After a recent bike ride on the West Orange Trail, we took a little detour to Ocoee, FL. There’s a small subdivision here with Hawaiian street names, so we thought we’d check it out.
It wasn’t terribly exciting. Indeed, some of the streets on our map had been blocked off by a new faux-Italian subdivision that was going up next door. But we did stop to take a photo at Honolulu Park.
It was hard to see why it had the name. (Photo: Y. Fernandez)
The other interesting thing we saw that day at the Oakland Farmer’s Market was a food truck selling Hawaiian plate lunch! We’ll have to plan a bike ride to try it some time…
Shimogamo-jinja is a large Shinto shrine complex and UNESCO world heritage site in the northern part of Kyoto. It’s located at the confluence of the Kamo and Takano rivers.
Map of the shrine complex. We entered where the little yellow arrow is pointing at the upper left, and made our way down through the forest. (Photo: Y. Fernandez)
As you might expect, water is a significant feature of the shrine, and apparently has been part of the spiritual significance of the site for several thousand years.
Mitarashi stream rises from a small spring on the shrine grounds. There’s a shrine over the actual spring.
It was one of the least Westernized tourist sites we visited in Kyoto, and virtually none of the signage had English. This would definitely have been a place where having a better idea of what was around us would have helped.
Main grounds and Mitarashi stream.Ro-mon gate. (Photo: Y. Fernandez)
The shrine complex includes several large buildings, and it serves as the base for several important Kyoto festivals. We’d just missed the Aoi Matsuri (hollyhock festival), their main festival, which includes a horseback archery competition. We did see evidence that the festival wasn’t quite over. though.
We think this truck was being prepared for part of the festivities. (Photo: Y. Fernandez)
On the shrine grounds, there’s a fairly large forested area called Tadasu-no-mori. I imagine this forest represents what the entire confluence point area looked like several hundred years ago.
Tadasu-no-mori and Mitarashi stream. (Photo: Y. Fernandez)Sacred rock?
One interesting highlight is an archaeological site that dates back roughly 2000 years, indicating that the area has been important for quite a while. Because we were mainly in cities, we didn’t see many Japanese archaeological sites on our trip- at least sites that hadn’t been updated and modified for modern use. There seems to be a tendency for prehistoric sacred sites to have shrines built on them, then more shrines are added to those, then a temple is built, and eventually you have a major shrine complex. Unless, of course, the shrine stays small and residential or commercial development completely surrounds it.
Part of the excavated site in the forest. (Photo: Y. Fernandez)
While the shrine is situated where it is because of the river confluence, you have to walk a bit outside the grounds to actually reach the rivers. The triangle of land at which the two rivers merge is a nice open site with paths on the banks of all the rivers. The rivers themselves are pretty shallow (I’m guessing that might be a seasonal thing), and there are blocks set in the rivers so that you can cross over them on foot. Pretty neat.
At the river confluence. (Photo: Y. Fernandez)Yan is wistfully wondering where he can rent a bike.
This was also bird central, so we saw a bunch of species, including lots of black kites. They seemed to be the most common raptors around here. We also saw some rodents that looked like capybaras or muskrats or …something. Did Japan have native large aquatic rodents? We had no idea. They were perched on rocks in the river, doing their thing. With adorable babies!
What were these strange little buggers? (Photo: Y. Fernandez)
A few days later, I visited the Natural History Museum in Tokyo, and it turns out that these were nutrias (also called coypu). They’re native to South America, but were introduced to Japan for the fur trade. As we saw in Kyoto, they’ve escaped, and are now a fairly widespread invasive species. So that was our Shimogamo invasive species encounter.
Noe turns 10 years old sometime this week or the next! We don’t have the exact date, but we decided to celebrate anyway.
First, she got to spend the night outside of her cage. From the poo on our bedroom floor, she decided to sleep in the room with us, and the fan (she loves the fan). Sigh.
After cleaning up her poo, we made her a birthday salad.
What’s this? Salad? For me? (Photo: Y. Fernandez)I’m not sure why you’re having me stand here, but my gluttony outweighs my suspicion. Nom nom nom. (Photo: Y. Fernandez)Carrots- my favorite! (Photo: Y. Fernandez)I -murf- love carroths! (Photo: Y. Fernandez)Ooh- tomatoes are good too! (Photo: Y. Fernandez)
Want to help fund some cool research in an interesting species? Here’s your chance.
