lake | Blue Lapis Road

CLEOPATRA’S SPRING, Siwa Oasis, Egypt

2006.06.02.

With a constant temperature of 29 degrees Celsius, the Ain Juba or Cleopatra’s Spring is a popular tourist attraction near Siwa Oasis. While some say Cleopatra swam in the pool during her visit to the oasis, many other historians dispute about this legend and insist that the spring has nothing to do with the famous Queen of Egypt. The spring is nonetheless ancient and well known in times of antiquity. Referred as the Fountain of the Sun by Herodotus, legend has it that Alexander the Great followed a group of birds in the desert and reached the famous spring during his conquest of Persia. From history to the present, the spring remains as a reliable treat of a cool refreshing dip for tired travellers.

Many tourists reach the pool as part of a local tour going out to the Great Sand Sea, it can also be reached by cycling on the road to the Temple of the Oracle. For me, I have done both, first as part of a local tour on the way to stay a night in the desert, and second time by bicycle on my way to the ruined temple. On my first time, I spent most of my time chatting with the friendly pool caretaker in the pool hut. I didn’t notice any bather during my two visits. Given the fact that swimmers were advised to bath with a t-shirt on in respect to local customs, I didn’t get into the famous water myself given I didn’t have an extra t-shirt with me on both occasions.

I joined a Jeep tour out to the Great Sand Sea. Along the way, we passed by a salt flat and Cleopatra’s Spring.

Salt flats are common in deserts around the world where water from former lakes have been evaporated, leaving behind salt and minerals on the ground.

Known as Qattara Depression, the area west of Siwa is the second lowest point in Africa. Covered with salt flats, salt marshes and sand dunes, dangerous quagmires are not uncommon in the depression. During WWII, Qattara Depression was considered impassable for military vehicles and tanks due to the danger of quagmires.

There are a number of springs in the area of Siwa Oasis, including Cleopatra’s Spring, Ain Tamusi (Spring of the Bridge), Ain Arais, Fatnas Spring, Ain Qurayshat, Bir Wahed, etc.

Trapped in subterranean chambers, there is actually plenty of spring water below the Western Desert. At a level below the sea, subterranean spring water is much easier to access in the Qattara Depression.

Well maintained by caretakers, the Cleopatra’s Spring is frequented by locals and tourists.

The main pool at Cleopatra’s Spring is circumscribed by a retaining stone wall.

Resting huts and tea houses dot around the pool.

Spring water in Siwa is highly salinized. There is a significant amount of ulvacean green algae in the spring water.

November 25, 2020 | Categories: Africa: Middle East, Egypt, Middle East 2006, Siwa Oasis | Tags: algae, bath, Cleopatra, Egypt, Juba, lake, oasis, palm, pool, Qattara, salt, Siwa, spring, water | Leave a comment

OLD TOWN AND LAKEFRONT, Kandy, Sri Lanka, 2019.12.10

Day 6 (3 of 3).

Located in the hilly heartland of Sri Lanka, Kandy was the last capital of pre-modern Sri Lanka before the country was colonized by the British in 1815. Kandy was our last stop in the Cultural Triangle, and the first stop into the hill country. The Kindgom of Kandy was established under King Sena Sammatha Wickramabahu (1473 – 1511). In 1592, Kandy became the capital city of the last remaining kingdom in Sri Lanka, while the colonial powers, Portuguese and Dutch had taken over the coastal regions and gradually made their way into the heartland.

Home to the Temple of the Tooth Relic, Kandy is an UNESCO World Heritage site and a popular tourist attraction. Many tourists, including us, stop by Kandy before heading to the villages of the hill country, such as Ella, Nuwara Eliya or Haputale. Today, Kandy remains as the second largest city in Sri Lanka, and a major transportation hub in the region. It also lies in the midst of tea plantations. Known as the Sea of Milk, the artificial Kandy Lake remains as the focal point of the city. The lake was built in 1807 by King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe right by the Temple of the Tooth Relic. During our 1.5 days in Kandy, apart from the Temple of the Tooth Relic and Royal Botanic Garden in Peradeniya, we had a waterfront stroll at Kandy Lake, made a brief visit to the national museum, had lunch in the old city centre and dined at the historical Empire Cafe. Though a heavy shower in the second afternoon cut short the time we spent in the rather laid-back city.

