Japan, Takayama - Flora of Okuhida

By tankstraveltales - June 06, 2020

Hiking on foot when we travel has many advantages. We get to see and experience stuff that would otherwise bypass us if we are in a vehicle or some other form of transport.

While hiking in the Okuhida region of Takayama, I enjoyed the sights of many beautiful wild flowers and plants. Following a stream which eventually joined with other streams to turn into a river, I spent almost an entire day just admiring, sketching and photographing the flora of the area. Because it was autumn during my hike, the pleasant weather and temperature made the hike a lot more comfortable.

Wild flowers encountered during my hike, Okuhida, Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, Japan (2014)

And of course, I was never far from civilisation as the small clusters of village houses and scattered plots of small vegetable farms were always within sight. Yet, I was alone to enjoy the beauty of nature. I could hear the waters flowing in the stream, birds sing and insects chirping. Armed with my small sketchbook and DSLR, I hiked merrily amongst the nature of the area, oblivious to the cares of the world. Unfortunately, I did not have a macro lens at that time. Thus, I could only made do with the macro function of my DSLR for those "closeups" photographs.

Hiking trail, Okuhida, Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, Japan (2014)

Small ponds like these were commonly encountered during my hike and were home to a myriad of plants and insects, Okuhida, Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, Japan (2014)