More pics from Nikko

I can not resist one more mysterious fog shot - this day really set the tone for the entire trip.  I know the whole mysterious Orient thing is rather cliche but I was certainly feeling it as I looked out over the mountains that day: 

That feeling was amplified once I got to my first temple.  You can not walk the grounds of these places and not feel the history oozing up through the soles of your feet: 

The Japanese aesthetic is usually known for its simplicity but the artwork at these temples (there are several of them) is astounding for its detail: 

One of the highlights of the Nikko trip though was in the Temple of the Gods where photos are not allowed.  In the main temple room is a spot where the shogun's used to hold their audiences.  The acoustics in that room are set up such that the person sitting in the shogun's seat can be heard through out the hall while other people, even a few feet away, are effectually muted.  This acoustic idiosyncrasy was demonstrated to us by a tour guide who clacked together two blocks of wood.  In the shogun's seat area, the wood clackers rang throughout the room but, when the guide stepped out of that 'zone', all one could here was the dull clunk of wood on wood.