On our first night on Kandy, we dined at Empire Cafe adjacent to the Temple of the Tooth Relic.

Housed in a beautiful colonial building, Empire Cafe also serves as a hotel.

Under a rather vintage ambience, we had a enjoyable meal at Empire Cafe.

It was pleasant to sit by the window and enjoy the evening streetscape right by the Temple of the Tooth Relic.

Taking the tuk tuk down the steep slope from Villa Rosa was an exciting way to enter the city of Kandy.

Wall paintings could be seen in a number of locations around Kandy.

On the outer wall of a school building, different groups of painters were busy making murals.

Similar to other Sri Lankan cities and towns, tuk tuk is the best way to get around in Kandy.

Like other tourists, we spent most of the time in Kandy near the Temple of the Tooth Relic. The temple entrance plaza was always crowded with visitors.

Around the Temple of the Tooth Relic, vendors were selling all kinds of Buddhist souvenirs, lotus offerings, snacks and king coconuts.

We made a brief visit to the small national museum behind the Temple of the Tooth Relic.

Kandy Lake is the main focal point of the city. The waterfront scenery reminded us of some European cities and towns.

Right by lake embankment, the Ulpange or Queens Bathing Pavilion stands out as a beautiful between the palace and the lake. Built in 1806, the building was used as a bathing chamber in the past. Today, it belongs to the local police.

Kandy Lake is also home to Asian water monitor lizards, one of the largest lizard species in the world.

In the heart of Kandy Lake rises an artificial island planted with palm trees and shrubs.

Known as Walakulu Bamma or Cloud Wall, the ornate wall was built around part of Kandy Lake for aesthetic purpose.

With over 160 years of history, the Queen’s Hotel stands proudly across the street from the entrance of Temple of the Tooth Relic and Kandy Lake.

The elegant colonnade of Queen’s Hotel prominently connects the entrance plaza of the Temple of the Tooth Relic with the old city centre.

We followed the colonnade of Queen’s Hotel towards the old city centre.

The old town centre is a busy hub of shops, banks and restaurants. We had lunch at one of the cafes before an afternoon shower forced us to return to the hotel.

April 18, 2020 | Categories: Kandy, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka 2019 | Tags: empire, hotel, Kandy, lake, lizard, museum, restaurant, Sri Lanka, Temple of the Tooth, tuk tuk | Leave a comment

FISHERMEN BELOW MISTY OAKAN (雄阿寒岳), Lake Akan (阿寒湖), Kushiro (釧路), Hokkaido (北海道), Japan, 2019.06.20

Day 6 (1/3).

During our Hokkaido trip, it was hard not to get up early when sunrise happened daily at around 3:30am. An early start to the day allowed us to enjoy the refreshing beauty of Hokkaido’s volcanic landscape under the morning mist. To enjoy the most of Lake Akan before leaving, we took a morning walk before breakfast. By the lake, we passed by the pier where staff were preparing passenger boats for the first tourist cruises of the day. Behind the pier a small trail led us into a forest towards the famous hot mud pools known as bokke.

In front of our hotel, Lake Akan was blanketed with mist in early morning.

At the tourist pier, staff were preparing the passenger boats for the first cruises of the day.

Behind the pier, a small path led us into the lakeside forest.

The path ended at a series of hot mud pools known as bokke (bubbling mud). The area around the bokke remains relatively warm and snow-free in winter, when the rest of Akan is covered in a metre of deep snow.

Occasionally, we saw people standing in the icy water of Lake Akan.

