If you seek creative ideas go walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.” ― Raymond I. Myers
Angels did whisper to me when I tip- toed on the carpet of cherry blossoms in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (2012). The cherry trees on Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s famed Esplanade. 
The active smoking sulphur vents of Great Boiling Valley or Owakudani give it a ‘hot’ appearance. With too much sulphur in the air tourists are advised not to venture close to the vents. They can admire the scenic view or devour the Kuro-tamago or ‘black’ eggs hard-boiled in the hot water. The blackness gives negative feedback but eating one black egg adds seven years to your life. The thought of extra years tests your greediness but it is advisable to stick to two and hope for longevitiy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hakone_black_egg_dsc05310.jpg
Owakudani is a result of the eruption of Mount Hakone nearly 3000 years ago and the area is still fuming. It is a declared volcanic zone and till future eruptions a place to enjoy hot springs and hot rivers and cooled off by the placid calm of Lake Ashi and the elusive snow-capped Fuji-San on a clear day.
My take on Ailsa’s Weekly Travel Theme-Hot
Putting together ‘green’ from my photo travels.
Zhujiajiao, the ancient water town near Shanghai. Known for Ming and Qing dynasty bridges.
High Line, New York
Shakespeare Garden, Botanical garden, Brooklyn
Double-bridge Nijūbashi leading to the main gate over the moats.
The royal residence, the Imperial Palace, in heart of bustling Tokyo, close to Tokyo Station is surrounded by trees and moats, safeguarding what was previously the Edo Castle, the seat of the powerful Tokugawa shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, The iconic Niju-bashi Bridge stretches over the moat in the outer gardens, a tourist photo-shoot point for keep sake photographs.
Visitors are allowed in few areas, the Kokyo Gaien or Imperial Palace Outer Garden, Kokyo Higashi Gyoen or the East Garden and Kita-no-maru-koen Park, museums and galleries. The inner palace grounds are closed to the public except on January 2, (New Year), and the Emperor’s birthday on December 23 when the imperial family greets the people. Visitors need advance approval from the Imperial Household Agency to join the guided walking tours of the inner palace grounds. 
I was walking around on the grounds outside the Palace when suddenly tourists rushed towards the gate….two resplendent horse-drawn carriages with drivers in plumed hats came into view. Excited to see some royalty I joined the crowds only to learn that the Imperial Horses were on their routine duty i.e. to transport new ambassadors of countries to the Palace for them to present their credentials to the Emperor.
Few minutes later the carriages returned heading straight towards the Palace entrance. It was an impressive two carriage entourage— a slice of royal tradition.
Disappointed I returned via the garden to the station stopping to commiserate with the lonely swan.
This post is part of Ailsa Travel Theme-Tradition
‘Working together is success’….Straw Mats and Shoes…..an orderly togetherness at a Ryokan near Tokyo, Japan
Three is an envious outsider…Lanterns for Lunar New Year at Tsim Tsa Shui, 2012, Hong Kong
