Hiwatari Matsuri: Fire Walking Festival - A Photo Essay
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Written by Joe Pickard
Page 1 of 4
Hiwatari Matsuri, or Fire Walking Festival is held at Mount Takao, Japan. The event is dedicated to the Tengu, or mountain spirit and is for purification and renewal. Monks light a massive bonfire and then douse it with water until the flames are quelled. They then throw people's prayers, which are written on wood tablets, into the fire. Just before the monk's cross the fire, they flagellate themselves with bamboo in boiling water. Then, two by two the monks cross the burning hot coals. To finish the festival, all the onlookers line up and walk the coals, now substantially cooler, and receive a blessing from the head monks. With a final prayer to the mountain spirits, the monks head back into the mountains from which they came.
Florida Tourism is being hit hard by the April 24th oil spill when less than 10% of the beaches are actually affected in the northwest region. Currently, during high tourism season, bookings are down by almost 50% in parts of the Panhandle State. Economists fear that if tourism does not lift, 195,000 jobs and billions of dollars could be lost.
This past weekend, a 72-year-old Australian man was extradited from Portugal to face a court in Sydney, Australia on child sex charges that date back more than a decade. The Australian government has a strong commitment against the sexual exploitation of children and is now welcoming an even tougher stance against child-sex offenders.
If you’ve always wanted to go to Dublin, stop what you’re doing right now… Do Not Pass Go; Do Not Collect $200; just book this deal immediately because this sale ends on June 4th and books fast.
If you have a smartphone, your check-in time at hotels is potentially about to get a lot faster. Starting in June, the Intercontinental Hotel Group has announced that they will begin using smartphones, like the iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android phone, in place of hotel room keys. Participants will just need to download a special application onto their mobile, which will enable them to directly enter their room by holding the phone up to a sensor at their door.
Next month, South Africa will be hosting the World Cup, and researchers predict that approximately 40,000 sex workers will work to indulge the 400,000 mostly male visiting tourists. In a country where 1 out of 5 adults is HIV-positive, their government is striving to promote safety for locals and foreigners. Children are being educated about the potential dangers related to sex trafficking during the World Cup and HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns have been launched throughout the country.
