Zenkoji

On a breezy Friday morning, I head out to Bhoga Nandishwara, a 1200 year old temple in the outer reaches of Bangalore. Commenced by Queen Ratnavali of the Banas in around 810 CE, it is still an active temple with a number of ceremonies including marriages held at its premises every year.

Snow Monkeys of Jigokudani

We take a hike along the Goshiki-numa trail in Bandai-Asahi National Park, that runs along five mysterious ponds each with its own tinge of blue water. These ponds were created by the lava from the eruption of Mt. Bandai in 1888, where one can witness the volcanic minerals dissolving in the water, imparting each pond with its own shade of color ranging from green to whitish blue.