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As I arrived at Nikko, a UNESCO natural heritage site for shrines, temples and nature the thought occoured to me that i had absolutly no idea why i was going there.
I drunkedly aggreed the night before to join a fellow traveller for the ride. And due to different tourist train tickets we wouldn't have been able to travel together, but decided to meet on the shinshanken or at the site. Later that day. Well turns out my travel partner slept in but that was OK, surrounded by beauty and interesting things to do I took it upon myself to get lost.
I found myself at Chuzenji lake, a body of water 1200 m above sea level connecting to kegon falls a really beautiful site to behold. My recent visit to Kamakura allowed me to negate the tourist route, missing temples and shrines of Shogans gone by from the 1500's (which I will have to come visit again).
Walking along the lake I stumbled upon a beautifu buddhist temple grounds, I paid to get in and drank from the ritual bamboo cups and as I made my way around the grounds I realised I was the only person there other than two smiling monks, who seemed to be watching me from inside the temple, just before I was about to call it a day a bell chimed and disturbed my thought process and made me look around in intruige.
Getting my attention and interest showed me a tree trunk/root which was 1200 years old and it had the main buddah God carved into it. The main God has hundreds hands emanating from is body, all carved into faces and forms. My jaw dropped at the site I have never seen something so special in my life.
After a ceremonial chime and bow I was lead upstairs to another area of worship which was equally impressive. Something happened that day, something positive. That's where I will leave this story. As everyone should have a few secrets to hold dear.
After my experiance in the temple I made my way back around the lake and hoping back on the bus to Nikko station, getting off a few km early to have a look at the second hand shops where I picked up a few interesting souviners which I am told are from the 1900s. Japan has so much to offer.
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dad intriguing!