As promised, here are some of the pictures I took yesterday. It was an overall fun day, a bit of an early start for a weekend, but the Krispy Kreme donuts that my interepreter brought back from the USA, even though they were a few days old, were delicious. Nothing like a burst of sugar and fat and preservatives all washed down with a few cups of coffee to get your day going!

And now for the pics...

Dog who wanted to eat us...Nice Doggie! Stay! Stay!

The trailhead

Top of the first hill (about 500 steps).

Group shot in the quarry

Quarry walls...

"Durn that's high!!"

Big Kannon

"Now dig like a badger!"

The Sweeper

Japanese lady's hiking shoes

Old stone wall...

Me looking into Hell (overlook that for some reason was dubbed "looking into Hell" hundreds of years ago.

The View (not the TV show...). They say that on a clear day, you can see Tokyo and Mt Fuji.

The top

Some of the 1500 Arahats

The gate to the top. Of course we came from the other side, so the big scary guy statues didn't deter us...

The trail

Green Scene

Don't bump your heed

Bamboo fence and grove

The Daibutsu (the biggest Buddha in Japan)

Exhaustion sets in...

Dave and the BB

These girls were having a ball ringing that bell...laughing hysterically. Normally, people are very solemn and pious when they ring the bell and pray. Not these kids..."Clang! Clang! Ha, ha, ha!!!"

Big pile of baby Jizus (small statues that represent babies who died early, or were aborted.)

Group photo with BB

The advertisement appears to portray a ball of hair wrapped in dough, and then baked into a delicious muffin. In fact, it was really seaweed, but it was still delicious.

Don't worry, Mom. These aren't mine...I call this picture "Beer and Smokes"

Make your own pun about this...please don't make me do it for you.

A quick trip to the beach...

And some of the local wildlife...

More wildlife...the Japanese Wagtail

Mormons on a Mission

Where the Aqua Line dives under the Tokyo Bay. This is a rest stop that is out in the water, and feels like you've driven onto a cruise ship. Lots of shops, restaurants, and a view that seems like you're sailing.

Buddhist Monk enjoying the sunshine

Clam Ranch

Yokohama Bay Bridge

All in all, it was a great day...long, tiring, and a lot of time on a bus going to and from, but much fun. My legs were definitely feeling it this morning when I woke up. But, like anything that's demanding, the rewards for our effort were definitely worth it.

Melody's still at sea, and has had a tough week. They had a kid who had his leg pinned beneath one of the aircraft as they were moving it around. The leg was mangled, and ended up having to be amputated. They say that the flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the most dangerous job in the world...seems to me that they may be right. Please be praying for him as he works to recover.