We soon realised the people in the water were actually fly fishing. We later found out that Lake Akan is the most popular venue in Japan for fly fishing.

A recreational fisherman approached us and spoke to us in Cantonese. It was his 18th consecutive year making fishing trips to Lake Akan. We followed him to a narrow path beyond the tourist trail.

Further into the path, we could see dozens other fishermen in the lake.

As well as the majestic Mount Oakan (雄阿寒岳) at the back.

Standing in the water of Lake Akan and fishing in front of the volcano must be a fantastic experience.

At this hidden location beyond the tourist trail, we could enjoy the perfect volcano view along with the fishermen.

As the sun rose, the mist began to retreat.

Minutes later, the fog almost disappeared completely.

Along the lake, there were a number of hotspring where boiling water came out from the ground and flowed into the lake.

On our way back to the hotel, we passed by a number of hotspring streams.

The hotspring footbath (弁慶の足湯) at the trailhead attracted hikers to rest their feet after their walks.

Ten to fifteen minutes on the road took us to Lake Onnetoh, a small lake where Mount Meakan (雌阿寒岳) and Akan Fuji stood along with their perfect reflection.

We hiked up a nearby hill to enjoy the scenery of Lake Onnetoh and the two stratovolcanoes.

After Lake Onnetoh, our journey in Eastern Hokkaido had come to an end. We were ready to move on to Central Hokkaido.

* * *

Introduction
HOKKAIDO ROAD TRIP, Hokkaido (北海道)

Day 1 – from Tokyo to Shiretoko Peninsula
Day 1.1 TSUKIJI OUTER MARKET (築地場外市場)
Day 1.2 ARRIVAL IN SHIRETOKO, Utoro (ウトロ)

Day 2 – Utoro
Day 2.1 SHIRETOKO FIVE LAKES (知床五湖)
Day 2.2 UTORO FISHERMAN’S WIVES CO-OPERATIVE DINER (ウトロ漁協婦人部食堂)
Day 2.3 FUREPE FALLS (フレペの滝)

Day 3 – Rausu
Day 3.1 RUSA FIELD HOUSE (ルサフィールドハウス)
Day 3.2 JUN NO BANYA (純の番屋)

Day 4 – Rausu
Day 4.1 MOUNT RAUSU (羅臼岳)
Day 4.2 FANTASTIC ORCAS, Nemuro Strait (根室海峡)

Day 5 – Lake Mashu & Lake Akan
Day 5.1 SUNRISE AT LAKE MASHU (摩周湖)
Day 5.2 MOUNT MASHU TRAIL (摩周岳) , Teshikaga (弟子屈)
Day 5.3 SILENT NIGHT AT LAKE AKAN (阿寒湖)

Day 6 – On the road from Lake Akan to Furano
Day 6.1 FISHERMEN BELOW MISTY OAKAN (雄阿寒岳), Lake Akan (阿寒湖)
Day 6.2 TREATS OF OBIHIRO (帯広), Tokachi (十勝)
Day 6.3 ARRIVING IN FURANO (富良野)

Day 7 Furano & Biei
Day 7.1 LAVENDER BUDS, Nakafurano (中富良野)
Day 7.2 FARM TOMITA (ファーム富田), Nakafurano (中富良野)
Day 7.3 BI.BLE, Biei (美瑛)
Day 7.4 PATCHWORK ROAD & PANORAMA ROAD, Biei (美瑛)
Day 7.5 NINGLE TERRACE (ニングルテラス)

Day 8 – from Furano to Otaru
Day 8.1 CHURCH ON THE WATER (水の教会), Hoshino Resorts Tomamu (星野リゾートトマム)
Day 8.2 HILL OF THE BUDDHA (頭大仏), Makomanai Takino Cemetery (真駒内滝野霊園)
Day 8.3 SEAFOOD, CANAL, & HISTORY, Otaru (小樽)
Day 8.4 RAINY NIGHT IN OTARU, Otaru (小樽)

