LAST DAY IN JAPAN

Little Buddha figures at the graveyard. Mothers will make aprons and dress these figurines to bring good luck to their children (dead or live.) Some even knit little hats for the Buddha.
This is the largest rock garden in Japan, the design is of a pair of dragons emerging from a sea of clouds. I visited this with friend Atsushi Fujioka who took me to Koyasan which is a mountain Buddhist monastery that was build in 816 about two hours train ride from Osaka. We spent the night in a spa hotel run by the Buddhist sect called Shingon. It's quite a place.

We walked around the huge cemetery (top picture) which has enormously old trees and very elaborate grave markings, many from long ago. A spectacular place.

After four hours of visiting Koyasan today we took the train back to Osaka and I headed for the airport hotel where Atsushi had booked me a room for tonight. My flight leaves in the morning for Tokyo, Detroit, and then back to Portland, Maine.

It's been a month now on the road, you could say I am just a bit tired. Ready to be home and return to a bit of normal life for awhile. Living out of a suitcase for a month can be a challenge but what a lucky man I am to have such a great job, working with great people, doing work that needs to get done.