Phew, long sentences are tough to write without risking a run on; I’m sure they’re just as tough to read without the risk of running off. But I digress.
I knew there was more to the Japanese culture than one fifth-grade heartthrob from a South Pacific island. I learn something new every trip I make, every place I visit. That’s one of the things I love about travel. What I learned while strolling through Sansho-en Japanese Gardens was balm for this old soul.
The Japanese like their trees old too, especially the ones they put into their gardens. Look at how gnarled and arthritic looking this one appears.
It was easy to get carried away in the tranquil setting too. We literally left the world behind us as we crossed over to the garden paradise of Sansho-en via the wooden bridge that leads to the first of three islands encompassing this magnificent garden; designed by Dr. Koichi Kawana (ironically, he was responsible for designing the Japanese garden in Denver’s Botanic Garden also), the 17-acre site was dedicated in 1982.
Obviously the tranquility did wonders to clear my thoughts and my soul, even in retrospect weeks later. I am so one with the universe my aura is white. Oh wait, that's my hair. I'm way overdue for a visit to the hairdresser.
My favorite section of Sansho-en was one I could only really view from afar; the Dry Garden, also called the Zen Garden for its popularity in the courtyards of Zen Buddhist temples, represents a vast landscape where stones and shrubs often represent islands and the gravel symbolizes water.
Both islands housed traditional Japanese structures made of natural materials that had aged to perfection (I’m getting there too!), adding continued visual appeal as well as space for quiet
contemplation.