June 21st - part two

When we all meet up at the entrance and have one last look at the swan swimming in the lake,
Nick says he is going back to the hotel. Andy and Ginger want to visit the World Peace Temple
or something that we had seen on the way up. It has a golden top rather like a tori gate and
incorporates symbols from many different religions. Before we split up, though, we investigate the little shop at the bus stop and find that they sell ice cream and something they call croquets. They are fried and filled with, I don't know, but they are great. All the food is great! Betsy and I are game to see the temple, so we four trudge down the hill and figure we can find it. How could we miss it? We don't. The entrance is lovely and after climbing the first set of stairs we find a surprise! There is a replica of the pyramid at Teoteocan near Mexico City! Ginger is enthralled.

Up the many more steps is the major ceremonial hall, with its long aisles and many velvet-covered seats. The "stage" area is divided into an upper and lower section , divided by - ready? - an aquarium filled with orange and white carp! Above that is a display with a shrine and trees and rocks; and there is another stage below where actual sermons or lectures would be delivered. It is vaguely like the Temple in Salt Lake City with all the glitter, cameras, electronics and staging. Later Nick tells us that the religion is Japan's version of New Age and they expect the world to end in a nuclear holocause between Mu and Atlantis - or something! But the building is beautiful and as we leave the quiet and lovely young woman gives us each
some sake! What could be bad? (Sorry there are no interior photos. I had to put my camera into a decorated paper bag to ensure that I wouldn't use it!)

As we are leaving Andy realizes that he doesn't have his umbrella (we are never without our umbrellas!) and he RUNS back up all those stairs! We are so impressed!

On our way back to the folk village we pass a group of elementary age boys, all of whom have to
say, "Herro!!" and we, of course, respond! It is quite a trudge back up the hill to the bus stop and when we get there I need something cold. The vending machine sells lemon something
with vitamins and it tastes like strong lemonade. it sure hits the spot. Andy points out how
lucky we are to have made it back before the last bus, which will arrive in about ten minutes!


Dinner tonight will be at the best-rated tempura restaurant which seats about ten at the
counter! The chef is right there across the counter , and our courses arrive straight from the fryer and passed across to us. As we eagerly await our dinner treats we notice that there is a machine for heating the sake! You just invert the bottle and as it passes through it achieves the ideal temperature, unless, that is, it is summer and cold sake is a better idea!

Everyone but Andy has the meal which includes two shrimp and six vegetables, along with our rice and soup. The veggies are squash, eggplant, shitake mushrooms, a mountain greenery we couldn't identiy, a green pepper that isn't anything like what you're thinking and a mixture of onion and asparagus.

Andy took one for the team and chose something different. He had a fish which arrived complete with head and tail. He did an admirable job of eating every morsel of flesh with only chopsticks! Dessert was tempura ice cream! And let me note that the ice cream is a trip to eat with chopsticks and that the draught beer was as delicious as the meal!

We walk back to the inn and treat ourselves to our new bottle of sake. Halfway through Andy
suggests that we reconvene in the second-floor lounge. When he appears he has donned his hotel robe and obi, and is bearing his sake bottle. He looks every inch the Japanese host as he pours for us! Did you know that it is considered bad luck to pour your own drink? Someone else needs to pour for you!

Exhaustion is setting in and people drop off one at a time. A mother and her son from Australia
pass through and Andy offers some sake, which the son happily accepts. They offer some tips
about Tokyo that Ginger and Nick will remember. I'm too fried (forgive me) to do that! It's
time to visit my tatami mat.