The wanderer returns...

As you will see from the last two posts I am now back 'home' - although I was wondering if i was ever going to get back.  It was raining when I got up - in fact had been most of the night, so that has helped the decision about which of the 3 buses to go for....the 13.35 to Shin-Fuji which arrives about 3.45, followed by quick trot round the corner to the train station then Shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto at 16.12 arriving about 18.35.....or so was the plan. I got the bus - more of this later, and transferred to the train station OK but was so busy watching people and taking some candid shots that I didn't realise that the train that had come in just on 4 o'clock was my train - not until it pulled away and I looked at the clock! Ah well - after another hour of hanging about, I got on the correct train and headed back to Kyoto, ready to get the local train to make the 5 stops to Uzumasa, where I live for the time being.

So what did I do for the morning - well I decided to go with the bus trip around the adjacent lake....it wasn't going to be raining in the bus! 

 

Rain...

 

Cloud over the mountians - grabbed through the window..

There might still be some pictures through the window....well maybe not after the one as the drops on the glass were so big and the bus goes to fast for photography! The bus service around Lake Sai -( it is the lake to the left of Lake Kamaguchi on the map!) runs every hour so you can get off one bus and wait an hour to continue round - there isn't one going the other way. There were only 4 brave little souls on the trip which left the bus station at 9.10. If I had stayed on the bus till it completed it's circuit I would have been back around 11, but I got off at the caves - again thinking it would be dry in there, although when we arrived, the rain had stopped. The cave roof did drip a fair bit too so still had to dodge the trickles down the back of the neck!

The caves were lava caves and I only went in one as it was a 30 minute walk to the other and I hadn't that much time - as now was definite about the 13.35 bus. (The other is the bat cave - not that keen on them anyway!) It was well sort of OK - but truthfully not a patch on many other caves that I have been to with Paul. The interesting fact about it was that it was used as cold storage for plant seeds as they had found that the seeds germinate better after being stored in the cold.

 

Silk cocoons were also stored here too and there was a long expanse of rusty dusty racking with some large cans of cocoons still in them.  They could have been there for decades....It also has a natural ice cave in the winter - there was ice there today and it looked quite thick, but in winter there are ice stalactites and stalagmites...not quite that cold yet although the wind was icy. I wore my cycling jacket under my normal one today to block the wind and try to keep warmer than yesterday so just as well I am not here in winter!

Nice roots here...

 More of the purple berried plant seen in the temple gardens the other day...
The entrance to the caves was up a woodland path and it was quite delightful. I had to hang around for a little while waiting for the bus to continue round, and kept taking pictures of the leaves as they were so colourful.

As I got of the bus I l looked at the lake and then as it was the last  leg of the route, I disembarked right outside the gem museum and spent a good amount of time wandering around looking at the various gems both in their raw state and also some highly polished. I find looking at the wonderful crystal shapes fascinating and have often wished that I knew more about their formation. (I have a very good reference book - just can't remember it all, that's the trouble!)

 Looks more like lichen then rock doesn't it!

 This is a gem picture of - yes - what else - Mount |Fuji!

 Can't remember what this was called now - here in the rough...

 and the polished up version - wish I scrubbed up as well!

These 3 were huge pieces of quartz crystals - massive...and below is some lace agate - nice patterns - you could stitch them!

This one made me wonder if Itchiku Kobota had studied rocks and gems....lots of raised bits - doesn't show up that well here - sorry!

Anyway before I knew it, the clock had nudged towards time for the bus and unfortunately for me I had to leg it to the bus station - about a mile walk or so. Normally this wouldn't be much of an issue but the cumulative effect of all this walking is playing havoc with my (left) knee and worse still, now my right ankle is protesting. By the time I actually got to the station it was all I could do not to yelp out loud with every step as I was in that much pain. I had been trying to be brave for the last few days but it is getting to be quite an issue - something I hadn't thought through perhaps.....My new knee can't come a day to soon - and I wouldn't be surprised if I end up needing a new ankle too at this rate. I will be the latest version of the bionic woman (hah hah!!)

This is the shinkansen - lots of leg room.

I was watching this family I let the train go, not realising it was the one I should be on...

 Lovely little chap!

Waving goodbye to a relation....and final shot is a family getting ready to board the train - second attempt for me so was a bit mindful this time!

Not sure exactly what to do tomorrow as if I was sensible, I more than likely would rest, but I only have 8 days left and so much more to see and do. What I have decided is to try and use transport more - and in fact will try and get a taxi to anywhere I need to get to if it is any distance from one place to another .....tomorrow I'm on embroidery patrol - oh and a late visit to Adachi Kumihimo to collect my Aytakadai that is now ready for collection. I am glad as it will give me plenty of time to work out what to send home by post and what to carry in the luggage. The digital scales that Paul got for me just before I came will be put through their paces - I will be weighing all sorts of combinations of things and deciding what to dump, what to post and what to go in the luggage.  Also I need to keep some weight allowance in hand as there are still 8 shopping days left too!

Anyway that's the words for today done - and now the photos added - and I still need to get some sleep too. Please do look back at this and the previous two days worth once you see photos appearing again - don't want you to miss out on any!