I'm always grateful when the alternative turns out to be as fun as what I had originally planned. The Akiyoshi caves and the moor they sit under were a happy happy accident,
The entrance to the largest limestone caves in Asia, or Japan, depending on whom you believe, has an impressive waterfall which provides the rushing water of the river flowing from it. As you enter the caves proper, the temperature drops delightfully. Various signs name various formations. Some of the names make sense, like the Dragon's Lair (and believe me, a dragon is lurking in there somewhere); others were a bit of a stretch. Though great arc lights were placed to highlight the more spectacular formations, the camera was next to useless to capture the sheer majesty of the place. I'm hoping a judicious application of photoshop will help.
After you leave the caves, you can climb an extremely steep hill to come upon what looks like a Scottish moor, complete with thistles. Or, you can take the elevator up, which I did, having learned my lesson on Miyajima.
Another word about school groups. They are everywhere. In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if students in Japan are ever in a classroom. They all seem to be taking school trips and show up everywhere! The moor was thick with students having group photos, running all over and asking me to take their pictures (always happy to oblige).
The bus back to civilization was about to leave, so I made my way back through the caves and to the bus
station, only to see it disappear down the highway. Rather than risk missing the very last bus of the day, I stayed put in the station. You must understand that you can set your watch by train and bus schedules. They leave on the dot. It's better to be early and wait than to miss the scheduled departure. An hour later I was happily perched in the front seat for the scenic countryside ride to the train station.
No comments:
Post a Comment