Skywatch - 20140614

[* A Skywatch Friday post.]

T - Taxi Stand in Xi'an, Shaanxi, China

People waiting in the rain,



Taxi stand in Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.

[* An ABC Wednesday post.]
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The original shot was glum in itself with all the rain. I was tempted to keep these bright patches of colour.



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Skywatch 20140221 - Toyohashi, (Aichi), Japan

A beautiful clear morning in Toyohashi,



The moon looks different during the day but still so marvelous.

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Toyohashi is located in southeastern Aichi Prefecture. Bordered by Shizuoka Prefecture to the east, and by Mikawa Bay and the headlands of the Atsumi Peninsula to the west. To the south is the Enshu Bay of the Pacific Ocean. It is known for its port, the largest for the import/export of automobiles in Japan. source

Taken during our drive to Kyoto from Toyohashi.



This route heading west passes through Nagoya and I wish we could've stopped for a bit. But maybe on another trip.

= By train

Toyohashi is a stop on the JR Tokaido Line and the Tokaido Shinkansen, and is also the terminal of the Meitetsu Main Line from Nagoya and Gifu.

Hikari trains on the Shinkansen run from Tokyo every 2 hours (with two late-night trains running 30 minutes apart), reaching Toyohashi in about 90 minutes. The all-stopping Kodama trains, which depart twice every hour, take 45 minutes longer. The price is the same for both trains (¥8700).

Bullet trains from Kyoto (¥7530) and Osaka (¥8380) reach Toyohashi in about 75 and 90 minutes, respectively (1 or 2 departures per hour).

From Nagoya you can reach Toyohashi in 25 minutes by bullet train (¥2230 unreserved seat, 2 to 3 departures per hour) or in 50-60 minutes on the Meitetsu Line (¥1080, 5 to 6 departures per hour).

Rapid trains on the regular JR Tokaido Line run from Nagoya in 50-55 minutes (¥1280). Local trains also run 2-3 times per hour from Hamamatsu (35 minutes, ¥650).

With the exception of the Meitetsu Line, all of the above trains can be used at no charge with the Japan Rail Pass.

= By bus

Toyohashi Railroad and KB Bus run a daily overnight bus from Shinjuku to Toyohashi (6 hours, ¥4500 each way, ¥8000 round-trip).

Highway buses during the daytime only stop at the Toyohashi Kita stop of the Tomei Expressway. There are six daily Tokkyu buses from Tokyo station to Hamamatsu station, from which you can take a local train to Toyohashi (about 5 hours, ¥4420 [¥3770 Bus Fare + ¥650 Train Fare])

...I am keeping this for future reference. ^_^ source

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Skywatch 20140207

A cloudy and sunny afternoon in the tropical island.

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A Walk in the Park - Jardin des Tuilleries

At the Jardin des Tuilleries, Paris.
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What better way to end the week... but with a beautiful sunset. Have a lovely weekend!
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Gloomy Sky over Ginza

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A Thousand Splendid Suns

*title based on a book by Khaled Hossseini


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Timezones

Seen above Xiamen, China.



Which timezone are you in?

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Have a lovely weekend.

The grey and the blue

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Where the Sea Meets the Sky

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This week's Friday Shoot Out theme is Revisiting your favourite theme/subject.

Here's what came to mind:



If you think this looks familiar, it's because you saw it in the header.

Yes, it definitely is a personal favourite.

You can read the original post here: Stairs and the Old Town.

{* a Friday Shoot Out post.]

Enjoy the weekend.

Growing off Branches

Randomly came across this tree as we drove around last weekend. I thought it was unusual. And it looked interesting.

Does anyone know what this is (growing off it)?

Have a great weekend.

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Sea of Clouds

It's one cloudy flight.



Seen over Singaporean skies.

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Wolf Moon

Last week, I was on my way out to grab dinner when i noticed the moon! It was so beautiful! I had to seize the moment.

I photographed the moon using two different cameras -- Canon SX110 IS (which is light and takes wonderful photos-- I bring it with me everywhere) and Canon EOS 500D with Canon EF 17-200mm IS lens (which takes even better photos!).


Shot with a Canon SX110 IS:


And another with a Canon EOS 500D:






So why is it called the Wolf Moon?

The full moon of each month are given names which date back to native americans. With these, they were able to keep track of the seasons by the distinctive names of each recurring full moon. The European settlers followed the same custom as well but by another set of names.

The wolf moon (a.k.a. Old Moon / Moon after Yule) is a full moon that falls.occurs in January. It got its name from hungry wold packs that howl outside native-american villages.





I hope you enjoy this photo as much as I did taking it!

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One balmy afternoon

Pleasant view of the setting sun.

I particularly love the hovering cloud and the mix of blue and orange hues.



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Flags and the Sky

Took this photo recently from when I boarded the Fujimaru (a japanese cruise ship).





[*Wordless Wednesday]