I Saw Her Light

You know whats interesting bout Japan? Businessmen in suits riding bicycles like middle school kids.

- Yukie had to return to work so we headed back and made a plan to meet later tonight and I gave her the hug she deserved. Again Ayako forgot where we parked but i was there on my spiderman to save the day. I'll admit about 2 thirds of the cars on the lot were white compact cars and I got the wrong car a few times. Def not buying a white or silver vehicle in Japan.

We had options on places to go and since I was tired of traveling so much chose what ever was closer. To the temple we go. Iku

Dazaifutenmanguu temple. Dam that's a long name. It began to rain so we busted out the sakura looking umbrella, which looked good on me (^_-) The street we walked on towards the temple brought me back to feudal Japan. You probably could go back 300 years on this path to the temple and you most likely get the same vibe you get walking the path today. On both ends it was full of shops, food stands, and ornaments. A stone gate from end to end given one an invitation and exit.

At the very end of the street was the entrance to a garden that was part of the temple. I began to once again notice alot of people with surgery face mask on and asked Ayako if alot of people are sick these days. It turned out that during this time period the flowers from the trees begin to bloom and many Japanese get allergies from it. Interesting indeed.

As we walked along the path, there was a Buddhist bridge that one would recognize from watching any samurai anime or Japanese samurai flick. It had a story behind it's architecture as well. Apparently the steps to the center of the bridge represented the past, the center was the present and the steps descending the bridge were a representation of the future. As I climbed the steps to the center of the bridge I thought about how I sometimes get caught up resenting the past and not living the present moment.  As soon as we hit the center of the bridge I asked Ayako  if she thought alot about the past or the future. Her reply was worries of the future. We paused in the center of the bridge and glanced at each other. I believe we were in the present for a split second and I had to look away before I was drawn by her beauty.

Walking through outside the temple felt like living in a masterpiece you would see in an art gallery. The temple was known as a place where women and students go to pray for there wishes. There were a lot of middle aged women and students there to give truth to that. The middle aged women would pray for a happy family and the students would pray to get into good universities.

Inside the temple walls was a omikuji. You can call it a box full of fortune cookies without the cookie. Also instead of a quote you get a detailed message on your future. We randomly pick out our oracles and Ayako reads them to me. If you believe in coincidences this is it. Her fortune pointed Towards moving into a stable place in life if she stays focused. Mines predicted my bad luck turning into good luck very soon.

On our way back I had a chance to get gifts for my peoples back home and saw the Cutest obaasan. She was asking Ayako if she had seen her friends, apparently they had been separated. She was trying her hardest to move quickly and find them. Right then and there I wanted to give her a piggy back ride to her destination. She was straight out of an anime.

The ride back home I crashed in the passenger seat and was out for the count when we arrived home. Ayako suggested if I should call it a night. Hell no! I can sleep back in the states and got up off my ass when Yukie arrived to check out the nightlife.

Tonight was not going to be a night where things were popping off. We hit a location with a beautiful scenery of the city's harbor but it seemed everything was closing and the rain kept most people home. Looking at the harbor made me think if the tsunamis had hit here would my friends have survived? Shot a bunch of photos and went to get dropped off at the cribo for dinner.