Oh, what a tangled web we weave...

When first we practise to deceive!

Macros

Patel shots- Rainbow Bridge

Been meaning to take these shots , ever since I placed the order for my cam, or even before I did it. I tried earlier with my point and shoot and the lights danced all over the place. Thats the rainbow bridge and the tower behind it, is the tokyo TV tower, in the roppongi area. It is quite a landmark and a prominent part of the tokyo skyline.

I took these pics in the odaiba area. In the evening, cruise boats gather in the area and present quite a view. The rainbow bridge and the lights of these boats and their reflection in the water. A boat beginning its approach in the area.

The boat has made its way midway

a rendezvous with a few more boats in the area

And more boats and thats the odaiba skyline in the area

More of the same Yes, patel shots all, but its a nice neighbourhood to be in.

Kyoto botanical garden

Some more pics from the kyoto botanical gardens. First , hydrangeas from the hydrangea park and then the mandatory residents of a conservatory.

This particular hydrangea , if I am not mistaken , is also called popcorn hydrangea because of the apperance of the bunch. The small blooms look really pretty.

No blooms on this baby yet. just the buds , but a fly definitely finds them attractive.

Some more of those pretty buds.

I liked the serrated edge of the petals on these flowers. They present quite a contrast from the smooth blooms normally observed.

These blushing pink blooms have more petals than the normal 5 observed on each flower. They also have multiple layers, again something different from what is normally observed.

View of the conservatory- I am afraid its only a partial one. The entire structure could not fit into the frame and this was the best one of the lot I took.

A macro shot that could have been better.

A smaller cousin of this particular plant was a resident in my friend's place. It gave me the heebie jeebies when I visited and it did scare me a bit even when I was in the conservatory. It looks like its itching to get its fingers on any passer by. Needless to say, I did not linger long.

A conservatory without a pitcher plant. No can happen.

These bamboo plants or maybe bamboo cousins have something nifty going on , on their stems.

Have a look

And thats a pretty head

Hanging from this palm

Hibiscus may be . Loved its petals. By this point, my camera had fogged up because of first the rain and then the moisture in the conservatory. I had to take of the lens and wipe it properly and I did not dare to even touch the mirror.

And here's the surprise of the day. A chocolate tree. That's theobroma cacao or the food of the gods. I attest to that fact. Chocolate sure is divine.

A flower in the cactus section . A small head on a really thin long stalk. Pretty in red.

An orchid maybe

An orchid definitely

And another one

And another one

More orchids, but these were outside the conservatory and in a small section by themselves. I must say I wasn't much impressed by the selection here. I definitely expected more.

I have a lighter cousin of this one at home. Unfortunately I can't get it to rebloom. any tips

And at the end, a rafflesia bloom in a glass case. This baby is huge and is reputed to be pollinated by elephants. Thats just a myth though. It smells of rotten meat and elephants being vegetarian won't venture anywhere near it. This flower is pollinated by flies.

Pics from the wkend

The setting sun

some vegetation near the river

And the river

Kyomizu shrine

A passageway while entering the shrine.

And the view from the shrine

Kyomizu means pure water, and this particular shrine is named and famous for its water.

The deity

Another vista of kyoto city from the shrine

By now, visitors to the blog must be aware or my obsession with flowers. A hydrangea in bloom in the shrine grounds

We took a break from all the walking and sat down to enjoy some chilled beer.

With some tofu. It came floating in that wooden bucket.

Thats when another one of my obsession surfaced. Three japanese gals in their yukatas and I could not leave them alone in peace. Thankfully, many others around me had the same idea and some 20 odd cameras were focussed on these lasses.

I focussed my attention on the lass in the middle. The light hit her face beautifully and she had a gamut of expressions for a shutterbug

I was happy with the images captured. Another day well spent :)