Old Kyoto - Gion

Perhaps the oldest part of Kyoto is Gion - the "Geisha" district, where there are many exclusive tea houses and shows where you can see Geishas and Maiko (apprentice Geisha) perform.  In fact, I saw a few (with their faces painted white, having perfectly shaped hair with flowers and silver chimes dangling delicately, shuffling down the street in their traditional platformed sandals).  No pictures here (I would have had to stalk them, which is probably not a good idea), but more pictures will come where I saw Geishas elsewhere.

However, there were several other women wearing kimonos, who either worked in the tea houses, or just came to Gion for a night in the "traditional town".

A statue of the woman who started kabuki theater, even though it later came to be performed by males.  A point if you can guess her name!

 

When I was in Gion, a festival was occurring.  Right place, right time.  There were several rickshaws, and people holding palanquins with small shrines or trees on top of them.  

 

Outside of one of the small shrines in Gion.

Many shrines had streamers made of thousands of colorful paper cranes.

 

Kennin-ji Temple, which I just happened to wander across, located in southern Gion.

The narrow passageways, lined with power cords, in Gion.

Circumnavigation Part 3: Welcome to Japan

And so I arrive in Japan- the farthest East I've ever been.  As I passed the International Date Line, I jumped forward in time, skipping over a day of 2012.

My first night in the hotel in Japan, I found not only a New Testament, but also the Teachings of Buddha. 

After arriving in Japan, I took a walk from my hotel to try to get thoroughly lost.  My first stop is the temple near my hotel.  

 

Over the moat and through the large wooden gate, I come across the main temple.  It's made of wood (like almost all the temples in Japan), and there are prominent no smoking signs everywhere.  In fact, most of the temples have burned down numerous times in the past (the magic number seems to be four), always reconstructed in the same way.  Luckily for us, most of the temples haven't burned down in the last hundred years or so.  Perhaps it's due to new lightning rod technology or new no smoking signs?

Outside Buddhist temples, there is typically a fountain used for washing of the hands or rinsing of the mouth.  This temple had a very prominent dragon fountain. 

After the temple, I had to complete my ritual of getting lost.  So off I went!  I was impressed by the parking they have here in Japan.  With many people on a very tiny island, they often have to get creative for space.  

Statues on a bridge.

Kyoto is an experience for all of the senses, especially smell.  It seems that wherever I go, something smells amazing, whether it be incense in the temples or grilled yakitori meat.  As I walked along the river, I could smell the scent of jasmine wafting through the air. 

Along the river, there were many beautiful blue herons.

Walking along the river.  There are still some trees that, even in May, are red.

My Circumnavigation Adventure Continues.... and a Trans-Oceanic Conspiracy Revealed

On the way from Europe to the US,  I was upgraded to business class.  It was amazing.  We had real silverware and comfy headphones.  We were served steak in a mushroom onion glaze and thinly shaved potatoes.  In addition, I was in the first row, so there was plenty of room to spread out.  I had a footrest.  I never was so relaxed on an trans-Atlantic flight.

Fast-forward a week, and now I'm on my way to Japan.  Thirteen hour flight this time.  I was in the second to last row of economy, and behind a woman who reclined her seat as far as humanly possible.  I fight down the rising panic of claustrophobia as I sit shoved into the back corner of a flying tin can, popping sleeping pills and hoping that unconsciousness will come and I won't remember this experience.       

So... was the airline kind to upgrade me on my first trip?  Or did they do it in a diabolical plan to ruin every economy airline trip I take from now to the end of time? 

Circumnavigation Part 2: Austin - White peacocks, Stalking squirrels, and a Whole lot of Mexican food

So I backtracked my steps a bit in my journey around the world, back to my PhD home, Austin.  I was there for a short conference and a sweet reunion with my old friends.

The conference dinner was at Green Pastures, a super nice restaurant I could never afford to go to in my PhD days.  One of the highlights was seeing a white peacock on the grounds.

Who joined up with his bronze friend.

The grounds for the conference dinner were quite beautiful.

The choices for dinner were trout or prime rib.  Oddly enough, all the Texans ordered trout, when all the out-of-towners ordered the rib.  And of course that is what I chose.  How could I not?  When a piece of meat hanging off the edges of the plate was set down in front of us, the Korean sitting next to me exclaimed, "What is that?"  That, my friend, is how we eat in Texas.

Being in Austin again, I was able to spend some time on campus.  My first day there and I had my breakfast next to the turtle pond.

Nice scenery, yes, but I forgot that the campus squirrels stalk you when you eat.  


They have... no fear.

No, I will not feed you.

Soon, they were in the trees above me, and others were making a semi-circle and boxing me in from behind.

Really.  I'm not going to feed you.

I made my escape, leaving half my muffin uneaten (by me, or the squirrels).  The turtles were much more docile.

Mossy heads.

Ah, the pretty tree lined streets.

Since I've left, there are a lot more new buildings on campus.  It's hard to believe we are in an economic depression with all of this building going on.  The only depression I feel is how my old department is getting less and less appealing, located in its old drab building, with all these new, pretty, glass pieces of art going up around it.

Of course, what trip to Austin is complete without the obligatory Tex-Mex.  Or in this case, Hawaiian-Mex... chili rellenos topped with mango.  Yummy!

Sarah and I enjoying our lunch on the river.

Of course, what trip to the US is complete without bowling!  We had a true UGAP reunion, since my friends Jessa and Rodolfo just happened to be back from Israel the same town I was in town.  So everyone came out to say hello and to do some bowling.

Hyewon excited, while Janine and Sherwin get on their game faces.

Ann and Rodolfo discuss strategy.

Ernest getting some mid-frame dancing in.

Trying to capture on film Rodolfo's patented "one leg in the air" bowling posture.

 

Ann, with her hands in the air!

The Circumnavigation of the Globe Part 1 - New Mexico

I recently set out on an adventure - to circumnavigate the globe!  So I set out to follow the sun!

There it goes!

My first stop was New Mexico.  And the rain followed me from France.  But this time, it turned torrential!  I had forgotten quite how intense the storms in New Mexico could be.

The rain approaches.

Soon, we had hail falling like snow, which coated the backyard.

The torrential rain created a river, making paths in the hailstones.

The hail piled up to form "drifts".  This really puts French storms to shame. 

 

Of course, no visit to New Mexico is complete without an ultimate sunset!

I've traveled all over, but sunsets here are still the best.

It formed a "curtain of light" across the city.

No visit to New Mexico is also complete without a hike with my parents.

Suiting up.

Dew on the mountain leaves.

Dew-da!  Dew-da!

The storms in New Mexico have been hitting the mountains pretty hard.  The trail was blocked by one of the trail "markers".

 Dad models his warm gloves, while mom models, well, everything.

Trees over the path.

We also saw the rare hopping trees of central New Mexico.

If a tree hops in the wilderness and no one is around, does it make a sound?

Old fallen trees begin the process of returning to the earth.

 

A lot of trees were falling, so dad was man enough to hold it up so we could pass underneath. 

I'll leave you with one more incredible view from the Land of Enchantment. 

Coming up next - my circumnavigation of the globe continues with a visit to Austin, Texas!  Yay BBQ!