so i set up this "family and friends" email list : if you don't want the pictures, holler, so i can take our name off!

it's monday morning here (sort of: 4:00 AM, but jet lag is keeping me awake). Unfortunately, power is off at the hotel from 2:30 to 5:30 this morning - i don't know why, because the explanation was in japanese!

kamakura was interesting. it was the shogunate capital of japan. I have enclosed a couple of pictures.

1) Daibutsu: the sitting Bhudda. He was built in 721 AD, originally underneath a temple. His ear is 6'6" long, to get an idea of his size. Anyway, in 1498, a tidal wave washed the temple away (it's about 1/2 mile to the beach), and for the last 500 years, Daibutsu has been sitting in the open.

2) Hasedera Temple. At this temple, women who abort their babies buy a statue, dress it up in some clothes, and leave the statue here, as an appeasement to some god or other. i guess guilty consciences mostly. they have to remove the statues every 2 months, because it gets so crowded. also at this temple, there's a carving of some 11 headed goddess, who was made out of a piece of camphor wood along with some other 9 headed goddess some 900 years ago. both were carved 400 miles to the north, and the 11 headed goddess was tossed into the sea to see where she'd turn up. 16 years later, she washes ashore at kamakura, so they built her a temple, dedicated by the original sculptor.

anyway, tonight it's off to singapore.

dennis