After leaving Enoshima, we headed to Kamakura to see the Daibutsu, the Grand Buddha, or Big Buddha as many foreigners call him.
Traffic was kind of congested, so it took us about 30 min to get just a few miles up the beach to the temple, but we made it. The kids had no idea what the Big Buddha was and were just expecting, well, a big buddha, not a ginormously, huge Buddha. They were so surprised!
>
>
Traffic was kind of congested, so it took us about 30 min to get just a few miles up the beach to the temple, but we made it. The kids had no idea what the Big Buddha was and were just expecting, well, a big buddha, not a ginormously, huge Buddha. They were so surprised!
>
>
>
Okay, so E wasn't very surprised.>
>
I have very vague memories of visiting Daibutsu as a kid, I was maybe 6 or 7 years old, but for some reason, images of the Buddha have always symbolized Japan for me, more so than Fuji-san or geisha or any of the other images people usually have of when they think of Japan.
>
Otis took the bigger kids inside the buddha bowels while I waited outside with Ethan. It sounds corny and sappy, but I got a little teary-eyed standing there. It was so quiet (E was sleeping), the sun was just begining to set and this odd peace just settled over me, a feeling of comfort and of homecoming and, I don't know....it's weird now that I'm remembering it....
>
>
>
As with every other place we've visited, I definitely want to go back again without the kids, so I can take my time and really enjoy the peace and history of the temple. Daibutsu is over 700 years old!!!! I knew it was old, but I was thinking 100 - 150, never 700!! The original temple that held the statue was washed away in a tsunami. Amazing.
>
>
>>
>
2 comments:
your photo's are amazing!
and i loved what you had to say about being there as a kids and remembering.
as a child i loved in Okinawa. i have always wanted to revisit. maybe i will have to... i am sure going back will be amazing!
You really should go, coming back here as an adult has been such a great experience! There are hops from here 3 times a week, you could totally do it! I think we may go this Sept - Oct.
Post a Comment