Two Shintō shrines on Awaji Island are associated with the creation myth of Japan (国生み神話) in the earliest chronicles Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. At Onokoro Island Shrine (自凝島神社), visitors are encouraged to perform rituals to sacred stones for good fortune. The sekirei stone (鶺鴒石) is for couples, with a white and red cord, and I was surprised that my wife grasped my hand and prayed as we held the cords.
We also went to Izanagi Shrine (伊弉諾神宮), dedicated to the two founding gods or pillars (二神、又は二柱) of the archipelago. Worshippers believe that the founding gods dwell in the 900-year-old husband-and-wife camphor tree (夫婦楠). We have seen a similar tree at Ōmiwa Jinja in Nara (大神神社) where two trees merged into one at the base. We also noticed a connection to the Onokoro Island Shrine at the Izanagi Shrine, a small sekirei monument to married couples (夫婦鶺鴒像), and both sites included a bird motif.
Cocktail bars in Mexico City, Tijuana, Guadalajara and beyond are proving why Mexico is slinging some of the best drinks in the business. "It's essential to celebrate native Mexican ingredients, and incorporate them into modern mixology," says Fabiola Padilla, owner and beverage director at Bekeb, a rooftop bar in San Miguel de Allende. Mexico is no longer just tequila and mezcal. Read about its rise in the cocktail scene, from Food and Wine: https://flip.it/.on.-n #Culture#Travel#Mexico#Cocktails
Start at the temple of the ancient Mother Goddess, then walk past rock-cut shrines made by her devotees. See a cave in which a group was put under a spell and slept for centuries. End at this Korinthian port city with its markets and many temples. #travel#historyhttps://cromwell-intl.com/travel/turkey/ephesus/walk.html?s=mc
Some Japanese service staff say they're struggling to cope with visitors who don't make any effort to find linguistic common ground. More below on tourists who insist on speaking their mother tongue (and how not to be That Guy).
We had a lovely weekend break to Oslo. Kayaking, walking, and enjoying the city. It’s so easy to get out into nature there. (Made a complete fuss of getting into the cold water but was totally worth it) #Oslo#Norway#travel
D'Arnaud's barbet is a small East African bird that feeds on insects, fruits, and seeds.
It grows to about eight inches, and is equally at home in trees or on the ground. A vertical tunnel two to three feet into the ground with a sideways and upward turn leads to the nest chamber.
In a striking dance the male and female face each on nearby twigs and twitch, bob and sing like mechanical toys.