Sumo in Tokyo

ceremonial sweeping around the ring


cleansing the inside of the ring with salt






a typical match lasts twenty to thirty seconds

next match, different angle

Aomori, Japan

Thanks to the Aomori port authority for putting on a welcome ceremony at the pier, which included this papier-maché warrior.

SAVE THE EARTH SAVE THE EARTH SAVE THE EARTH

These two figures are dancing tango, and the text all over the wall is in Spanish. There was absolutely no indication of why this was here in Aomori, Japan.

Pocari Sweat! Also, Lemon Water is not the best name either. C-

One Evening in Otaru, Japan

This clock has a weather signal underneath, which would be clever if it weren't situated underneath a transparent tunnel roof.

Fitness Instructor Chris and I find an alley full of undersized restaurants.


Tiny Korean restaurant with eight seats.

Patrons.

A whole fish and some type of kimchee soup that I would happily eat again.

This guy was crazy. Seven of the eight pictures I have of him are blurry because he wouldn't stop gesticulating.


At the end of the night, we found a bar where the dried squid was free, so we stayed. It was very important to the bartender that we be fans of Eric Clapton's later recordings.

Guess what's on the TV over to the left? One of Eric Clapton's concerts in the '90's.

The walk home.

Template Change

I've changed the color theme because the dark blue helps the pictures to stand out.

Sled Dog Tour (Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia)

Outside the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, there is a sled dog–raising facility where Siberian and Alaskan huskies are bred, raised, and trained.

That's an active volcano in the background. And the modified ex-military vehicle in the fore was our means of arrival.

Click to enlarge.

This is one of the breeders. She's a beefy, hardcore, no-nonsense Russian who braves meters and meters of snow each winter. That's why they raise these dogs, actually—there comes a point each winter when cars can no longer be used in the area, and sleds are the only means of transportation.



While the dogs were being rigged up for their daily practice run, we went on a short nature walk through the forest.


Rigged up and ready to go.


Extremely fast practice run.




We were treated to a local show given by native koryaks. They sang and danced and drummed, as you can see in the picture, but I wish the pictures could also convey the chirping and high-pitched chanting—almost shrieking, really. Very strange. I think their intention was to imitate birds.

Whalebone Alley (Yttigran Island, Russia)

This place has been uninhabited for a while, but the tribe that used to live here arranged whale bones on the beach, presumably for religious reasons.

Arrival by Zodiac.



Pelvises, I think

Each of the bones below is about seven feet tall.