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Japan trip
Day 16 - 21st June - Matsushima Bay (Part 2)
The previous day there had been some herb festival in Kawaguchiko but it was on the other side of the lake, so I didn't bother.
One of the many islands
Statue
Me
More views through the pine trees
While admiring the view, I suddenly heard a strange noise:
Edelweiss playing for no reason. Damn Japs.
Even this was a National Treasure. Maybe anything more than 50 years old is a National Treasure (perhaps after the war, all the buildings that survived got gazetted)
Dirty harbour
Passage
When I got back to the mainland I had an onigiri:
The first one I'd had with plum inside. The miso coating was very nice (though it didn't permeate the ball quite as far as would've been good, so it was a bit plain), and completed the Japanese holy trinity of rice, pickles and miso (okay, not in soup form, but still). If it looks weird it's because it's street food either from the stall previously photographed or its neighbor.
Harbour
Nihon Sankei sign - this was not like the others
"July 21st is Nihon-sankei Day" - maybe you get a prize if you visit all 3 in 1 day.
Old Skool brooms at visitors' centre. In an umbrella rack. Erm.
There were a variety of overpriced cruises available. A description:
I was intrigued by the "Long Around Cruise" which would let me see "feminine islands" and "masculine Saga-Kei", but I'd missed the boat (literally), so I opted for the "Short Around Cruise".
Route
The people running the cruise were very smart and practised price discrimination - a normal ticket got you a seat downstairs in the enclosed area of the ship - to get to the second level with a sundeck you needed to pay more (which I did).
Seagulls on the water
Gull
As the boat set off, the seagulls got excited. The reason for this soon became apparent:
For the passengers on the open deck, feeding the Seagulls seemed more appealing than enjoying the scenery (indeed, one woman kept being upskirted by the wind, but she didn't seem to mind):
Gulls
Excited gulls
The PA system on board actually announced: "Now, please buy snacks to feed the seagulls". !@#$%^&*()
In the wake
Photographing seagulls
2 islands
Offering their hands to the birds
Pandemonium
More gulls
Me with gulls. None shat on me.
Gull on railing
Navigation posts?
Gull overload