Hawaiian Monk Seals, or `Īlioholoikauaua (translated as “dogs that play in the waves”), are a critically endangered and declining species that used to live throughout the Hawaiian archipelago. Today, though, they’re mainly found on the mostly uninhabited Northwest Hawaiian Islands. A relatively small number of seals are also returning to the main Hawaiian Islands, as well, but human encroachment, coastline development, and entanglement with fishing lines make their presence in populated areas more difficult.
Monachus schauinslandi (Hawaiian Monk Seal) underwater at Five Fathom Pinnacle, Hawaii. (Image: Kent Backman, CC-BY-SA-3.0)
While many members of the local community support the conservation of this native species- one of only two native Hawaiian mammals- some fishermen view the seals as competitors for fish. In the last few months, there have been several shootings and clubbings of monk seals who were resting on shore or preparing to give birth. The suspicion is that a very few subsistence fishermen, whose livelihoods are already threatened by coastal development, pollution, and existing overfishing, have been targeting the seals out of frustration. Because seals have only been returning to the main Hawaiian Islands for the last few decades, some fishermen view them as a new competitor, rather than an intrinsic part of the ecosystem that is only now recovering from near-extinction a hundred years ago.
But are the monk seals actually competitors for fish? Previous research on monk seals, using “crittercams” that are attached to the seals’ backs, shows that they actually feed much farther out to sea and deeper than the struggling fishermen. In an effort to understand more about how monk seals behave, the Monk Seal Foundation israising founds for the Hōʻike ā Maka Project:
This is the goal of the Hōʻike ā Maka Project: to understand and share images of the feeding and underwater behavior of Hawaiian monk seals, and lay to rest many of the myths and misconceptions regarding monk seals and their impact on the local marine environment and its resources. By working with local researchers, ocean users (fishers, divers, surfers and others), students, and NGO’s, NOAA and it’s partners plan to deploy seal-borne video cameras to study how monk seals feed and use their marine habitat in the main Hawaiian Islands. The discoveries will be critical to understanding the seals’ ecology, ensuring their continued existence, and building a culture of coexistence between man and seal. Please be a part of this historic partnership and vital work.
National Geographic has donated several crittercams for this project, whose second (and probably more important goal) is to get the local community involved in this research. Both fishermen and local students will be involved in the project. This project could be a great way to help the community- and science- understand the monk seal, and avoid future misguided monk seal killings as the seals are seen more often on the main Hawaiian Islands.
So here’s where the crowdsourcing comes in. While the cameras have been donated, funds are still needed to conduct the research. The organization is trying to raise $25,000 for this project, of which $1,525 has been pledged as of today. To donate, visit the Hōʻike ā Maka Project’s site.
This is an interesting project, and could be a great way to help conserve the monk seal while helping the community be proud of its natural resources.
Nijō Castle is an interesting contrast to many of the sights in Kyoto, which are largely temples. It consists of two inner palaces, surrounded by a stone wall and outer moat. On the map below, you can see that there’s a larger palace at the bottom, just inside the outer moat (unfortunately, on the part of the map that was dirty and looks blurry). This is Ninomaru Palace. The second palace, Honmaru, has an additional moat and wall surrounding it.
Map of Nijo Castle. (Photo: Y. Fernandez)
Each of the two palaces consists of several interconnected buildings. Once you enter the castle walls, you can walk throughout the gardens that surrounds the two palaces, and there is also a spot where you can climb the walls. You can only enter Ninomaru Palace, though. Unfortunately, photos aren’t allowed inside.
Entrance to Ninomaru Palace.
Inside the castle, the rooms are arranged so that visitors would be received in a room that corresponded to their rank- lower-ranked visitors only got to see the outer rooms, and higher-ranked ones could actually meet with the shogun in an inner room. While the walls are decorated with some beautiful paintings- with wide application of gold leaf- the castle as a whole is obviously, and purposefully, designed for security. For example, the doors behind which where the shogun’s bodyguards would wait while he was giving audiences are actually highlighted in the decor, rather than hidden. More obviously, the floors throughout the building are designed to squeak when you walk on them. As you can imagine, the crowds of schoolkids really have fun with this.
