Not Quite Holy Kyoto
Not quite holy, but not bad either
There are also those things that aren’t labeled “holy” that have my attention (even though anything can be spiritual to anyone😉)…
- Beautiful streets, parks and gardens
maruyama park
random bridge
adorable garden in adorable coffee shop
kyoto backstreet
pink painting the sky in gion
katsura river
togetsukyo (moon-crossing) bridge
-
arashiyama
arashiyama street
arashiyama street
sanjo bridge sunset
path of bamboo
bamboozled
looks unreal
types of moss (something from The Hobbit??)
stream
takaragaike park
duckies
takaragaike lake (do you see the huge orange fish?!)
- Being accosted by adorable school children
cute school kids wanting picture with foreigner
Sooo, this was the 3rd time that I was asked to take a picture with school kids. The first time, I had just gotten off of my bus the first day in Kyoto and was trying to find the hostel, and I heard all these people running towards me. I got scared, thinking that I was about to be mugged, so I was deciding what I had on me that I could use to hit someone with. But, turns out, it was six kids – three boys, three girls – in their uniforms, and the ‘leader’ said, “EXCUSE ME! Can we take picture with you???”
The kids in the pic above followed me for about 15 minutes, and then, after much whispering, one of them finally said, “EXCUSE ME!”. I decided that I would get a picture as well this time, and they really loved it when I asked for a picture – they thought it was hilarious😂
So, I was told by a friend who lives here but isn’t from Japan that some people love foreigners because we’re so exotic… (a funny thought that a whitey-white girl from Kentucky is exotic!). He said we can be called “gaijin” by some, which literally means Alien (gai = outsider, alien, or something weird; jin = nationality). Super funny. Love it!
- Rickshaws! They were invented in Japan. The word came from the Japanese word “jinrikisha” (jin = human, riki = power or force, sha = vehicle), which literally means “human-powered vehicle.”*
rickshaws
*source: wikipedia😂
Next up: 30-day Checkpoint
Holy Kyoto
Kyoto has (seems like??) millions of shrines and temples.
There is so much to see, so much beauty. There are 17 World Heritage Sites, and I’ve been to three. The thing with the temples and shrines – most of them have an entry fee. It’s usually 400-500 yen, which is $3-4, but still – not free. And the World Heritage Sites are determined a lot by their significance of the time. Which is cool, history, etc., etc., but it doesn’t mean that visiting is going to be an amazing, exhilarating experience. So I’m trying to pick and choose wisely💯
kodai-ji temple
The sheer immensity of some of the monuments blows my mind, and it’s hard to show in pictures. But I’m told that the Japanese do it bigger than the ancient temples in China and other places.
heian shrine torii gate
This place, on the southern side of the city, has thousands of gates, lined up one after another, as you climb the mountain…
fushimi inari-taisha shrine
fantastic mr. fox
fushimi inari shrine gates
fushimi inari shrine gates
fox barbara
inari shrine
fushimi statue
This is another, it’s hard to tell how massive it is, but it is incredible…
chion-in temple
Some type of shrine…
??
Night lanterns…
gion matsuri
In Japan, when you turn right off of the unassuming neighborhood sidewalk, you see this:
random garden
Nijo Castle is a World Heritage Site, and it was the one I went to that I thought it probably wasn’t worth the $4… (except for the moat!)
gate to nijo castle
details
nijo castle
nijo castle – moat!
nijo castle – guard tower
Breathtaking… I was running late, and I caught the last bit of light before the sun descended, so the temple still looked shiny on the top floor:)
kinkaku-ji temple (golden pavilion)
solid gooooold! (err, gold leaf)
at kinkaku-ji
This one is a tiny moss forest, but with the maple leaves on the ground, you can’t see the moss! But it had a different, pretty effect.
gio-ji temple
These monuments are spread out all over Kyoto, so I’ve been walking a LOT. And using a lot of crowded buses and trains! All a part of the experience… I wouldn’t have it any other way😊 I am starting to wonder though… how ‘easy’ are things going to be in Cambodia…? Will there be many public transit options? Not sure, just starting to research that piece of the journey!
Next up: Not Quite Holy Kyoto
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