| The first time I went to
Kamakura, it was raining, gently at first, then increasingly, incessantly,
penetratingly driving rain. Regardless I was determined to see at
least one of the temples on my way through. A kindly Japanese lady
insisted I accept an umbrella which she bought for me on the spot. By
then my suit was soaked and I really didn't care, but it was the thought
that stuck with me. Because of the foul weather I had missed the
"important" bits, so on my second visit I decided I just had to see the
great Buddha, remnant of a tidal wave which swept away the surrounding
temple, quite a wave as the Buddha is a mile or so inland and way up a hill;
also the Hase Kannon, groovy temple and, perhaps more importantly for serous
photo enthusiasts, origin of the name for Canon cameras.
This time the sun shone, perhaps too much and I
survived a heat wave (even by local standards) by staggering from one
air-conditioned bar to another, and as a result of the horrible humidity and
consequent perspiration, managed to become almost as wet as last time.
July is not a good time to visit Japan! |
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