Nikko
Trip Start
Feb 04, 2005
1
19
39
Trip End
Ongoing
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Nikko, Japan
Sunday, April 17, 2005
We went to Nikko to see the cherry blossoms, which bloom only once a year during April. On the way to Nikko, we noticed a park (Yaita Park) that had a lot of beautiful cherry blossoms so we stopped for a look. Wow! What a gorgeous place. It looked like something you see in a picture book. There were many locals with their families having a Sunday picnic at the park. One could hear children playing and laughing in the background while a gentle breeze blew cherry blossom pedals everywhere.
Welcoming the New Spring
After we got to Nikko, we stumbled onto a festival in progress. We discovered later that it was the "welcoming the new spring" festival. There were many people young and old dressed in traditional Japanese customs. They were very friendly. They even allowed us to take pictures with them.
While at the festival, I saw a Noe play for the first time. The actors made very slow and deliberate movements while a haunting music played in the background. It was quite Fascinating. Wish I understand what they were saying.
Chuzenji Lake
We drove up a mountain, which took about 46 turns. When we got to the lake, the first thing we noticed was how very, very, very windy and coooold it was. That probably explained why the shops near the lake looked like a ghost town. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful place. It looked like one of those pictures from Ansel Adam's photographs with snow covered mountains and looming dark clouds that seemed to glide across a winter sky.