Day 9 – Yochi & Sapporo
Day 9.1 NIKKA YOICHI DISTILLERY (余市蒸溜所), Yoichi (余市)
Day 9.2 SOUP CURRY NIGHT

Day 10 – Sapporo
10.1 OKKAIDO SHRINE (北海道神宮 )
10.2 MORIHICO COFFEE (森彦珈琲本店)
10.3 KITAKARO SAPPORO HONKAN (北菓楼札幌本館)
10.4 SATURDAYS CHOCOLATE
10.5 GOTSUBO OYSTER BAR(五坪)
10.6 MOUNT MOIWA (藻岩山) & RAMEN HARUKA (ラーメン悠)

Day 11 – Sapporo
11.1 FORMER HOKKAIDO GOVERNMENT OFFICE (北海道庁旧本庁舎)
11.2 RED STAR & GENGKIS KHAN, Sapporo Beer Museum (サッポロビール株式会社)

August 22, 2019 | Categories: Hokkaido, Japan, Japan: Hokkaido 2019, Lake Mashu and Akan | Tags: Akan, angling, オンネトー, 釧路, 阿寒湖, Fisherman, fly fishing, fog, Hokkaido, Kushiro, lake, mist, mountain, Onneto, volcano, 北海道 | Leave a comment

SILENT NIGHT AT LAKE AKAN (阿寒湖), Kushiro (釧路), Hokkaido (北海道), Japan, 2019.06.19

Day 5 (3/3).

About 60km southwest of Lake Mashu, we arrived at Akankohan (阿寒湖畔), our second destination in Akan Mashu National Park. Under the shadow of volcano Mount Oakan (雄阿寒岳), the onsen resort village Akankohan (阿寒湖畔) right by Lake Akan or Akanko (阿寒湖) is another great place in Eastern Hokkaido to experience the beauty of the region’s volcanic landscape. While may not be as crystal clear as Lake Mashu, Lake Akan, also a crater lake, is nonetheless also famous for its pure water. In fact, the pristine quality of the lake water has enabled the famous lake inhabitant, the marimo, to thrive in Lake Akan. Marimo, a rare ball-like algae, may grow up the size of a football if left untouched for centuries. Unlike Lake Mashu, Lake Akan has a much bigger human presence especially along the waterfront of Akankohan, where modern ryokans with all kinds of onsen baths, and shops, small museum, and cultural centre about the local Ainu people are established.

We stayed at Akankohan for a night to have a short visit of the lakeside onsen resort. We didn’t take the tourist cruise boat for a marimo museum visit on a small island in the lake; nor did we do a long hike up to one of the beautiful volcanoes around the lake or visit the Ainu cultural centre. We did however make a morning forest walk to the boiling bokke mud pool east of the resort village, enjoy a starry night standing on the lakeside boardwalk, and cleanse our bodies and souls in the mineral rich hotspring water of Akan.

At Akankohan, the waterfront is lined with resort hotels and docks for tourist cruise boats.

Located at the waterfront, our hotel Tsuruga Lake Akan Lodge Turano is a comfortable pet-friendly guesthouse with nice views to the lake.

Compared to other lakeside resort hotels, Tsuruga Lake Akan Lodge Turano is much more causal.

There was no hotspring facilities at Tsuruga Lake Akan Lodge Turano, we were invited to use one of Tsuruga’s other hotel’s facility. Recommended by the hotel staff, we went to Akan Yuku no Sato Tsuruga for its onsen facilities. During our visit, men were assigned to use the three-level bathing facilities at the lower floor while women at the 8/F outdoor infinity pool facing the lake.

It wasn’t the darkest and clearest night for stargazing, but chilling out in the cool air at Lake Akan after a hearty buffet dinner was delightful.

Clouds and fog moved quickly across the sky. Stars were still visible in between.

