Kurayoshi capers

The narrows streets of Kurayoshi, where golden koi dash along its many streams.

With the Tottori entourage, we took in the curious wonder of the Pear Museum (yes, every brand of pear imaginable was on display in nerdy model form, with an amusement park of nashi pear insect pest attractions where one could ride upon a worm) and then on to Kurayoshi.

A delightful town of old wooden and white-walled buildings, Kurayoshi has a smattering of South-East Asian influence: a shop-cafe called Sular Chouk and a Vietnamese boutique which sold silk pyjamas, Thai curry pastes, bejewelled sandals and pretty slippers.

The red lantern alcove, looking out onto a little bridge and alleyways.

A peculiar Buddhist temple was hidden in the backalleys opposite the rushing, many-bridged streams that gush along every street. A heavy and severe wooden gate loomed above us, and behind it was a alcove in which was a huge, red bauble of a lantern, accompanied by an old telephone of the style I had back in the Home Country.

Are you there, God? It's me ... Miss Ember!

Through the doorway one could espy a prance of Indian-style elephant sculptures and Thai interlaced lanterns which gave a spooky will-o'-the-wisp glow. Graves were cheered by a scattering of colourful windmills that spun in the breeze. Bollywood caterwauling issued forth from a secreted speaker. It made for quite a wonderland in the pouring rain!

No elephants here - this was a smaller shrine claimed by Golden Orb spiders.