Wordless Wednesday: Fukushuen Spiral

Location: Fukushuen Garden, Naha, Okinawa, Japan

Ahacha -- A Bridge Off the Beaten Path in Urasoe Okinawa

Not Much Traffic Here

A Guidebook provided by Urasoe City Board of Education led to this find.

Buzzing along the highways and byways of the island, you never see things like this.

There are a couple dozen more treasures like this, I'll be hunting down.

Folks who can read these signs, might find the place, quicker than, I did.

But, if they are, flying down side streets, in little 4 cylinder cars, they could miss out, too.

It's best, to get off your rump and, do some walking. Even doctors will tell you that.

The bridge, isn't visible from the road up above but, it's a beauty.

Stone-work like this, takes plenty of hard labor to accomplish, I know.

It should be photographed and, displayed for the whole world to admire.

Walking across, to the other side, I shot this scene, showing the river below.

More than a few centuries old, it must have been a struggle, building this bridge.

Imagine the laborers, jumping into the river, to cool off, at the end of the day.

For me, it was important to, get close-up photos of both sides, showing the stone work.

What if, they had an east side and a west side construction crew?

Both crews deserve to have their work displayed. That would only be fair.

Backing off with the camera, gives an idea, why it's not visible from the city street.

A Long Long Time Ago

It might help if, I explain my interest in architecture such as this.

When I was very young a stonemason from Italy taught me something.

Maybe, eight years old or so, I hauled heavy rocks, in a wheelbarrow, for him.

As fast as the stones could be hauled, he would use them, going higher and higher.

Hard labor, sweat and tears from dawn until dusk, he kept on building.

From a foundation, dug in the ground, to above the roof in the sky, he built a chimney.

That chimney and fireplace, were the first time, our house got heated.

From That Foundation

Learning hard work, mixing mortar, handling stones, did something for me.

It gave me an appreciation for architectural design and, respect for those in the industry.

Some folks, these days, would consider that work, child labor and criminal.

It wasn't. It was friends and family, helping each other and more.

Consider it, character building.  That's what I do.

With all my heart, I appreciate the work of builders, laborers and engineers.

All that's left to say is, something I should have said, way back then.

One night, when the old stonemason was sleeping, something strange happened.

Signore Caccavale, "I didn't mean, to piss in your boots."

"I'll buy you a beer, when I get to the other side. OK?"

Map for Ahacha Bridge

Travel Photo: Nice Day in January

Traditional Okinawan Architecture

 

 

For all the talk of snow in Okinawa, the weather sure turned out nice today.

Conditions are subject to change, every 10 minutes, on a tropical island.

So, when I saw the blue skies, I ran and grabbed a camera.

Camera: Pentax K3

Lens: Pentax 18-250 at 81MM

Exposure:  f/16   1/320   ISO 100

Location:  Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time:  JAN 27  2015  11:56AM

Travel Photo: Architecture in the Yanbaru Discovery Forest

This Shelter Provides Some Shade

 

 

Sometimes, on a steamy afternoon, the wildlife just disappear.

We stopped in this little building for a break and it gave me an idea.

Just kick back, like you're taking a nap.

And, take a picture of the ceiling.

Camera: Pentax KD10

Lens: Pentax 18-250 at 18mm.

Exposure:  f/11   1/4sec   ISO 100

These People Aren't Afraid to Get Their Hands Dirty

Here's a Cool Project

 

 

En-route to the northern hills of Okinawa, we stopped and visited this place.

It will take some more research to get all the details.

But, I had fun just, watching and shooting photos.

The engineer, in me, loves this sort of stuff.

Wonder if I could snitch some blueprints.

They take, regular Okinawa red clay and sift it.

Then, mix it with cement and water.

Fill up buckets with the stuff and get these gal volunteers to slap it on the building.

They're constructing some sort of Ecology House.

It looks like a huge beehive.

We will have to go back up there and see the finished product.

Don't you think that would be a neat place to live?

Check out Earth Bag Workshop on Facebook

Like those people because they ain't afraid to get their hands dirty.

Japanese - Ryukyu Shimpo Article and finished construction.

Travel Photos: Things Looking Up at Sueyoshi Garden

There's a Brand New Cafe in Nago, Okinawa, Japan

 

Today, up in the hills of Nago, we found a cool place to stop and get out of the humidity.

The wife and I went to see the hydrangea at Sueyoshi Garden.

After snapping a few hundred photos, I was fried.

Coming back down the hill there is an orange-tiled roof, over what looks like someone's mansion.

It is called the Hydrangea Cafe.

The air-conditioning felt so good, I figured we should stay awhile.

We ordered a couple of iced coffees and I asked if it would be alright to take some photos.

Looking up, here is what you see.

In case you were wondering why the Sueyoshi family lets me roll around on the floor, I'll tell you.

It's because they have seen me rolling around on the ground outside.

Whenever I go there, I spend more time with this dog, than I do looking at flowers !

If you had to chose between Architecture, Dogs or, Flowers, what would be your favorite subject ?


SUEYOSHI GARDEN BLOG

Hydrangea Caf'e on Facebook

Travel Photo: Gara Stone Bridge in Uruma City Okinawa, Japan

Gara Bridge may be one of the oldest bridges in Okinawa, Japan.

It is Uruma City Cultural Asset #17  "Architecture" according to a sign posted nearby.

Originally, it was a wooden bridge built for the safety of children going to school.

That was back in the days when an Emperor of Japan sat on the throne.

Fearing  a good downpour could wash the structure away, it was redesigned, as you see it today.

Five meters high, five meters long and two meters wide, this bridge was built in 1928.

Architects like this stone arch bridge.

That's because, they say, the more you use it, the stronger it gets.

Note to locals: Map It Okinawa will have to show you how to find this gem.

Meanwhile, I'll be bugging  Uruma City to see where all the rest of their cultural assets are hidden.