June 14th - Monday

Our first real day! We meet at 8:30 and go off in search of breakfast. We wind up at a small grocery and choose our meals. I get blueberry yogurt and a noodle dish that might have some beef on top. they microwave it for me and we all set off for a lovely park Andy had spotted yesterday. It turns out to be the most magnificent idea!! We sit under a tree and eat our breakfast, marveling at the huge ravens and the odd animal sounds which turn out to be a man practicing his martial art! We wander the park and happen upon a lovely scene. I'm taking a photo and a man who is picking up trash identifies the bird in the photo for me. His English is passable and enthusiastic and he is enchanting! He continues to name things, like the willow tree, and asks where we are from and do we have willows. things lead to things and he becomes our tour guide! He is 72 and looks about 50! He shows us the largest temple bell in the world and says that Einstein, you know Einstein?, had been to visit it. we then go to the largest temple in the world which is composed of many buildings, some of which are under construction for housing for the monks. he takes us into one of the smaller buildings with a gorgeous standing Buddha flanked by four avatar of shiva. the lady who is there is a friend of our new friend and she teaches each of us how to hit the wooden drum-line statue, use the wooden clackers and to strike the bowl. It is very exciting and spiritual and just when we were ready to say our thank yous, a Japanese couple comes in. the man sits and is brought a scroll on which to write. there is ink on the table and brushes and he is given a character to copy in the center of the pre-printed scroll. We watch in awe and he reproduces the complicated character. then our friend's friend bring me one, too! Our friend whispers that it is very expensive but for me is a gift because the lady is his friend. I get the simplest character and I think it is not a very good job, but the experience is incredible. then he writes the date and my name and i have to copy those, too! He says it is a gift to take back to my country. we climb back down the stairs, put on our shoes for perhaps the fourth time this morning and the ladies in our group light incense in an ourdoor brasier and stick them in a communal shrine.

Our friend says that he graduated from grade school, high school and university in the temple - but he is not a priest! it turns out that he is a volunteer and guides tours in a different part of the park. He shows us how he changes his name tag. Eventually we must leave and continue our day; but I'm content if we don't see another thing!