The paintings themselves were definitely interesting to see. There was a surprising range of styles, from quite realistic birds and plants on the walls to really abstract applications of gold leaf on the ceilings. But we did as requested and didn’t take any photos.
Landscape in Ninomaru Palace garden.
After going through the palace, we strolled through the gardens for a bit. They’re actually quite extensive. One thing I haven’t really mentioned so far is the huge number of crows that we saw-and head- throughout the urban areas of Japan. Their cawing helped form the background noise for the trip.
It takes a lot of work to give the trees that shape.
There was always a sense that you were in an enclosed space, though- the walls were never quite out of sight.
Stone lantern, Honmaru Palace gardens. (Photo: Y. Fernandez)Part of the inner wall.
There was one place where you could climb up the inner wall (the one that surrounds Honmaru Palace) and get a good view, mainly of Honmaru and the gardens, but also of the hills surrounding Kyoto. It wasn’t quite tall enough to see many landmarks, but it was nice to be able to see over the wall.
View of Honmaru Palace, with the Higashiyama range in the distance. (Photo: Y. Fernandez)Inner moat. (Photo: Y. Fernandez)
Noe’s been out on the porch a lot recently. I wonder if the fact that we’re on the 3rd floor makes her sad because she can’t have exciting encounters like this one.
Kinkaku-ji, located in the northwestern part of Kyoto, is one of the most famous temples in the city. It’s also one of the most clearly recognizable sights, being covered in gold leaf.
View of the pavilion from across the pond. (Photo: Y. Fernandez)
The Golden Pavilion (the translation of its name) is actually only one part of the temple complex, but it was definitely the main attraction on our- and apparently everyone else’s- visit. As with most of the sights, there were certain viewing locations that were a magnet for photographers; other locations were passed on by.
People were pretty good about making way for others who wanted to take photos with themselves and the pavilion in the background. (Photo: Y. Fernandez)
In contrast to Ginkaku-ji, Kinkaku-ji was actually bigger than I expected it to be. I was really not expecting a building covered in gold to be very large. I know I keep emphasizing the gold bit here, but it really was … shiny.
A closer view of the pavilion.
As with any important site in Kyoto, there were fairly large crowds. We’d read about something that happens occasionally at these sights that actually did happen here- apparently, English-language teachers will sometimes take small groups of schoolchildren to tourist sights to practice on them. This happened to me here, but not to Yan (perhaps the beard made him too intimidating or something). So I answered some standard questions (“What is your name?” “Where are you from?” “What is your favorite Japanese food?”), and was photographed with the girl asking them. It was kind of cute.
Even the gutters were coated in gold! (Photo: Y. Fernandez)
So back to the pavilion. Apparently, it was built by a shogun in the late 14th century/early 15th century, and turned into a Zen Buddhist temple after the shogun’s death. The original structure was destroyed by arson in 1950, so the present version is a replica. Gold has symbolic properties of purification. The pavilion is part of a garden complex that includes some very pretty landscaping, a few small shrines, and some larger buildings- a teahouse, several temple buildings, and (of course) several stands that sell charms, candles, and souvenirs. The complex as a whole is easily accessed by bus.
Map of the temple grounds and garden. (Photo: Y. Fernandez)
As with many of the gardens we visited, water was an important feature. In this garden, there were little streams and a few little waterfalls. This one had a feature called “carp rock,” because the large stone supposedly looks like a leaping fish.
Carp rock.
At the temple building where one leaves offerings, we lit a candle for family health. We also bought a few souvenirs: some postcards (which were surprisingly hard to find elsewhere), a charm, and some green tea mochi on a stick. Yum.
This was one of the “working” temple buildings. The racks for candles are on the left side.
So this was definitely a cool sight to see. There was a nice garden to wander through, yummy snacks, and assorted souvenirs that ranged from sacred (charms for safe driving, good grades, family health, etc.) to …less so (Hello Kitty banners with Kinkaku-ji in the background).
The pavilion from the back. I really like this photo.
Here’s a blast from the past. When moving from O’ahu to Hawai’i Island, I knew I’d have to find an apartment that accepted rabbits quickly. I decided to take some photos of the rabbit looking small, cute, and non-destructive to improve my chances.
So neat and tidy…
Here’s what her cage looked like a few minutes later:
