We had been pretty lucky with the weather up to this point, but the rain set in this morning and only got worse through the day. At least we started indoors at the Takayama Jinya, a government building dati
ng to the early Edo period when the Tokugawa Shogunate took direct control of the area for its timber resources. The building continued as something equivalent to a county courthouse until 1969. In the early days it also served as a residence for the head man and his wife and servants.
Just outside the Jinya is a morning market which we had a little time to e
xplore. In addition to fruits and vegetable there were a few crafts and lots of pickles to buy.
Next, we proceeded to walk across the red bridge to the historic district where we spent some time strolling a street filled with shops and restaurants, not unlike a touristy town back home. Think Jacksonville. Although we had been promised sake tasting, it seems that the sake breweries have all moved out of the area. There were still a few sake shops as evidenced by the containers seen below, on display in front of several shops. Our lunch spot by contrast was a very modern restaurant upstairs in a furniture store, offering western style food with an Italian flair. We were presented with a lovely plate of fish and grilled vegetables and had access to a salad bar with additional side dishes and desert.
Strolling back up the street the umbrellas came out in earnest and we 
gathered back up under an awning outside a museum before heading to the bus to settle in for our two-hour trip to Kanazawa. The drive consisted of a few breathtaking glimpses of mountain scenery in between tunnels. One of the tunnels was among the longest in the country at 11km. I was starting to get a bit claustrophobic, not to mention asphyxiated by the time we emerged from that one.
Once in Kanazawa we stopped at one of several historic Teahouse districts. Again, the
area has become a tourist destination of shops and cafes though we did hear some shamisen music echoing the past. And again, dodging the umbrellas of our fellow travelers was the name of the game, not to mention the taxis and police cars. We did see a few women dressed in kimonos but our guide assured us they were just playing tourist and probably not even Japanese, let alone geisha.
Back on the bus for a short ride to our hotel. A most impressive Crowne Plaza with a waterfall in the lobby, located next to the train station which I look forward to exploring during our free time.
Now that I’m about recovered from jet lag, I realized that I have been neglecting my daily haiku. So, during free time yesterday I went back and made some up for the days I missed and appended them to the blogs so you might want to scroll back and take a look if you like haiku.
Here is the one for this day:
Umbrellas open
Deflecting the falling rain
Blossoms emerging.
ur first stop was at the home of a lacquerware craftsman. The group divided into two with one seeing the house and gardens from the wife and the other getting a chance to see the craftsman at work.
route for hikers and backpackers to explore today. We visited the local shrine then walked through the town which I found to be a photographer’s paradise.
look. These dishes were followed up by deep fried tofu with a spicy miso sauce and a bowl of Soba (buckwheat) noodles in broth, a specialty of the region. For desert we were presented with a small bowl with three fresh strawberries. We then had about an hour to explore the town and shops. I would have liked to buy some lacquerware but I couldn’t think what I would do with it and the black and red colors would not go well in my earth-tone house. I did find a wooden rice paddle that I thought might work well in one of my food photography sessions.
Back on the bus we rode for an hour back to the outskirts of Matsumoto where we stopped at a wood block museum. I was pretty tired by then and could not do it justice but I bought a set of postcards that I can study at leisure when I get home.
castle and cherry blossoms all lit up at night. It was worth the trip. We were on our own for dinner and I did not feel adventurous enough to go to a restaurant on my own and the hotel was far too expensive (like $80 for a meal), so I explored the snacks in the vending machine instead. They even have vending machines with beer in the hotel so it wasn’t such a bad evening in, especially after that sumptuous lunch, though I have to say I’m not entirely sure what I was eating.
opped twice at highway rest stops. These were fascinating in themselves. Not only did they have banks of vending machines but also little shops selling snacks and souvenirs. One had bakery items worthy of some of the best patisseries I’ve seen.
