Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Massive Picture Post Featuring Fall Foliage Part 2

In true style, I never disappoint! What follows after this is an even better version of the previous best picture I have taken in Japan. Here is part 2. Again, just skip over it if you don't like crystals, freedom, pictures and me. 
 I really like this picture. For serious. ShutterBugz!
 A rusted out car sits above the parking area. I think it is serving as a warning to those who would park illegally. 
 Meta-picture
 Another patio thing under the trees.
 You can see in the distance that the path goes through the rocks.
 Cool waterfalls. Don't worry, this is not the waterfall I have been waiting to see.
 Nice right? you might even say it is a tunnel...
 But it isn't. The rocks don't come together.
 There were 3 waterfalls that came in really close to each other. 

 Looking back in time
 A quaint little bridge (there is that word again!)
Video of the waterfalls.
Video of a bunch of 1 yen coins stuck in the cracks of an overhang. They are all over! They make it look like it is glittering. Too bad they are super worthless. 
You can tell something is going to be good. It is an old saying, "Where many Japanese people are gathered taking pictures, there an attraction shall be." 
The promised waterfall!
It was actually pretty cool...maybe not walking 3 miles cool though. 
 A gate leading out from the waterfall stairs.
 I love pirates. I can't read what it was indicating, but I know pictures of pirates! 
 I think I figured that it was a place where you would pay and then pan for gold or other booty. 
 Yarr...young ones that seem to be pannin' farrr gold!
 Odd collection of statues.
 Super cool dragon carving. RAWR! (Dragons say rawr)
 A giant line to get in and touch this crystal rock thing.
 Long line...
This guy just wants to have a good time. Outside the Yamanashi Wine Place. I think you are supposed to take a picture with him...but I was alone. *sigh* 
 They go bonkers for rocks.
 Spoiler: The guy with the broom is not a statue. I did a double take.
 Like all good places to visit in Japan. An entire village exists to take your money at the top of the world!
 This. Is. Cool. 
 They have these little handy places to tell you where to take pictures. 
 This was the recommended picture...I think I will just find places for pictures on my own thanks. 
 Crystal MUSEUM! When was the last time you went to a big crystal museum? Yeah, this was my first. It was...ok. Luckily, it was free for some reason. That was the best thing I can say about this crystal museum. 
 The walls even had crystals on them!
 The hall of crystal!
 I am suspicious that some of these are just rocks.
 There ya have yer amber which helped bring back the dinosaurs or somethin'
 Yer blue crystals, real famous with the ladies.
 Pagoda mad of rock.
 Giant jeweled rock warrior guy!
 Crystal temple carving.
 The samurai is fighting the horse rider guy. They are both covered in rocks. I am not sure how the samurai is going to fight the horse guy with just his fan...I guess I don't understand Japan yet. 
 He's gonna die.
 Cool picture right? If you are one of the 3 people that saw Land of the Lost (Liz), this may be funny as it relates to a scene in that awful movie. 
 I just don't even...
 That arrow is pointing to a bubble that formed in the crystal. Fascinating.
 They should redo the Washington Monument in this.
 I rode a little tram ropeway up to the top of the mountain. They gave us this as we were waiting. Considerate right? Wrong! This would be a pickled plum that tastes like vinegary hot garbage. Yuck.
 The ride was much more fun than I thought it would be, it felt like flying!
I am superman.
 Great view of the valley behind.
 Fall colors
 The top has a great view of Kofu valley and Fuji-san! Not too shabby eh? 
 This is looking into the sun (obviously) toward my house.
 More big rocks and fall colors.
 A love shrine. You can tell by the heart silhouette. I suppose you ring the bell and then you get love or something. I understand about 2 percent of wherever I go. 
 A better picture that includes the fall colors. 
 A shrine at the top of the mountain. I also was accosted by a Japanese man who seemed to be Ustreaming with his buddy who was following him with an iPhone. He chatted with me for a while in broken English and Japanese. I may be an internet celebrity already!
 They really exaggerated the size of Godzilla (Gojira) in those monster movies...that is just a normal sized girl.
The sunset as I walked the 5km back to my car. It was dark, and kind of cold by the time I got back. 

The trip was fun, but I would definitely park in the right place next time. Oh well. 

4 comments:

Liz said...

The real question is did they have the dark chrystal? Jim Hensen would have been jealous.

Cody Alderson said...

I always love reading through these blogs for the one or two literary gems that cause my co-workers to look over as I lol myself...then there is was "I am not sure how the samurai is going to fight the horse guy with just his fan...I guess I don't understand Japan yet." One day you will understand Jeff...but that day...is not today

JM said...

What a lovely place. The picture of Fuji above the fall leaves is breathtaking. You should research the seven lucky gods of Japan. Those statues are of them (not the broom guy--he's obviously unlucky). You'll see them a lot as it gets closer to the new year.

Great adventure, great commentery. I don't remember walking so far, so Jace must have parked in the right place! I don't remember the town at the top, however. Perhaps we didn't go as far!

Mak said...

Ha! I KNEW those were the seven lucky gods. I have a set of ceramic ones somewhere. Take THAT Jeff!

Your fall colors are way prettier than in TX. And the rock hike looks awesome- I'd even say 3 miles awesome. I loved your comment "I only understand about 2 percent..." it made me laugh!