Rain, Rain, Gone Away

Ueno Park
October 6, 2014


And just like that, the rain stopped. Looking around, you wouldn't think that it had been raining all morning. We didn't skip a beat and headed for our first sightseeing destination: Ueno Park.

At the train station, we asked the security officer how to buy tickets for our first subway ride. It was easy to get the hang of it once we learned how to use the ticket machines. Without trouble, we found our way to the famous park.

The busy street in front of where we accessed Ueno Park.
You couldn't tell that it had been raining all morning.

We entered the park from the southeast corner. The first thing we saw was the Kiyomizu Kannon Temple. Its rich red and gold colors make it hard to miss. From what I've read, it was established in 1631 and dedicated to the goddess of childbearing. This is why this temple is often visited by couples who are trying to conceive.

Kiyomizu Kannon Temple

You must wash your hands before entering a shrine. There is a ladle intended for scooping the water to rinse your hands. There is a proper way to wash your hands and you should never drink the water. I'm glad I read about shrine etiquette before this visit. Learn more here.

Washing my hands before entering the temple.

Pull the rope to sound the gong. Bow twice, clap twice, and then make a final bow.

There were no crowds by the Kiyomizu Kannon Temple when we were there.

Alan stood in front of the monuments dedicated to Wani, the scholar.

He was so happy he found the ballpark!

After all the morning's downpour, it turned hot and humid. We were sweating and Alan, though he was wearing jeans, was attacked with mosquito bites. But the park was so vast with so many attractions that we were easily distracted from all the discomfort.

There's so much to see here like this old-fashioned train,
a D51 steam locomotive found in front of the Museum of Western Art.

Or this huge blue whale scultpure (almost 100 feet long)
in front of the National Museum of Nature & Science.

The lovely Grand Fountain fronting the Tokyo National Museum.

As we explored more and more, I asked, "Where's everybody? How is it that there's hardly anyone here?" I soon realized why. All the museums in the park were closed because it was a Monday. Arrgh! How could I have missed that in my research?! Ueno Park is home to the most museums in Japan!

Later I was thankful that we visited when it wasn't so busy with tourists. When we went to other popular tourist sites, they were so crowded that we practically had to elbow our way just to get a good picture.

Behind me is Kuromon or the impressive Black Gate.

I found my buddy, the lion!

They have phone booths with green phones. "Moshi-moshi!"

I had no idea about the scale of this park. There are museums, temples, shrines, pagodas, a large pond, and a zoo. We couldn't have possibly toured the entire place in a day. It is not only the oldest and largest park in Tokyo, but one of the most beautiful. It is filled with Japanese history, culture, and charm.

Hanazono Inari Jinja

Statue of Prince Komatsu Akihito, commander-in-chief of the 1868 Toba/Fushimi war.

To better appreciate this park, it helps to understand a bit of Japanese history. The Ueno area was where the Battle of Ueno took place. It was one of the largest battles of the Boshin War between the Meiji Emperor and the Tokugawa Shogun. Read more about it here.

Here is the Grand Stone Torii gate leading to the famous Toshogu Shrine.

The many stone lanterns that you will see as you approach the Toshogu Shrine.

Several large stone lanterns lined up the path as we approached the stunning Toshogu Shrine. I was able to take a photo through the bars of the gate since it was closed to the public that day. Standing next to us was a lone gentleman who was fervently reciting his prayer. He didn't let the gate stop him from completing his pilgrimage.

A glimpse of the five-story pagoda which is now inside the Ueno zoo.

Gate of the Toshogu Shrine

The gold gilded Toshogu Shrine. 

For me, the most memorable was chancing upon the Bentendo Temple which enshrines Benzaiten, the goddess of fortune. Alan and I had been walking around in search of the boat pond indicated on the map of the park. We were about to give up when I caught a glimpse of a striking temple in the distance.

I later discovered that Bentendo Temple is located on a man-made island in the middle of Shinobazu Pond. This large pond is divided into three sections. On the right side of the temple was one section named Lotus Pond. It was jam-packed with giant lotus plants that you couldn't even see the water.

We had to take photos in front of these gigantic lotus plants. 

Inside the Buddhist temple, Bentendo.

This temple enshrines Benzaiten, the goddess of fortune. 

Inside, the temple was even more astonishing. I took my shoes off so I could walk on the tatami mats and get a closer look. My curious nature nudged me to look around and most importantly, to look up. I'm so glad I did. The Kinryu or golden dragon painting on the ceiling was the most breathtaking to behold.

Like I mentioned at the start of this travel series, we came here to celebrate my birthday. I was born in the year of the dragon. After seeing this on the first day of my Japan trip, I was certain that this was a sign of great things to come.

The Kinryu or golden dragon on the ceiling of Bentendo Temple.

Check out this short slideshow to see more of the many interesting attractions we found inside the massive park.

This story was continued from Hey, It's Choco Cro and Tip Not, My Dear Sir. 

Up, Up, And...Um, Not Yet

Hot Air Balloon Rides - Part 1
October 2012

It was still pitch black outside.  Meeting time was at 6:00 a.m. but I was early.  So I waited patiently inside Starbucks with my tall latte. Soon, Jason Abbott walked in and he immediately spotted me.  "Bring it here!" he said and gave me a bear hug. "I feel like I've known you forever!"