We arrived in Matsumoto around noon and reported to our first stop at a traditional Miso factory where we had a brief talk from the head of the company who is the sixth-generation owner. We were then served a delicious lunch featuring their products. It included a salad with miso dressing, a miso based stew, and miso ice cream, which was very good.
age at the hotel we proceeded to Matsumoto Castle which is listed as a Japanese National Treasure. And rightly so. It was constructed around 1590 but was completely restored in the 20th century. Here in the mountains the cherry blossoms are running a little later than in Tokyo and very close to peak. There will be cherry blossom celebrations tonight and we hope to see the castle again all lit up with traditional music and revelry.
At the hotel we had the best meal of the trip so far. It consisted of an appetizer course including seaweed which was much better than it sounds, pickles, salad, and some tasty fish cakes; next course was a savory egg custard dish. Then we had sashimi which was a first for me and I hope not a last because I loved it. Then we had a tempura plate which was kind of like a birds nest of deep fried things all clumped together. Finally, we had a chicken and vegetable soup that cooked in front of us at our table, and of course rice. This was the first time also, that we were served desert which was a tasty cake with some kiwi and pineapple on the side. I may have to start bringing my camera to dinner because the presentations of the food are always exquisite.
We were then taken to a seaside village which appeared very poor but where a retired surgeon and his wife had opened a restaurant called Julio, specializing in seafood. The house was set out over the water and on that day waves were crashing all around making one wonder how it had ever survived a hurricane. We were served a sumptuous lunch of seafood including, fish, clams, lobster, and shrimp. Appetizers include
d fried banana cups filled with tuna fish and calamari. As always the ubiquitous rice and beans. Desert was some sort of candied orange and cheese, not really to my taste. I left feeling quite stuffed. by the time lunch was over the rain had abated and I was able to get a few interesting shots around the village.
We stopped on the way back at a neighborhood where an artist had covered the walls with mosaic and created sculptures not only at his own house but for many of
his neighbors. It was apparentlymeant as a tribute to Gaudi. Unfortunately, a huge tour bus arrived just after us so we were not able to fully enjoy the art. This was the one place outside Havana that I saw a full fledged gift shop, albeit in someone’s front yard. Alas, still no t-shirt that spoke to me.
We then proceeded to an old cemetery that took up at least 16 city blocks. You might ask what the heck do you photograph at a cemetery? Like Valle Prehistorica this required a little creative openness and thought toward future processing. I started off with angels but then realized that about 90% of the monuments were angels and I could not possibly get them all and after all, how many angels do you need even for future creative elements. I then started in on windows and doors of the mausoleums and decorative iron fences.
I also got some great textures for future digital artistry projects.
wiped off the blood with a kleenex then poured hand sanitizer over it. I later had Dr. Norm look at it and he washed it again with bottled water and more purell and kept checking it the rest of the trip. It seems to be healing up just fine.
which were delicious, not like the over lean pork we get in the U.S. There was a luscious cervice for a starter, rice and beans, of course, and flan with ice cream for dessert. And we had wine which is hard to come by and expensive in Cuba. There was a jazz trio p
laying and since we were the only table it seemed to be just for us. We all bought their CD, which, it turns out, is my only souvenir from Cuba, there not being much to buy in the first place and lacking quality in the second place and probably not made in Cuba in the third place.
behind the hotel. There I found some of the most abject poverty, not to mention filth, I have ever encountered. I also found some of the best street photography of the entire trip. Still, I soon proceeded back to the rich side of the hotel and photographed old cars for a while.
At 10:30 we were whisked off to the airport where we said goodbye to Leonel and were left on our own to negotiate the lines. First we went to the money changing line. They said, “Sorry, we have no American Dollars” then we were told 
to go over to another window and were taken one by one into a small room. They locked the door and a man in a suit proceeded to exchange my CUCs for American dollars, one to one. They ran out of dollars before we were all through the line and some of our party had to exchange their CUCs for Euros to be exchanged for dollars when they got back home.