At Akankohan (阿寒湖畔), Mount Oakan (雄阿寒岳) has a dominant presence to the scenery.

Dusk fell upon with a soft touch of orange cast on the moving clouds.

In comparison, the artificial lights from the lakeside hotels looked overwhelmingly bright.

Various boardwalk structures extend out to the lake for small boats and tourist photos.

Last erupted in 2008, Mount Oakan is a shield volcano rises about 900m from the lake.

Swan like recreational boats looked quite out of place in the natural surrounding.

Most multi-level buildings in Akankohan are resort hotels. Behind the lakeside hotels, a shopping street lined with souvenir shops forms the main thoroughfare for the village. The entire village looks completely dependent on tourism.

Near our guesthouse Tsuruga Lake Akan Lodge Turano, the lights from the lakeside hotels looked far more overwhelming than the mighty volcano, which sat in tranquility in the background waiting for its next moment of eruption.

* * *

Introduction
HOKKAIDO ROAD TRIP, Hokkaido (北海道)

Day 1 – from Tokyo to Shiretoko Peninsula
Day 1.1 TSUKIJI OUTER MARKET (築地場外市場)
Day 1.2 ARRIVAL IN SHIRETOKO, Utoro (ウトロ)

Day 2 – Utoro
Day 2.1 SHIRETOKO FIVE LAKES (知床五湖)
Day 2.2 UTORO FISHERMAN’S WIVES CO-OPERATIVE DINER (ウトロ漁協婦人部食堂)
Day 2.3 FUREPE FALLS (フレペの滝)

Day 3 – Rausu
Day 3.1 RUSA FIELD HOUSE (ルサフィールドハウス)
Day 3.2 JUN NO BANYA (純の番屋)

Day 4 – Rausu
Day 4.1 MOUNT RAUSU (羅臼岳)
Day 4.2 FANTASTIC ORCAS, Nemuro Strait (根室海峡)

Day 5 – Lake Mashu & Lake Akan
Day 5.1 SUNRISE AT LAKE MASHU (摩周湖)
Day 5.2 MOUNT MASHU TRAIL (摩周岳) , Teshikaga (弟子屈)
Day 5.3 SILENT NIGHT AT LAKE AKAN (阿寒湖)

Day 9 – Yochi & Sapporo
Day 9.1 NIKKA YOICHI DISTILLERY (余市蒸溜所), Yoichi (余市)
Day 9.2 SOUP CURRY NIGHT

Day 11 – Sapporo
11.1 FORMER HOKKAIDO GOVERNMENT OFFICE (北海道庁旧本庁舎)
11.2 RED STAR & GENGKIS KHAN, Sapporo Beer Museum (サッポロビール株式会社)

August 20, 2019 | Categories: Hokkaido, Japan, Japan: Hokkaido 2019, Lake Mashu and Akan | Tags: Akan, Akankohan, clouds, 釧路, 阿寒湖, 阿寒湖畔, Hokkaido, Japan, Japanese, Kushiro, lake, marimo, Mashu, night, ryokan, star, 北海道 | Leave a comment

MOUNT MASHU TRAIL (摩周岳) , Teshikaga (弟子屈), Hokkaido (北海道), Japan, 2019.06.19

Day 5 (2/3).

After a few hours of sleep, we returned to Lake Mashu to seek for another way to enjoy the crater lake and its surrounding landscape. This time, we took the 14.4km trail along the crater rim up to the top of Mount Mashu or Mashu-dake (857m) in a 4-6 hour walk. We read from guidebooks and online research that the scenery of Lake Mashu from the top of Mount Mashu would be very promising. At the onsen village of Mashu, we stopped by a bento takeout restaurant (ほかほか弁当) to order two rice dishes for breakfast, then headed over to Lake Mashu’s Viewpoint 1 to begin our hike.

A terrain model at the visitor centre of Viewpoint 1 gave us a rough idea of the hike, from the trailhead at the south of the crater lake to the peak of Mount Mashu east of the lake.

