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Friday, September 7, 2012
Saturday, August 13, 2011
August 7, 2011 Eisa matsuri (Pentax)
August 7, 2011 Eisa matsuri (Pentax), a set on Flickr, and a juggling back and forth of the Pentax between the two of us.
Eisa matsuri is one of the oldest in Japan. During the summer, a number of "Eisa-dance" performances can be seen at many festivals around the island. Eisa dance, or simply “Eisa” for local residents, was originally performed as part of a prayer for the spirits of the ancestors. In Okinawa, as well as on mainland Japan, it is believed the spirits of ancestors come back home during Obon, a day on which memorial services are held. Eisa originally started as a dance to escort the ancestors' spirits back to their resting place on the last day of Obon.
We arranged our trip this year so we could go and see the Eisa dance in Naha on August 7, 2011. This is a pre-obon event, which takes place after the mainland Japan obon in mid-August, one of the three big holiday times, after the new year and Golden Week. The streets were lined with people to watch the parade-like procession of nearly 20 different dance groups of various ages from young kids to adults. The music was lively and fun.
See the youtube videos for an idea of the vibrancy their performance.
Lest I forget the after Eisa break back in our hotel room with a nice, cool Kirin Free. Yeah!
Typhoon August 2011
Typhoon August 2011, a set on Flickr.
The reason we're here on the main island and not in Geruma diving for 4 more days - Typhoon #9.We were really stuck inside on August 5, and it was a windy trip back from the aquarium on the previous day. We were at the aquarium in the morning and it closed in the afternoon. Apparently Nago was not affected by power outages but we were, so we had a candlelit night on the 5th. It sure warmed up in the hotel too, since we couldn't open the windows. And when we did, the room was flooded with a salt-studded sea breeze. Not ideal for anyone on a low-sodium diet!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Churaumi August 4, 2011
Churaumi August 4, 2011, a set on Flickr.
Our third visit to Churaumi aquarium in the morning, before it closed due to Typhoon #9. It is a beautiful place with nice big tanks so the fish can roam freely. I steer away from the dolphin show as usual, which unfortunately they have. However, the indoor stuff is great, as you will see.
Besides showing off their sea life, they are active in recultivating and planting coral.
Some other fish:
Not easy to hold the camera together and have our photo taken simultaneously.
We should have asked a nearby fish for help!
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