Matsumoto Castle, one of the famous landmarks of Japanese architecture. There are a few more just like this around the island, but undoubtedly this has the coolest name.
From the bridge on th'other side.
Tree growing impossible up the wall.
Frogmurai.
That orange blotch is, I think, a monster.
This is on the bus ride to Kamikochi. Kamikochi's a really well-protected nature reserve and as such only accessible by public transportation. Ya car can't come here.
Guy painting the scenery.
This was back in May, so I'm not sure when the map there depicts, but maybe sometime in the late spring, early summer.
There are a network of paths around the small lakes in the area that cover kilometers. I hiked around for hours and only did about half of them, maybe less.
Lots of the place is marshy, so they built these sidewalks out of wood. Really sturdy, despite being on stilts.
See.
Marsh.
Those people a few pictures ago took this one of me. Not my best side.
The water's pure, and all the hotels and restaurants use it untreated for all their aquatic needs.
Mountain. There'll be a lot of these.
Mountain through trees.
Mountains and valley.
Avalanche crevasse.
Sidewalk.
After 90 minutes or two hours I came upon a little shrine with a restaurnat next to it.
And lunched and wrote some postcards.
Wooden suspension bridge. It wobbled and delighted me so.
I decided to take a path that wound its way up this mountain. It may not've been THIS mountain, but what does it matter.
The path.
That'll be the most peaceful smile I've ever smilt.
I'm getting fairly high up, but I'm still at the foot of the mountain.
Avalanche.
Now we're talking. Around here I got tired out. The map said this went up and down for about 19 kilometers.
How High I Was.
This is my camera at full zoom. And Photoshopped.
Not Photoshopped.
The Valley.
A shot as I was bussing out.
