I spent the morning in Hiroshima at the contemporary art museum where I saw the famous Ukiyo- e woodblock prints of the famous Hokusai and Hiroshige. Hokusai is most famous for his 36 views of Mt Fuji. The ubiquitous crashing wave in the foreground, and Mt Fuji peaking through the middle. After the museum I took a rail car to the station. There I purchased a very expensive Shinkansen ticket to Kyoto. The lady at the ticket counter said the train would be busy, but I figured I had 40 minuets to line up on the platform and wait, so I’d be first on the train. Boy was I in for a shock 40 mins later when the mecha mecha expensive train pulled up already filled to the brim with disgruntled looking Japanese people. I squeezed my way in (literally) and found a place to stand! Yes that’s right stand....i was going to be standing for the next few hours it takes to go from Hiroshima to Kyoto. Hence my original thoughts of the Shinkansen being the shit-kansen. By the time I got off the train all I wanted to do was find a spot to sit down in the station and rip off my overheated non-breathable rain boots. After composing myself I headed to the lockers to find a place to stash my irritating backpack. Then I made my way to the information desk because clearly I was a little fish, make that tiny fish, in a huge ocean I call Kyoto station. They told me how to get to the right subway train that would take me to Inari stop. I made my way to the ticket machine and successfully bought a ticket. However when I looked at the board to find where I was going I must have looked like a lost puppy, and granted probably on the verge of ‘I’m lost tears’, some man stopped and asked if I needed any help. Thank Buddha!!! He directed me to the right train and all was well :) However when it was time to get off the train....guess who came along. Yes, so now I was in a strange place with a tag-along guide. An unwanted guide at that. So I went to the bathroom, mainly because I had to go, but also because I wanted to shake my new friend. Well he was waiting patiently when I got out. Anyways when I told him I was going for a two hour hike up the mountain where the shrine Fushimi Inari was (Inariyama) he decided to accept my dismissal. Phewf, I was alone at last to take in the atmosphere.
Fushimi Inari shrine is famous for it’s hundreds of red tori gates that lead up and down the mountain. It was dedicated to the gods of rice and sake in the 8th century.
It was not an easy hike (4k up the mountain), and was busy with many tourists, but was nice at the top where not too many climbed. I also got to see a beautiful sunset over Kyoto city. The mountain is lined with fox statues symbolizing the god of cereal grains. The Japanese also see the fox as scared, having mysterious powers.
After that I found my hostel. This time I was in a room with five other girls from Taiwan/ they live in New Zealand. Good thing for ear plugs... and being incredibly tired enough to drown out their chatting. But first I wondered around Kyoto at night attempting to look for a good place to eat. It is kind of lonely eating by yourself. I tried to sit by some good-looking foreigners, but I’m pretty sure they were speaking German. Eh, can’t win them all. I woke up early and rented a bicycle from the front desk. Armed with three different maps of the city, I had a set goal, and many places I wanted to visit. I set off following the river to Northwest Kyoto. Thank goodness it was another beautifully sunny day, I have been lucky this trip. I passed Nijo palace, but didn’t go in. I wanted to achieve my goals first, and then do extra things. With no troubles I found my first stop, Kinkakuji Temple.
It has a famous Golden Temple that was originally built in 1397, but reconstructed in 1955. The lake in front of it was like glass, and acted as a perfect mirror.
Then I road my bike to Ryoanji Temple. I rode past a museum I originally wanted to go to, but on a clear blue sunny day like this all I wanted to do was be outside. Ryoan-ji is famous for its garden arranged in the kare-sansui style. This means dry landscape style. It is a collection of 15 rocks placed in a sea of sand and small pebbles. It is said that from no matter where you stand you can always only see 14 rocks.
Then I road onwards to Ninni-ji. This was a large complex of several temples. I especially like the five story pagoda dating from the 17th century. Then I rode to another complex called Myoshinji. However this one was confusing, and like a maze where I often got lost and came to dead ends. But the houses were nice, and gardens very serine and calm. It was almost like I was in old school Japan. Then I stopped at good old Lawsons for lunch. Yum, convenience store food!! Hahaha, maybe not the best, but indeed convenient.
It was getting to be a little late in the afternoon, so I decided I would make my way back to the river I followed in the morning, and visit the streets of Gion. If anyone has read ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’, this is the spot. The streets are small, and lined with tiny wooden houses all connected. I really felt like this is real Japan. I even spotted some Geisha, or Maiko walking the streets maybe on the way to an appointment. There were also many hidden shrines and of course, my fav, a five story pagoda! Hahah. Yasaka Pagoda stands at the top of a hill tucked away in Gion.
Shrine in Gion.
Geisha.
As the sun was setting I felt like it had been a beautiful day of Temples and Shrines, and it was time to think about getting the train home to Fukui. I rode my bike back to the hostel, got my belongings and went to the station. After a 3 hour local train ride, I arrived in Fukui just in time to take the last bus home. As the train was nearing Fukui, I looked out the window to see the snow outside building. So it was a great trip, and it definitely regenerated my spirit to be able to endure the many months of teaching ahead of me.
It has a famous Golden Temple that was originally built in 1397, but reconstructed in 1955. The lake in front of it was like glass, and acted as a perfect mirror.
Then I road my bike to Ryoanji Temple. I rode past a museum I originally wanted to go to, but on a clear blue sunny day like this all I wanted to do was be outside. Ryoan-ji is famous for its garden arranged in the kare-sansui style. This means dry landscape style. It is a collection of 15 rocks placed in a sea of sand and small pebbles. It is said that from no matter where you stand you can always only see 14 rocks.
Then I road onwards to Ninni-ji. This was a large complex of several temples. I especially like the five story pagoda dating from the 17th century. Then I rode to another complex called Myoshinji. However this one was confusing, and like a maze where I often got lost and came to dead ends. But the houses were nice, and gardens very serine and calm. It was almost like I was in old school Japan. Then I stopped at good old Lawsons for lunch. Yum, convenience store food!! Hahaha, maybe not the best, but indeed convenient.
It was getting to be a little late in the afternoon, so I decided I would make my way back to the river I followed in the morning, and visit the streets of Gion. If anyone has read ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’, this is the spot. The streets are small, and lined with tiny wooden houses all connected. I really felt like this is real Japan. I even spotted some Geisha, or Maiko walking the streets maybe on the way to an appointment. There were also many hidden shrines and of course, my fav, a five story pagoda! Hahah. Yasaka Pagoda stands at the top of a hill tucked away in Gion.
Shrine in Gion.
Geisha.
As the sun was setting I felt like it had been a beautiful day of Temples and Shrines, and it was time to think about getting the train home to Fukui. I rode my bike back to the hostel, got my belongings and went to the station. After a 3 hour local train ride, I arrived in Fukui just in time to take the last bus home. As the train was nearing Fukui, I looked out the window to see the snow outside building. So it was a great trip, and it definitely regenerated my spirit to be able to endure the many months of teaching ahead of me. 
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