Soon after the trailhead, we reached the first open lookout of Lake Mashu.

The trail took us along the crater lake on one side, and open plains and distant volcanic landscape on the other.

Most of the trail ran along the rim of the crater lake with little shades.

From time to time, wooden signage indicated how far we were from our destination.

There was pretty much only one trail for most of the time. It was almost impossible to get lost.

Near the peak, we could fully appreciate the volcanic landscape of the area, including the lush green forest in a caldera next to Lake Mashu.

After the steepest section of the trail, we finally reached the summit of Mount Mashu, a small lookout that offered wonderful panoramas of the area’s volcanic scenery.

From the top, the volcanic scenery of Lake Mashu area was fantastic.

Looking west, the ridge of Mount Mashu led to the eastern edge of Lake Mashu.

Clouds were getting in with the wind but we still had blue sky for most of the day.

Looking north, we could see the eastern tip of Lake Mashu.

With a circumference of about 20km, Lake Mashu is one of the most famous lakes in Hokkaido. We stayed for 20 minutes or so at the summit all by ourselves, and began the descending journey when another couple followed our footsteps and replaced us at the peak.

Claimed as the clearest water in the world, the beautiful blue colour of Lake Mashu was simply stunning when viewed from above.

The wind was mild and the air was dry, such a perfect day for us to hike at Eastern Hokkaido.

From afar, the tiny island in the middle of Lake Mashu looked funny.

The hike would offer a different scenery if we were to visit in the autumn.

The beauty of Lake Mashu never cease to impress us, despite we were a little tired near the end of the hike.

Finally back to Viewpoint 1, the colour of Lake Mashu had changed due to the constantly moving clouds. From dawn to mid afternoon, we had fully experienced the sheer beauty of the famous caldera lake. After about 5 hours of walking, we returned to Viewpoint 1 and treated ourselves with local chocolate milk and a slide of Yubari melon (夕張メロン) , the king of Hokkaido fruit which just broke the record in May 2019 with a pair fetching 5,000,000 JPY (47,000 USD) in auction.

* * *

Introduction
HOKKAIDO ROAD TRIP, Hokkaido (北海道)

Day 1 – from Tokyo to Shiretoko Peninsula
Day 1.1 TSUKIJI OUTER MARKET (築地場外市場)
Day 1.2 ARRIVAL IN SHIRETOKO, Utoro (ウトロ)

Day 2 – Utoro
Day 2.1 SHIRETOKO FIVE LAKES (知床五湖)
Day 2.2 UTORO FISHERMAN’S WIVES CO-OPERATIVE DINER (ウトロ漁協婦人部食堂)
Day 2.3 FUREPE FALLS (フレペの滝)

Day 3 – Rausu
Day 3.1 RUSA FIELD HOUSE (ルサフィールドハウス)
Day 3.2 JUN NO BANYA (純の番屋)

Day 4 – Rausu
Day 4.1 MOUNT RAUSU (羅臼岳)
Day 4.2 FANTASTIC ORCAS, Nemuro Strait (根室海峡)

Day 5 – Lake Mashu & Lake Akan
Day 5.1 SUNRISE AT LAKE MASHU (摩周湖)
Day 5.2 MOUNT MASHU TRAIL (摩周岳) , Teshikaga (弟子屈)
Day 5.3 SILENT NIGHT AT LAKE AKAN (阿寒湖)

Day 9 – Yochi & Sapporo
Day 9.1 NIKKA YOICHI DISTILLERY (余市蒸溜所), Yoichi (余市)
Day 9.2 SOUP CURRY NIGHT

Day 11 – Sapporo
11.1 FORMER HOKKAIDO GOVERNMENT OFFICE (北海道庁旧本庁舎)
11.2 RED STAR & GENGKIS KHAN, Sapporo Beer Museum (サッポロビール株式会社)

August 17, 2019 | Categories: Hokkaido, Japan, Japan: Hokkaido 2019, Lake Mashu and Akan | Tags: blue, hike, hiking, Hokkaido, Japan, Japanese, lake, lookout, Mashu, mountains, Teshikaga, Trail, volcano, water, 弟子屈, 摩周湖 | Leave a comment

SUNRISE AT LAKE MASHU (摩周湖), Teshikaga (弟子屈), Hokkaido (北海道), Japan, 2019.06.19

Day 5 (1/3).

