Lake Chuzenji, this area still draws quite a crowd but for a different reason.

This area is home to a number of hot-springs, which actually provide much of the water for the lake. Multiple spas have sprung up in the area, making this a popular destination for Japanese tourists looking for a place to take a relaxing vacation. The town even has public bath where anyone can dip their feet into the steaming hot water from the springs.

Of course all of this water has to go somewhere, which brings me back to where the previous picture was taken, almost. This was taken above the Yudaki falls, which apparently offers and impressive view from above and below.

That's all from Japan. After this I traveled on to Singapore and Thailand, but I'm afraid there aren't any pictures from there, at least not from this trip.

Stay tuned though, I have a few photos from Australia to share!

No comments: