A haven of solitude

I passed Kyoto’s Chion-in temple before I was drawn through a quiet entrance like a hooked fish pulled in on a fishing line. Tall redwoods lined one side of a path and bamboo the other. Overhead, crows protested my intrusion, but I continued along the peaceful trail until I reached the Mausoleum of Emperor Hanazono.

Tokorangi Forest

Located on the outskirts of Rotorua, was Tokorangi’s redwood forest. While these trees are more famously associated with California, the redwoods in New Zealand grow faster because there is no long dry spell like the west coast of the U.S.A.