Leaving Shitetoko behind, we drove southwest towards another natural marvel of Eastern Hokkaido, the Akan Mashu National Park (阿寒摩周国立公園). On the lush green plains, stratovolcanoes emerged from the horizon, revealing the violent past of the local geology. Hot springs, crater lakes, and stratovolcanoes define the characteristics of the area, and have led to the creation of the national park in 1934. Just 15 minutes of drive from the Viewing Platform 1 of Lake Mashu (摩周湖), we checked in at Masyuko Youth Hostel (摩周湖ユースホステル). That night, we woke up at 2:30am and drove to the Viewing Platform 1 of Lake Mashu to watch the sunrise, a famous scenic sight in Hokkaido. In the summer, the sun rises at around 3:30am in Hokkaido, leaving us little time for sleep.

On our way to Akan Mashu National Park , we could see stratovolcanoes rose from the horizon in a distance.

Masyuko Youth Hostel offered us a comfortable place for a short rest before venturing out again to watch the sunrise.

Arriving at Viewing Platform 1 of Lake Mashu, we were stunned to see a sea of clouds blanketed over the area of Kawayu Onsen (川湯温泉).

Looking down from Viewing Platform 1, the water of Lake Mashu appeared like a crystal clear mirror.

Claimed as the clearest lake in the world (with transparency measured at 41.6m back in 1931), Lake Mashu is a beautiful crater lake where visitors can enjoy the scenery from two viewing platforms along the crater rim. The clarity might have slightly declined in recent decades, but Lake Mashu is still nevertheless an extremely beautiful water body.

Occasionally sea of clouds would appear over Lake Mashu, but not during our visit.

Soon the sun emerged behind the distant mountains to the east.

We enjoyed moments of tranquility at the viewing platform.

Several tourists and photographers stood among us at the viewing platform to watch the sunrise.

While the sun gradually rose over the crater lake, the moon still lingered in the sky behind us.

When the sun was up, the blue water and lush green surroundings changed the ambience of Lake Mashu into a different picture.

The deep blue Mashu Lake looked mysterious and surreal, almost too beautiful to be true.

The rim of the crater lake is now covered by dense vegetation.

On the other side, clouds and fog continued to cover the foot of Mount Iō (アトサヌプリ) and the Kawayu Onsen (川湯温泉) area.

The entire Kawayu Onsen (川湯温泉) area was blanked in thick fog.

Over to the southwest we could see the stratovolcanoes near what could be the Lake Akan area.

Down in Lake Mashu, the small island stood like a feature sculpture at the centre.

The sea of clouds at Mount Iō (アトサヌプリ) and Kawayu Onsen (川湯温泉) subsided a little as the sun rose further up.

Moisture and thin mist emerged over the water of Lake Mashu. The mist moved rapidly over the water as if dancing. At one point thicker mist gathered over the small island like a cotton shield.

The mist over the island soon dispersed into thin air. As the sun reached high in the sky, we returned to the hostel for another few hours of sleep before coming back to Lake Mashu for hiking later in the day.