Next was the line for checking in for our flight. I had needed to go to the restroom when we arrived but could not find one so stood in the line for half an hour with my legs crossed. Finally, I got the counter and checked in and got rid of my suitcase and asked for the banos. Sure enough way past customs and down a narrow hall was the ladies room. I started to go into a stall and an airport worker yelled “Paper” reminding me that in Cuba you have to obtain your toilet paper before going into the stall.
security which was not too bad though I tried to ask the woman if she wanted my computer out but she was intent on telling me to take my belt off until I finally lifted my shirt to show her I didn’t have a belt on. Then, of course, on the other side I was asked to take the laptop out so they could scan the bag without it. And then we proceeded to sit and wait for our flight which was only an hour late and that’s pretty good for Cuba time.
e until 8:35. But at least it was on time. We were in Havana with luggage in hand by 10:15 and picked up by our new driver Lasero, who did not speak English, but who drove a very similar van to David’s and he whisked us away to the Hotel Inglaterra on the border between Central Havana (dating to the 19th century) and Havana Viejo (old Havana, dating 
to the 16th century). Our hotel was just next door to the very ornate Opera House and just a block from the national capitol building which was having its dome restored.
because it was the only one on the menu that didn’t say it came with vegetables. Unfortunately, it did anyway. It also had three slices of bread with about a tablespoon of tuna salad between each slice. I peeled off the lettuce and made do with my tuna flavored bread. 
the park filled with old cars now serving as taxis so I did some detail work there. While there are some newer cars from Russia and China, in Havana the old American
the trunk where he had a 20 gallon jerry can with hoses running out of it. Ron pointed to it and asked “Is that your gas tank?” The man grinned and said “Si, welcome to Cuba.” Regardless of condition, the old cars are considered a national treasures. Still, I have a hunch many will find themselves on boats home if relations with the U.S. continue to normalize.
AT 4:30pm we were picked up by the van and taken to Old Havana for a walking tour which ended up lasting for 2 ½ hours. I was exhausted with sore feet by the end and it was too dark for photographs. Lionel said
“You are photographers, you need to walk around.” Well, yeah, but in the light of day please and with a rest break every hour or so. The architecture was beautiful and I would be happy to return some day to photograph more… in the light of day.
We ended up at a restaurant where we were directed up a narrow spiral staircase to a private room. I had Ropa Vieja, a sort of shredded meat dish, in this case lamb. It was served with the ubiquitous rice and beans and some very tasty appetizers. I especially liked the fried plantain basket with seasoned ground beef.
Next, we went to a town called El Cobre, the name of which has something to do with its history as a copper mining center. But its real claim to fame is a cathedral that is dedicated to the patron saint of Cuba and a popular site for pilgrims with and without religion. The full name of the chu
rch reflects its Spanish heritage: The Basilica de Nuestra Senora de la Caridad del Cobre. The church was not that impressive (austere says my
come back up and it seemed to consist of a lot of vendors intent on selling flowers and trinkets to tourists so I don’t know that the photography would have been very satisfying. And, as there was no place to eat lunch we soon headed back to Santiago.
one cannot be a member of the communist party and be an active participant in religion there are not a lot of overt signs of religion as might be experienced in other former Spanish colonies. On the other hand I did not get the sense that religion was banned outright either. Churches remain as churches and there were certainly plenty of pilgrims at the Basilica. Papal visits have been allowed and I spotted a nun reading on the balcony of a building nearby. Our driver was the son of a Seventh Day Adventist minister and he owns his own van and tour company as well as a farm so having a religious background does not seem to be a deterrent to success in the new relaxed economy. I also understand from my reading that vestiges of African religious practices brought in with slavery are still alive and well in Cuba.
