Beer drinking and holy thinking

Today I might not have any lessons but I'm still rushing around trying to get my flight sorted out back to England, its strange to think no matter what happens in two months time (and counting) I'll be leaving Japan which means making everyday count even more, so of course that means less sleeping at my desk, but hey sacrifices must be made for the greater good.



In the meantime I've finally got round to posting some of the pictures from my first Koyasan visit onto my Picasa album. Koyasan is apparently one of the holiest places in Japan as its the spiritual centre for the shingon Estoric branch of Buddishm and the resting place for Kukai the movements founder, although not final resting place I should add as apparently he's just sleeping. It's a beautiful place to visit, not only to see the many beautiful temples that are dotted around the town (and most of which you can stay overnight in), but also for the 2 hour long journey itself that passes through Japanese country side, and up high into the mountains (the final leg is actually a cable car) that's amazingly lush (in the green sense not the drunk sense) my favourite part is when you travel alongside the top of a large cliff at the bottom of which you can see a large gushing river surrounded by green and red tree's. Oh plus Koyasan is possibly the only place where the main highlight is a huuuuuge cemetery all centered around Kukai's resting place. To see the mist come off the mountains and flow around the gravestones/monuments while the impossibly huge trees surround you is beautiful to say the least, apparently the cemetery is so holy its now a rather prime destination to be laid to rest in, so much so that not only do companies have their own gravestones for their workers (one of which is in the shape of a giant rocket, while another is for a pest control company who have put theirs in to apologise for the millions of insects they have killed) but the temples where you can stay at have a huge list of reasons and cluases why you can't be burried there (including amazingly if the monks accidently poison you) so I'm sure the many purple haired hoardes of old folks who regually go there must be a little annoyed.
Any more info about the place can be found here or here

of course in an incrediaby holy place as there's nothing more holy that dressing somewhat like a sith lord.

Click on the photo's to go the album itself or click here




Apparently these statues must be kept warm hence the hats and aprons




Today I'm meeting my friend who is visiting from England before we head to an all you can drink beer garden before showing him the sites of Japan (well Spa world)

Headmaster watch: black trousers, white shirt, tie
Headmaster style: tap dancing bank manager who will still refuse your morgage but at least does it in song