Off the Beaten Path to a Ritual in a Cave (Photo Essay)

10 More Photos from the Cave Tour

 

 

Little known cultural events of this sort are becoming popular.

 Travel and tourism connections, along with newsletters, keep me informed.

 Toguchi Sensei, the spiritual leader of this event, knows it as well.

When we first discovered, this ritual, it was performed, only once a year.

Tourist maps and markers, may have helped Sururu Gama become popular.

Or, it could just be word of mouth, that brought about increased interest in the event.

To accommodate the number of visitors, four cave tours have been scheduled this year.

 

 It's a good idea, to see what you're getting into before going on one of these pilgrimages.

It isn't exactly like a Sunday drive to church.

 Getting to and from, the sea level cave, takes a bit of hiking and rock climbing.

Visits are made during low tide and, you crawl, to get in there.

Here's a view of a heart-shaped hole in a rock, just outside the cave.

At half tide, this and the cave would be invisible unless, you are a diver or, snorkeler.

The cave will hold about 50 guests before becoming overcrowded.

Candles and some natural light help you navigate the interior.

The real attraction is Ayako Toguchi, performing her rituals.

She is a respected spiritual leader in the Ryukyu Islands.

 And, blesses each individual who attends the event in this cave.

There will be two more tours of this cultural event, for the year 2014.

April 13th and the 20th, are the scheduled dates.

For reservations and further information:  TEL 0980-56-2187

Japanese language or, translator are required.

Published: Okinawa's Sabani Sailing People -- Photo Essay

 

Before Taking the Shot

 

The man with the red flag appeared to be a very important person.

What I like to do, is ask, before I take any photos.

Things can get pretty hectic, during an event like this and there wasn't any time for chatting.



Once he gave me the Thumbs Up, I was good to go. 

Crawling down the seawall was the only way to get this composition.

I wanted to separate him from the surrounding crowd.

Standing, directly to his right, were two other gentlemen, helping start the sabani race.

One blows a conch shell, the other beats a gong.

There may have been another, firing a starting gun. I wouldn't notice; I too was busy.

Weeks Later I Found a Name

 

 

The man with the red flag is, Ken Uehara.

He is the President of the Itoman Uminchu Art and Craft Center.

And, he is the Commissioner of  NPO  Hamasuki and Chairman of the Itoman Sailing Club.

More About Ken Uehara

My Photo Essay: Okinawa's Sabani Sailing People

 

 

One of these days, I'll be going to see if I can interview that man and visit his museum.

First, I want to finish this class I found, on sailing.

They give you free college classes at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Reading about sailing is alright.

It would be a lot smarter to get your feet and paddle wet before calling yourself a sailor.

Dontcha think ?



Kijimuna with a Bug on His Throat Reminded Me

One of those almost productive days happened, today at the office.

Don't ask why but, I decided to clean this place, really good.

The trash, I've been accumulating, got trashed.

Floors were swept thoroughly by moving all the furniture around.

I grabbed a bucket, swab and big jug of vinegar to sterilize the floors.

Then the Sun Decided to Come Out

 

  So, I stripped down to my t-shirt and sat down in the sunshine, smoking cigarettes.

 

Dang, that sun felt good !

It takes a long time for that vinegar smell to fade and, the floors to dry.

So, I went for a walk.

Then the Sun Disappeared

 

Well, most of the puddles from my most mopping job were dry.

And, the stench of the vinegar was fading.

So, I figured it was time to go to work and do a photo essay.

Some of the agencies, I deal with are government people.  Groan.

They give me headaches.

How come I have to: PROVE YOU ARE A HUMAN ?

What do they think my dogs are the ones doing all this work ?

Unfortunately, I never attended Captcha Code College.  Not to my knowledge, anyway.

So, I'm always screwing-up their codes.

Lots of those government folks give you the chance, to listen to the code.

But, that only works if you can hear.

After a few hours of guessing codes and passwords and proving I'm human, I gotterdun.

I hope.

 

Nearly 60% of the Audience Here Comes from Japan

 

 

The little praying mantis up there reminded me of something, I forget, sometimes.

Whenever you use slang, it should be explained to those who use English as a second language.

Well, after a day like today, it's time for me to bug out of here.

More About Kijimuna 



10 Tips for a Simple Travel Photo Essay

 

 

Writing One Can be Easy

 

 

 

 

It's no secret.  Any editor who has worked with me knows.

I hate writing !

With ten photos of a cave, recently visited, I'll show you how I getterdun. 

Think Like a Tour Guide

You want to give people an idea what they are getting themselves into with your photos.

 

Take Shots of Any Signs at the Attraction

This will come in handy when it's time to caption your images.

 

Get Many Photos of the Surrounding Terrain

 

Show the viewers whether or, not, the place is stroller/wheelchair friendly.

