Oirase Keiryu 奥入瀬渓流

Oirase Keiryu is the most charming stream I have seen. This stream has a strong current and many forms, from a magnificent 20-meter waterfall, to a bubbling stony brooks, a wide river bend, to a cascade of white torrents. This stream is truly a delight to spend time with. As this stream flows down the green valley, it leaves a trail of ever-changing water impressions that mesmerizing to watch.

Majestic beeches, oaks and the palmate-leafed horsechestnut trees spread their branches to form a leafy cathedral that filters in gleams of sunlight over its ever-flowing water. When the wind blows, you can see a thousand of shade of green in its quivering leaves.

I did not know that such picturesque and postcard-perfect river really exist outside of, well, postcards!

I had taken this trip as a part of Hoshino Resort's 100-Stories trip project, and you can read a version of this blog entry in Japanese at: http://www.hoshinoresort.com/100stories/reports/079/

Sengataki 仙娥滝

During this trip, I went on nature walks and saw two gorgeous waterfalls.
The first waterfall that I visited is Sengataki (仙娥滝) at Karuizawa. On the say to the waterfall, we saw these gorgeous crown-like ferns growing on the valley slope.



I love how when I stand and take a deep breath underneath these waterfalls, I can smell plumes of mists that carries with it the scent of moss and wet earth.





At the base of Sengataki are small boulders overgrown with watercresses and other wild aquatic plants. You can see the roots of these plants growing exposed without soil,  clinging onto the stone and feeding from the pure water of the fall. They look more beautiful than jewels.

A Sunset at Timor Island

We stopped for a short while to this quiet seaweed farming outpost about an hour away from Kupang. The road was unlit, so we had to head back before it is sunset and only had five minutes to spend gazing out onto the golden horizon. I can only imagine what it would be like spending the nightfall here... perhaps we can see stars!

Monday Morning Therapy

Home Garden

Left: Shaggy is easily the most adorable plant of the lot. He was adopted from an abandoned green-wall mock up at Orchard Road.  It is an easygoing fern that likes looking at the sun from the shady balcony. 

Far Left: Mr. Anderson is a maroon-stemmed Philodendron, the latest addition to our family. In the local landscaping industry call this type of philodendron 'Anderson's Red', hence his name.

Corner Top Left: Green Rabbit is a new addition to the family, and she came from the same shop as Mr. Anderson.

Top: Blue Butterfly Seedling is grown from a double-petaled Clitoria ternatea seed that I picked up from a cooking course in Chiang Mai back in August 2013. Because of the house renovation, it took me a while to get it sown, and out of 20 or so seeds, only this one germinated

Centre ‘Baby’ is the star of this small garden. Baby was sown on this balcony pot from a seed collected from one of my work site. We had to cut down its mum because she has basal root rot. Age: 4 months. It is a seedling of a fast-growing tree species that has the  potential to grow into a large (10-15 meter) tree in about 10 years or so.

Top Right Corner: Grey Vanda is an orchid that I picked up from the Singapore Garden Festival. It has a plain-looking but sweet-smelling grey-yellow-purplish flower.

Right: Diehard is a Ficus twig that I picked up from the garden downstairs. I had it put on a vase of water for a few months in the kitchen where it grow lots of roots. It probably does not like it, but since it is a strong plant, it did not die, and as reward for its perseverance, I recently got a pot to put it in.

Far Right: White Spider is a gift from my friend Sadaf!

Bottom Right: Mini Shaggy is a pot of newly split Nephrolepis fern.