Day Trip at Kamakura (Part 4)-The Inamuragasaki Beach

The Inamuragasaki Beach

I put Inamuragasaki Beach in my Kamakura trip for one main reason. It was to capture the beautiful view of Mount Fuji from the Inamuragasaki Park. The day was cloudy when we visited Kamakura and I felt that the chance of seeing the elusive sacred mountain of Japan was pretty low. Nevertheless, we decided to continue with our plan since we have already came so far.

We walked back to the Hase station from the Kotokuin temple and took the Enoden to the Inamuragasaki station which was only two stops away. Not many people alighted at the station when we arrived. In fact, Inamuragasaki gave me a feeling that it was a very slow paced town. Perhaps we did not come at the peak season.

Street Photo by the beach

We heard and followed the sound of the wave which indicated we were not very far from the sea. True enough, after navigating a few streets, the sea was right before us. The first thing that I looked was for the sight of Mount Fuji. It was supposed to situate between Enoshima and the main land. The sight was supposedly breathtaking during a clear day with blue sky and during sunset. But it was not to be. Mount Fuji was nowhere in sight. Though already setting the expectation of not being able to see the Unesco Heritage Sight for this visit, I still could not hide my disappointment.

Black Kite

With the "since we are already here" mentality, we walked towards Inamuragasaki Park- a place where many would gather on a good day to enjoy the beautiful sight of the sacred mountain. Along the way, we could see many Black Kites flying around. I spotted their presence at the Hase-dera temple too. From the internet, I was warned not to eat anything under their razor sharp eyes and claws or risked injuries when they swooped down to rob the food. 

Tsunami Evacuation Route

I would say that the beach was not very impressive. Perhaps I have higher expectation of beaches in Japan than those in Singapore :-P. The signage for the warning of Tsunami have me worried a bit. They noted down the procedure of spotting and evacuating from a Tsunami.I wondered how would I react when there was a Tsunami attack. It was very difficult to imagine what was the mindset of the people residing near the sea here with the genuine potential Tsunami threat everyday.

View from Inamuragasaki Park

The Inamuragasaki Park was a place to admire and capture beautiful photographs of Mount Fuji. It was hidden from sight but we still chose to rest on the many benches around to enjoy the sea breeze. I could only use my imagination how the scene would look like on a good day. I looked into the distance, hoping for the faintest of hope that the sky would suddenly clear up a bit for me to catch a glimpse of the sacred mountain.

Self Photo at Inamuragasaki Park

Plaque indicating Mount Fuji Scenic View Spot

Though not able to accomplish the objective of coming here, I was still glad I have made it to this place. Mount Fuji is well-known for it's shyness. It always take a a mix of luck and timing to witness it's glamor. Perhaps I will have better fortune next time :-) This would be our last stop at Kamakura. My family and I have enjoyed every bit of our time here. Thank you, Kamakura! Good bye, Kamakura!

Mount Fuji missing between Enoshima and Main Land

Pura Tanah Lot, Bali-Indonesia

Pura Tanah Lot

My mind was filled with anticipation as the van approached Pura Tanah Lot (often known as Tanah Lot only). I have heard a lot of this temple before coming here. It was the star icon of Bali. During our journey, our driver Aple stressed on the fact that one has not consider visited Bali without visiting Tanah Lot. I agreed with him wholeheartedly after witnessing the effort of the local tourism authority has put in to promote this star attraction.

Gate to Tanah Lot

As expected, we saw loads of tourists at the entrance to Tanah Lot. Many of them were from China. We have to walk a distance through alleys lined with tourists' shops to the temple. I could not stop feeling a bit disappointed that this attraction has become overly-commercialized and evolved into a tourist trap. On the other hand, I was also comforted by the fact that the temple has provided many locals there a kind of livelihood. Well, life was always so ironical.

Charlotte with deity's statue

We knew we were closed when the crowd got thicker and the smell of sea struck our nose. We could also hear the sound of the waves crushing against the rocks. Our paces picked up. Finally we saw what we came to witness. The temple was a simple one but the setting was not. Set on top of a rocky formation- "Tanah" which means land in Balinese, the temple stood facing the Indian Ocean which represented the "Lot" and thus came the combined name Tanah Lot. The ferocious waves struck mercilessly and relentlessly against the temple ground. But like a monstrous guardian, Tanah Lot stood firm on it's ground and seemed to protect it's believers safely before the shoreline. Many locals believed a gigantic snake guarded the temple ground from those visiting the holy ground with ill intents.

Tanah Lot at Sunset 1

Welcome to Tanah Lot

As the tide was not too high, many visitors took the opportunity to wet their feet and  visited the temple area (You cannot visit the temple at high tide). Priests were at the temple to bless those who gave a donation for a good cause. We chose not to visit the temple. Instead, we went to  higher ground to wait for the sunset. The sunset at Tanah Lot was always described as something one would die for. It might be overly exaggerated but it was truly something worth waiting for.

Family Photo at Tanah Lot

We could hear religious music when the sun began to set. I guessed it should be telling the visitors to get ready for the sunset view. When the sun began it's descend into the blue horizon, Tanah Lot was bathed in it's heavenly-like golden rays.  The view was indeed breathtaking. We knew the golden moment would be short and hardly blinked our eyes as we absorbed the beautiful scenery. The waves seemed to got stronger and added to the spectacular aura of the whole place.

Golden Sunset at Tanah Lot

We have visited many temples before but was still fascinated by Tanah Lot. It's presence by the sea made the temple unique.  Is it a must to visit when you are in Bali? Well, it always depends on one's perspective and what he/she is looking for. My philosophy is always "Relax and do not hold high expectation. You will have a more fruitful and enjoyable trip". Have a great time when you are here next time ;-)!   

Tanah Lot at Sunset 2

 *This article was a recap during my visit to Pura Tanah Lot on 19 March 2013

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