5:39pm
.... if the ones without were all the old ones from which the writing could have worn away. Some were just a few feet tall and others were easily ten. I’d have loved to have taken pictures but it felt disrespectful to photograph the shrines of people’s ancestors – not quite on the same level as “Kennewick man” but still. It was beautiful. We kinda rushed through it, we met a fellow, his friend and her niece on the bus there and walked with them. His name (he lived in Dublin for 3 years) was Hori and he was an older fellow, 60ish I think. He was taking Chinese lessons from the sister of Xui (Siu is going to get you closer to the pronunciation) and the sister’s daughter Lei, who looked maybe 12. It was tough to guess Xui’s age, my first thought was early to mid 30s, but her daughter has been studying at Julliard since last August. Xui was practicing her English as she plans to visit her daughter next year. Hori was the one who showed me the first Tokugawa shogun’s shrine/grave and his son’s. Another thing for my reading list is Japanese early history. The Meiji restoration and after doesn’t interest me but before has me fascinated. We’re on the train back to Namba and the view is amazing. I try not to think about the narrow winding purchase the train must have on the side of the mountain. There are high misty green peaks in every direction, bottomless valleys. Tall trees scraping the sky with bamboo shooting up – the stalks are as large as my arm, and cycads/sago palms making the scene even more exotic. We had lunch with them then hopped off the bus separately to look at a shrine complex. We’re hoping to be able to meet up with Akemi for dinner when we get to Osaka.