Praha the Most

This is the door of a nunnery or, as Elan called it, 'a church for ladies.'

A somewhat vaginal crest above the nunnery door.

Jan Svankmajer lives behind this door!

Elan is funny because he walks like a human.

Carp are such toothy creatures.

There is a girl who calls me at most inconvenient times, such as while I am photographing cathedrals during the momentary light of the evening sun. She's cute, so it is alright.

Prague Castle from the Charles Bridge.

Mr. Churchill comes to Prague.

Elan and Fabian and I did many things in Prague, such as going to a bar that is three stories underground, and I took this photo after all of the things that we did were done. Look at that guy. He has a club! He is one of the statues that stands on the gates to Prague Castle. It is not the only statute. He has some terrible friends.

I sprinted up these stairs - eventually Elan and Fabian caught up, and look how happy Elan is for the catching.

Praha Praha Praha

Elan and Fabian up the stairs

Elan is distracting

A Pooch of the Pooch Parade

Graham, Lis, Liz and I have fun in Ossining

Graham

Liz Speeds

Liz on Train

Liz and I and the Black Cow

Graham and Lis and Galileo

Ozore Addendum: The Road to Hell

Of all the things to forget ..

This is the submerged road to hell for which Ozore-san is famous. Japanese people believe that, when you die, your spirit travels to this lake and walks along this road into the underworld. It is very spooky, especially when viewed from the super-spooky red wooden bridge that I am standing on (and not photographing).

Tok Aqu: Cuttlefish Addendum

かわいいいいいいい！！！

The cuttlefish needed a post all their own.

Yoshio Tanighuchi's Tokyo Aquarium - 10.08

Flippng the Infinite Museum upside down, one enters the aquarium through the center of a circular plinth, half terrace half pond. There's not much of a spiral inside; nevertheless. This is looking out over the edge of the plinth to Tokyo Bay. The high hedges of Tokyo Disney are out there somewhere, a counterpoint to Taniguchi's wide open terrace.








The ferris wheel at the edge of infinity ^^

Ozore-zan (Mt. FEAR) - 09.08

At Ozore-san, Mt. Fear, the gates of Hell, plants will not grow and sulfur leaching from the ground has created a landscape of vibrantly colored rocks and sand.

The attractions at Ozore-san are fourfold: the mountain itself, overlooking an aqua-marine lake with submerged road which the Japanese believe to be the gate to hell, fronted by a lakeside shrine of silvery hue, and a blasted volcanic landscape of multi-colored rocks and streams populated by crows where no vegetation will grow.

This is the shrine of silvery hue. It is very beautiful, evoking mists and rising steam.

This is my ring, which became tarnished, blue, yellow, and brown after only twenty minutes at Ozore-san. Soon after, the fumes began to make me feel ill.

Looking from the inner shrine toward the outer gate.

The volcanic field, the shrine, the lake, Ozore-san.

The crows are many and ominous.

Looking up from the base of the volcanic field toward a statue of I-Forget-Who. The field continues over a couple of more ridges before terminating at small beach and yellow-red stream.

A scree of tarnished coins, tossed by visiting pilgrims.

Ozore-san from the beach; by this point, Beau and I were both feeling sick from the sulfur and other fumes being constantly excreted from the volcanic plains next to the lake. We set out for the car.

Finally, a shout out to the bendy crew from the dashboard, companions to all Aomori wanderings.

Ozore-san no kame