Take Photos of Everything Along the Way

 

 

There's nothing wrong with having a few hundred images to choose from.

A photo essay, usually only requires ten or twelve, captioned images.

You never know.  Maybe, you'll end up doing ten photo essays about the same location.

 

Wide Angle Shots Work Well

 

It gives a traveler a sense of the place they will encounter.

Close-up Images Are Also Good

 

 

We have to duck our heads a bit, taking the stone stairs down that hole.



 

The Exit is Just as Important as the Entrance

 

Think of showing a 360 degree view of the attraction with your camera.

 

 

Trails and Walkways in the Area

 

 

This is the view cave dwellers had, just outside their back door.



 

Geographical Location

 

 

Take some photos to help you describe where in the world the site is located.

The trail, leading out the back door, takes you right to the East China Sea.

Show What's Inside

 

 

Some photos of the interior are just as important as exterior shots of the attraction.

Don't forget to take plenty of them, too.

 I didn't think it would be necessary to show you, at this time.  It was just a regular cave.

However, I did spot some sort of unusual art in there !





Directions to this cave may be found at Map It Okinawa

The Nuts and Bolts of Butterfly Identification (Photo Essay)

Today We Have a Positive ID

 

This butterfly is a Polygonia c-aureum or, Asia Comma.

In Okinawa, Japan where the photos were taken, it's a Kitateha (キタテハ).

Here's where the nuts and bolts idea came from.

The only place this guy would hold still for 1/640th of a second was here.

It's important to get photos, from as many angles as possible, to help with the ID.

The antennae, nose, eyes, legs, inside and outside marks on wings, all tell you something.

So, even when he turns his back on me, I keep shooting.

Once all the photos are processed, the search is on.

Butterflies of Japan is the first place, I look.  If the photo was taken in Hawaii, I'd look at their site.

It might take, scrolling through a thousand thumbnails, to come up with an identification.

Once a scientific name is discovered a lot more research gets done.

Education and government websites are the most reliable references, I think.

Before I post a new critter's name online, it has to be verified or, I won't do it.

Now, you know the nuts and bolts, of how I would ID a butterfly.

It isn't all that easy, you know. 

It could drive a man to drinking.

Gotta run.  

I think I heard a cold beer calling me, down the street !

Free To A Good Home: A Glabripennis Thingy (Photo Essay)

Asian Longhorn Beetle Needs a Place to Stay

 

It started last night when I found this creature about to enter the highway.

Coming back from the coffee machine, I spotted the bug on the sidewalk curb.

So, I picked it up and brought it to my office.

 The highway is no place for one of these little critters to be walking.

 This morning I let it out of the cage for some photography.

The Longhorn Beetle is an Anoplophra glabripennis to those who speak Latin.

An old blue envelope and strobe flash were used to take a few photos.

The insect acted a bit upset with me.

Normally, I don't like using flash but, I had no idea how fast this thing might move.

It wasn't going to hang around on that envelope for very long.

Once the rascal jumped down on the floor I had to move real fast, to take photos.

Then, I grabbed the envelope, again, to escort the critter out the door.

 The bug acted like it was all riled-up about something.

 All used-up and being tossed out like an old shoe, it may have been thinking.

 I shook it off at the bottom of the stairs and went back in the office.

A minute later, I looked over at the door and saw the critter trying to come back in.

There isn't enough time in the day nor, days in the week, for me to take care of this thing.

 Ever so gently, I kept pushing the creature back out the door.

There's no telling what you're supposed to feed them and, I'm too busy to find out.

 The little bug kept coming back.

And, insisting it be allowed in the office.

An incredibly stubborn insect, it wouldn't quit trying to come back inside.

So, I made a deal.  You stay in my office, in the cage, until I find you a good home.

If anybody is looking for one of these glabripennis thingies, come and get it.

You can have it free, cage included !

If you want to know more about the Longhorn Beetle

Photo Essay: Could These Be Hero Butterflies ?

The Cameras Are Always Ready

Out in the wild it's best to keep the cameras ready to fire at any moment.

When there are no birds, snakes or, furry critters around, bugs and butterflies will have to do.

This butterfly, with odd, eyeball-looking marks on its wings showed up.

The closest thing, I can find online, shows it resembles a Coenonympha hero.

That would be a pretty amazing butterfly, to catch on camera, because they are rare.

Just in case the scientists need one, I shoot lots of photos.

It's a good idea to shoot the other butterflies hanging around with them, too.

The real butterfly experts want to know what kind of plants they land on to feed.

And, they like to get an idea what the surrounding terrain looks like.

Here's a bit closer-up shot so, they can count the spots and see the antennae.

There's no way I'll call these butterflies Coenonympha Hero, until it's confirmed by scientists.

 These characters were spotted later in the day, frolicking around in the bushes.

 They acted more like heroes, if you ask me !