tohoku - part 6 (last!)

thanks folks for following my ever slowly-posted photos. well, since this trip has been about 1.5years ago, i think i better put more photos and talk less. here we go.this is the last part for my tohoku trip!

end of part 5 brought me to Fukushima. the other day, i went to this park to see the beautiful springtime flowers. some were sakuras but i cannot tell which because some might be plum blossoms... hmm.




think this should be sakura


in a rush? no problem. catch some soba while waiting for the train at the platform.


headed for Yamadera 山寺 which means 'temple in the mountain'




after 1000 steps...


took a train and headed for another big city, Sendai 仙台! wooo.



lunch. curry rice.


heard one of japan's top three beautiful scenery is nearby, Matsushima 松島. actually the whole area have a bunch of pine tree islets and i heard it's very nice in the evening. yeah, i heard it AFTER my trip. well, took a little cruise at least. as we cruised along with comments in japanese which stumped me, the seagulls followed the boat with the promise of snacks.







hopped back to Sendai city.


stumbled onto a donut shop. looks nice so bought ONE donut which i regretted. because the donut was simply wonderful! nice and soft, yet not too doughy.


ate the donut on the shinkansen.


even though it is spring, you can still see snow on the mountain tops.


morioka station i reached. 盛岡


had to change to a local train to go to some ulu place. local enough the train was, there was only one compartment.


the journey took about 2hours so i fell asleep. along the way, i woke up to see snow outside! nice.


arrived at Miyako宮古　and the city was already dark.


after wondering and enquiring for rooms for the night (went to three places), i finally found someplace to stay!




the next day, took a bus to the seaside.


to Jodogahama beach. but not our typical kind of.







colorful


hopped onto another bus to head for Kitayamazaki 北山崎 which means Northern Mountain Cliffs.



the endless sea. the pacific ocean.


on the way up north from Kitayamazaki, i found a special train! cute. replica of old times.




once the train arrived at Hachinohe, i took a shinkansen and zipped south towards Tokyo. good bye mountains.


went to town for some shopping and look around!


dean & deluca, we don't have it here.


tokyo midtown, a new mall that combined shopping and art.


mizuki and her v signs




ueno. ameyoko. shops shops.


lunch. not mine. belonged to mizuki and kyoko. combi of omu rice and spaghetti.


next tourist stop, Asakusa. the famous big red lantern.


look at the crowds. this is nakamise, little street that leads to Sensoji Temple.




there you go, Sensoji Temple 浅草寺


my favourite senbei!



oh the japanese are very good when it comes to recyling. this is really a good practise! well, firstly, pour all remaining drinks and ice into a specified bucket. then remove plastic cover and dumped the cover and straw into bucket meant for plastic. then throw all paper stuff into another bucket. don't forget about your ashtray, dumped ash into specific bucket and place it facing up. faced down ashtrays are clean ones.



a note to the end:
the sakura season is coming to an end and so is my trip.
see you again!