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Camping with Anthony, Day 6: Amanohashidate
Anthony running on a beach at Amanohashidate, a long, thin natural land bridge in northern Kyoto Prefecture, Japan (天橋立)
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR @ 135 mm — 1/640 sec, f/5.6, ISO 125 — full exif & mapnearby photos
Little Boys Run
It's just something they do

Continuing with my series about my five-day camping trip with Anthony, I pick up the story after the rain and wind (and eventual hotel) of Day 5...

Day 6 was glorious, both in terms of weather and mood (a warm futon and a hot bath have a way of helping the latter). After a lazy morning, we caravaned back toward Kyoto, stopping after about an hour at Amanohashidate (天橋立), a thin, 3.3km long natural land bridge pinching off several square miles of a bay in northern Kyoto Prefecture, off the Sea of Japan. It reminds me vaguely of San Diego's silver strand.

The land bridge is covered with pine trees and beach, with the thicker parts – at about 200 feet wide – offering grassy picnic areas...

Arthur watches as Anthony enjoys something Monet is holding, on Amanohashidate, a long, thin natural land bridge in northern Kyoto Prefecture, Japan (天橋立)
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR @ 200 mm — 1/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 125 — full exif & mapnearby photos

Beach covers the edges on both sides pretty much the whole way...

Anthony and Monet on a beach on Amanohashidate, a long, thin natural land bridge in northern Kyoto Prefecture, Japan (天橋立)
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR @ 200 mm — 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 125 — full exif & mapnearby photos

A channel has been created at the southern end of the “land bridge” to allow boats into the pinched off area. We didn't realize it on the way in, but on the way out we saw that the man-made bridge over the channel rotates about its center, to allow larger boats through...

The spinning 'swing bridge' of Amanohashidate, a long, thin natural land bridge in northern Kyoto Prefecture, Japan (天橋立)
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR @ 18 mm — 1/250 sec, f/6.3, ISO 125 — full exif & mapnearby photos
Spinning Bridge
The spinning 'swing bridge' of Amanohashidate, a long, thin natural land bridge in northern Kyoto Prefecture, Japan (天橋立)
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR @ 18 mm — 1/200 sec, f/7.1, ISO 125 — full exif & mapnearby photos
Small Boats Need Not Wait
as the bridge rotates back into position
The spinning 'swing bridge' of Amanohashidate, a long, thin natural land bridge in northern Kyoto Prefecture, Japan (天橋立)
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR @ 105 mm — 1/320 sec, f/7.1, ISO 125 — full exif & mapnearby photos
Not Your Everyday View
well, unless you live near this bridge

After lunch and some play, we returned home to Kyoto.


Comments so far....

“Little Boys Run” is a great photo of a beautiful kid. It does capture the quintessential little boy. Except, he just seems so unnaturally clean! But then again, I’m using *my* son as a point of reference.

We’d had a nice bath that morning at the ryoukan, and this was his first chance to get out since, so despite not being wet, he was still the kind of “fresh from the bath” clean that normally lasts only a short time. —Jeffy

— comment by Marcina on June 9th, 2008 at 7:18am JST (5 months ago) comment permalink

We visited there a few years ago. Why no picture of family bending over and looking backwards through their legs? Too cliche? :)

Great photos.

— comment by Case Larsen on June 18th, 2008 at 9:45pm JST (5 months ago) comment permalink
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