Join the guided tour to Mt. Daisen Summer Festa June 4th 2011!!

The tour will be conducted by Ms. Keiko Hayashi at Seren Environmental Education Office. Ms. Hayashi is an experienced nature interpreter, offering educational eco-tours at Mt. Daisen throughout the year for 5 years. She values the intimate look into nature and Iyashi (healing effects) from the forest. She also thinks that guests enjoy the atmosphere of forest is the most important. The tour will be more relaxing and peaceful rather than physically challenging.
I am attending the tour as well. I will be the translater:)

The guided tour will include
- JOIN THE TORCH PARADE WITH LOCALS
- NIGHT HIKING
- SLEEP OUTSIDE ONLY WITH A SLEEPING BAG UNDER THE STARS :)
- WATCH THE SUN RISE IN THE EARLY MORNING 5:00AM ON THE MOUNTAIN

3,500 yen (meals NOT included)

For more detailed itinerary, Please see http://www.houki-town.jp/p/15/4/4/2/.

The application deadline is Thursday 2 June, 2011!!!!

Daisen Miyuki Festival

Daisen Miyuki Festival is a praying ceremony for road safety, family safety and prosperous business, which takes place at Daisenji Temple once three years.

Locals from adults to children dress up in colorful traditional attire, and disguise themselves as gods, armed priests and other Daisen-related figures. They parade along the old approach from Bakurouza Parking to Daisenji Temple, taking 2 hours.






























I have attended a local tour run by Daisen Tour Guide. It was very educational to walk with the guide Mr. Oomori, who is specialized in the history and culture of Mt. Daisen. He is an interpreter at Daisen Museum of Nature and History.


























We ate lunch at Toyama Ryokan on the approach to Daisenji Temple. The main ingredients were the wild vegetables on Mt. Daisen, such as Bamboo sprout, Butterbur sprout, Japanese pepper, Udo, bracken and mushrooms.


This is the office of Daisen Tour Desk :)
















Daisen Tour Desk
Daisen, Daisen-cho, Saihaku-gun, Tottori
Phone: 0859-48-6123 (Japanese Only)
http://eco.daisenking.net/


View Mt. Daisen Area in a larger map

And...this is my favorite pic of the day :)

Bike Around Burgundy

I had been on a small trip to France for 10 days.
Yes, I needed a vacation :)

I was thinking about where to go, then a picture of me biking around a never-ending flat fields and feeling a pleasant breeze came to my mind. I decided my mind instantly. Why not bike around world-famous Bourgogne vineyard and try some decent wine?!

Beaune is said to be the wine capital of Burgundy.
Most tourists with the enthusiasm for food and wine probably would not want to miss visiting the city, and the same goes for me.
I rent a bike at BOURGOGNE RANDONNEES near the Beaune station, and visited beautiful small towns, Volnay and Pommard, near Beaune.











To Be Continued...