For weeks, we've been exchanging texts and e-mails to schedule this meeting.  I was thrilled to chat with him, the pilots, and the crew. I was excited to watch a hot air balloon take flight.  This is going to be awesome!

The Vegas Balloon Rides van and trailer

Jason, the Director of Marketing for Vegas Balloon Rides, walked me to the parking lot where the van and trailer were parked. I met one of the pilots, Sheldon, who approached us showing current and forecasted wind conditions on his iPad.  He and the crew members were unsure of how the wind was going to behave that morning.

As the sun peeked in the horizon, a crew member released a regular birthday balloon.  Everyone watched the balloon toss and tumble upwards and then dart into the west.

A regular balloon is released to gauge wind speed and conditions.

Pilot Sheldon (center) with crew members Ryan and Randy (to his right)
closely watch the balloon's flight pattern.

The balloon's movement showed irregular wind motion.  "We'll have to wait it out a little bit," Sheldon declared and the other pilots agreed. They explained that it's important to have the right wind conditions for a safe hot air balloon flight...and landing. That's why they call it "Walking With The Wind."

From left: Pilot Jason, Marketing Director Jason Abbott,
and Pilot Sheldon of Vegas Balloon Rides

I was then introduced to another pilot, also named Jason. "Man, that's a great movie!" he pointed at Jason Abbott's shirt which was printed with "The Dude Abides" and Jeff Bridges' face. "The Big Lebowski!" he cried.  Jason, the pilot, has 20 years of experience hot air ballooning...and in many different places.  When asked about his most memorable flights, he mentioned flying with celebrities Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz. Or even with the late Libyan leader Khaddafy and his armed bodyguards in Africa.

He also recounted, "There was this guy who surprised his girlfriend with a balloon ride.  At first, she was so freaked out that she didn't want to go.  I had to talk her into it.  She ended up having a great time while her boyfriend was 'paralyzed' and almost didn't get to propose to her."  He laughed and remembered another former passenger, "Another guy who was going to propose tied the engagement ring with fishing lines."

Later, crew members Randy and Ryan joined our mini huddle.  "The Big Lebowski," Ryan recognized  what was on Jason Abbott's shirt.  "That's a good movie!" he said while getting ready to release another balloon. Across the parking lot, a flag was visibly waving in the wind.  He explained, "Ideally, that flag should be limp on the flagpole indicating winds are calm and suitable for a flight."

Jason Abbott pointed out that in Las Vegas, they are able to fly about 300 times out of the 365 days in a year. Thanks to favorable weather conditions almost year round in Sin City. In contrast, chances of cancellations in other cities could be as high as 50%. Vegas is a great place to go hot air ballooning.

An hour had passed and the wind speed hadn't slowed down. Sheldon knew he had to call it off.  With a heavy heart, he faced the would-be passengers and said, "In hot air ballooning, there's a saying that goes...'I'd rather be on the ground saying I wish I was up there' than being up there and saying 'I wish I was down on the ground.'  I'm sorry folks, but we won't be able to go up on the balloon today.  We'll try again tomorrow."

Not one passenger whined. Nope. No one complained. They all understood that this was for their own safety.  The guys from Vegas Balloon Rides are very experienced and highly knowledgeable in this business. And they are genuinely wonderful people! I enjoyed meeting them and watching them in action. I was reassured that I would be in good hands if I chose to experience my first hot air balloon ride with these guys. I can't wait!

The Crew of Vegas Balloon Rides
L-R: Randy, Ryan, Jason (pilot), Doug, Marketing Director Jason Abbott, Dan,
and kneeling, Sheldon (pilot)



Thrill Rides in Sin City

August 23

Ever heard of a teeter-totter that sits on the top edge of a 1,149 ft. tall building? Who in his right mind would want to ride that? Think again!

Friends whom I haven't seen in over 10 years were recently in Las Vegas for a visit. They wanted to try a thrill ride at the Stratosphere Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. The Stratosphere Tower, considered the tallest free-standing observation tower in the US, offers three out-of-this-world rides:

1. The Big Shot - Passengers are strapped to this vertical ride which shoots straight up 160 feet at 45 mph (over 4 Gs) until they are 1,081 feet above the Las Vegas Strip.

2. X-Scream - It's a giant seesaw that sends passengers teetering 27 feet over the edge of the Tower, about 866 feet above the ground. (This was their pick!)

3. Insanity, the Ride - It looks like a mondo-sized robotic spider that holds passengers on each of its mechanical legs. Imagine this robotic spider slowly extending its legs so that passengers are 64 feet over the edge of the Tower and then spinning them at a force of 3 Gs for a very wild and wicked ride. It certainly lives up to its name.

How did I do? Oh I had a great time...just watching them from the observation deck, thank you very much! Did you know there used to be a roller coaster that wrapped around the top of the Tower? And I thought that was crazy!

I'll post photos as soon as my friends e-mail them to me. [Kristoffer, hint! hint!] Meanwhile, you can google "Stratosphere rides" and find several photos and videos on the internet.
http://www.stratospherehotel.com/thrills/