July 21, 2014 Hanami (fireworks) Hunting

So, on Saturday I decide to trek all the way to Gotanna station and try to watch the big local fireworks display! I packed an Onigiri, a bottle of water and my foldable umbrella and headed out. It was still quite early, about 3:30pm  but I figured I wanted to arrive early and this station was quite far away. In fact, I had to ride a bus, a train and transfer to two different train lines!  The second train transfer was a bit tricky but I ran into a nice Korean lady who was headed in the same direction and we finally found the right train platform! When I disembarked I wasn't sure where to go but I saw a bunch of folks wearing traditional yukatas so I decided to just follow them and see where I'd end up!
                                                                       

We walked several blocks and finally arrived alongside of the river and took a seat, and then..it started raining!

I wasn't feeling the whole sit on the wet ground thing so I took refuge under the nearby bridge!

Sitting on the concrete blocks was bit uncomfortable and I confess to feeling like a Hobo under the bridge but I was dry and there was a good view for the fireworks!

It didn't take long for my hobo lifestyle to catch on!

Many tour boats arrived to anchor in the river and await the festivities...maybe next year I should try that instead!

 
                                                       and the rain would come and go...

By the time evening arrived, both sides of the river were covered with thousands of people despite the rainy conditions. It was good I arrived early as the river sides filled up quickly!

The fireworks had barely started when the batteries on my camera died..sorry! (Cameras never do fireworks justice anyway!)

I enjoyed the fireworks and headed back home, I even managed to find a more direct route home on my way back! 

So far on my world tour of fireworks displays I have to give First place to Mexico City. The display we saw there in 1994 was without a doubt the most spectacular I've ever witnessed. We were so close it was like the fireworks were headed right at you!

Second place goes to Panama for shear insanity! Everyone and their dog light fireworks on Christmas/News Year night and you can buy any type of  firework you can imagine! The big professional, to the small firecrackers and bottle rockets. The whole city becomes covered in a smoky haze and the night explodes in a wild cacophony of lights and booms!!!  It's terrifying and extremely dangerous, but amazing to watch and participate in!!! (No mention of the time a firework went wild and almost blew up a car...)

Third place goes to Japan. Japan's fireworks were very beautiful! Some of the explosions were just breath taking in beauty and it was all very organized as most things Japanese are.  Also, they should get listed as having the MOST fireworks. I think something like 12,000 fireworks were shot off and often times the whole sky was filled with colors!  I guess I should really list Panama and Japan as tying for second place because they were both equally fun but for totally different reasons!

Well there you have my Hanami  experience! I returned home tired and a bit sore but it was definitely worth the effort!