* * *

Introduction
HOKKAIDO ROAD TRIP, Hokkaido (北海道)

Day 1 – from Tokyo to Shiretoko Peninsula
Day 1.1 TSUKIJI OUTER MARKET (築地場外市場)
Day 1.2 ARRIVAL IN SHIRETOKO, Utoro (ウトロ)

Day 2 – Utoro
Day 2.1 SHIRETOKO FIVE LAKES (知床五湖)
Day 2.2 UTORO FISHERMAN’S WIVES CO-OPERATIVE DINER (ウトロ漁協婦人部食堂)
Day 2.3 FUREPE FALLS (フレペの滝)

Day 3 – Rausu
Day 3.1 RUSA FIELD HOUSE (ルサフィールドハウス)
Day 3.2 JUN NO BANYA (純の番屋)

Day 4 – Rausu
Day 4.1 MOUNT RAUSU (羅臼岳)
Day 4.2 FANTASTIC ORCAS, Nemuro Strait (根室海峡)

Day 5 – Lake Mashu & Lake Akan
Day 5.1 SUNRISE AT LAKE MASHU (摩周湖)
Day 5.2 MOUNT MASHU TRAIL (摩周岳) , Teshikaga (弟子屈)
Day 5.3 SILENT NIGHT AT LAKE AKAN (阿寒湖)

Day 9 – Yochi & Sapporo
Day 9.1 NIKKA YOICHI DISTILLERY (余市蒸溜所), Yoichi (余市)
Day 9.2 SOUP CURRY NIGHT

Day 11 – Sapporo
11.1 FORMER HOKKAIDO GOVERNMENT OFFICE (北海道庁旧本庁舎)
11.2 RED STAR & GENGKIS KHAN, Sapporo Beer Museum (サッポロビール株式会社)

August 11, 2019 | Categories: Hokkaido, Japan, Japan: Hokkaido 2019, Lake Mashu and Akan | Tags: Akan Mashu, アトサヌプリ, dawn, 阿寒摩周国立公園, Hokkaido, Japan, Japanese, Kawayu Onsen, lake, Mashu, Masyuko Youth Hostel, Mount Iō, mountain, Stratovolcano, sunrise, Teshikaga, volcano, water, 北海道, 川湯温泉, 弟子屈, 摩周湖 | Leave a comment

DAY 6 (1/3): SUNRISE OVER PUSHKAR LAKE, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India, 2018.11.29

At 6:30 in the morning, we returned to the ghats of Pushkar Lake. The eastern horizon was about to turn yellow. We came to have a final stroll along the sacred water. We regret that we couldn’t spend more time in Pushkar, a place that is meant for slow indulgence for its spiritual qualities. We, however, were making a brief loop of Rajasthan in a rather limited time. Situated between Jaisalmer and Jaipur, Pushkar was a convenient stop in our itinerary. We didn’t come in time to attend the famous camel fair, nor did we hike up the nearby hills or visit the Brahma Temple (no cameras, shoes, leather). Just spending several hours strolling on the ghats turned out to be more than worthwhile for us. Among cities and sites that we visited in Rajasthan, Pushkar stood out as a charming and peaceful destination that truly touched our hearts.

At 6:30, some locals were already lingering at the ghats.

It was interesting to see how a local interacted with a cow.

The forever presence of pigeons at Pushkar Lake.

The sun rose beyond the hills while a dog rested on a ghat with marked 2018.

The adjacent temples had yet come to life. Scattered temple staff and pilgrims arrived at the ghats.

Once again the ghats were covered with a coat of orange glow.

The setting looked magnificent with the morning reflections.

Following the sunlight, we walked over to the west side of the lake.

Every moment could be captured as a peaceful painting of the old India.

Some worshipers were listening to the priest’s teaching at one of the ghats.

At the northwest corner of Pushkar Lake we bid farewell to the sacred water.

We stopped by a tiny cafe called Honey Dew for morning coffee.

Brahma Temple in Pushkar is one of the very few Hindu temple in the world dedicated to Brahma, the creator god in Hinduism.

Robin Jewels is a nice jewellery shop we found online. Before leaving Pushkar, we dropped by the shop and picked up a few pieces. Robin is specialized in silver, brass, gold and gemstones, with their own manufacturing workshop in town.