Shingon Buddhist temple

During our stopover in Japan, Vicki and I headed to the Shingon Buddhist temple in Narita city.

According to Wikipedia:

This temple is one of the most well known in the Kant region of Japan and is only surpassed in visitors during the O-shogatsu period (lit: New year period) by the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo. The temple grounds are composed of a main gate, a steep stairwell and the main buildings (including a couple of five-story pagodas), and a garden area with large pond. A very small zoo is also within the temple grounds.

One of the many temples at the Shingon Buddhist temple.

One of the many temples at the Shingon Buddhist temple.

Cute turtle at the Shingon Buddhist temple in Narita, Japan.

Cute turtle. There were hundreds of these all over the place.

Garden at the Shingon Buddhist temple in Narita, Japan.

Garden area at the Shingon Buddhist temple

Statues at the Shingon Buddhist temple in Narita, Japan.

Statues at the Shingon Buddhist temple

Nice view from behind one of the temples

Nice view from behind one of the temples

Sarah and I at the crib

Sarah and I headed to my parents crib (holiday house) in Toko Mouth for the night, before heading south to the Catlins for some site seeing.

This photo was taken on top of the sand hill behind the crib

This photo was taken on top of the sand hill behind the crib

 

This photo was taken near Purakanui falls in the Catlins the next day.

This photo was taken near Purakanui falls in the Catlins the next day.

More photos from the Catlins coming soon …

Julia’s visit

Julia Rinck who I met in Germany last year came to visit our lab for four months. I picked her up in Christchurch and on the way back we visited the Baby Blue penguin colony in Oamaru. It was quite late before they came ashore and we weren’t allowed very close, so unfortunately the photos are barely visible.

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A week later we headed to the top of Mount Cargill to see the city, but in typical Dunedin style a cloud came through and blocked the view 🙁

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