After lunch we were turned loose to explore the local neighborhood but the directions for the meeting point and time were not clear. We found an art gallery just around the corner. I’m always hesitant to photograph other peoples art and call it my own but I tried to transform this piece enough to at least make it a shared effort.
when I finally spied the van, everyone aboard except our guide who was out looking for me. I still don’t know where they met up or how long they were looking for me. Of course, I had money, I knew where I lived and taxis were abundant so I don’t think it would have been a complete disaster even if we hadn’t connected. On the upside, I got some of my most interesting images during this episode.
We then headed back to the waterfront for sunset. A few nice silhouettes and color on the water pictures. Well, that might be an understatement. I kind of had a field day with the sunset. And finally, back to the casas for a rest before regathering at one of the casas for a “family dinner” which ended up costing more than any of our 
restaurant meals so far. Once again I had grilled chicken, not much choice this time, accompanied by rice and sweet potato fries. I went off the reservation and ate some of the salad because the guide and the doctor sitting next to me thought it might be OK. Lionel, our local guide, brought a bottle of rum which he said was the best you could get in Cuba. I enjoyed it but after two beers did not feel like indulging too much.
I awoke this morning to gunfire, which I thought was odd as Lionel had assured us there were no guns in Cuba. Then I realized it was the 21 gun salute for Fidel Castro as his ashes were interred in a private ceremony just outside of Santiago, his home ci
ty.
, we were told, was badly damaged by hurricane Sandy and the houses were mostly small and 
in bad repair (to put it mildly). People were out and about working in boats, doing laundry, and perhaps visiting neighbors. Children were riding around on bikes and trikes, dogs wandered everywhere, but there were no cars. One fellow jumpe
d up and insisted on posing next to a banana tree. I offered him a tip which, of course, was what he was hoping for.
environment.We were told we could walk around the island in 25 minutes. For photographers, maybe more like an hour or two. I went around one way then started back the other way and saw many things I had missed from the other perspective.
At noon, we adjourned for lunch at a state owned restaurant. It was very high class and seemed to be catering to tour groups. We all had a seafood plate with lobster, fish, shrimp, and calamari. And two bottles of water, still no cerveza allowed.
We returned to the Parque and walked back to our casas for a siesta, regrouping after two hours to explore new parts of Santiago including the Plaza de la revolution which had been the site of a speech by Raul Castro the previous evening. My guide book describes the Plaza as “soulless” and I think that is an apt description. I found pho
tographing the passing cars, buses, trucks being used as buses, bicycles, and motorcyles much more interesting. We then adjourned to a waterfront park but the light was mostly gone so we vowed to return closer to sunset another
last day in San Antonio focused on the Hispanic cultural influences. We started here at Mission San Jose, also known as the queen of the Missions. The San Antonio Missions are managed by the National Park Service though the churche
s are still active Catholic parishes owned by the Church. The Missions were recently named a UNESCO World Heritage site.
dents have embraced their cultural roots in the form of Murals telling the story of their community.
colorfully decorated and served up a tasty Chile Relleno. I am sad to report that Texas has not embraced Green Chile. So, while tasty, it did not satisfy my craving for New Mexican cuisine.
a lovely shawl suitable for outdoor theater nights in Ashland for only $10. I’m wondering if I should have bought two or three? Airport travel being what it is I had to leave the armadillo there.
cultures that have come together to make Texas what it is today. The Tower of the Americas also remains on the Hemisfair grounds. It was deliberately made taller than the Seattle Space Needle because, as we all know, everything is bigger in Texas.
I’m glad I have spent a fair amount of time in the Hill Country on previ
ous trips because one day just doesn’t do it justice. But we had lovely weather, the bluebonnets were out in
o his beloved Hill Country. We stopped only briefly at his
edernales River. The ranch house is really quite modest for all the dignitaries who spent time there but was undoubtedly a welcome retreat for all, especially the beleaguered President.
icksburg which was settled by Germans and built out of the native limestone of the area. These days the shops mostly cater to tourists and we did our bit by over indulging in a hearty German lunch, which most of us slept off during the bus ride back to San Antone.