The rain cleared up just as I arrived so I met up with Juls, dropped my stuff at the hostel and went geisha hunting! Just kidding! We went Buddha-hunting is more like it, as we went from temple to temple. We went to one with a giant buddha statue and got a stick of insense with the entrance fee (a mere 200\!). We took pictures of each other adding our incense sticks to the big pot thing and while I was posing, I burned a hole in the sleeve of my jacket from an incense stick. Real smart. Then we got to go inside the big Buddha, which I thought was neat (how many of you can say you've been IN Buddha?)
We also went to Kiyomizu Temple. It's very famous- built on stilts on a hill so there's a great view and it has magic fortune-bringing spring water you can drink (I did!).
Famished and feeling sick, we headed back to the station for a late lunch (Italian) and a break. But we didn't rest long! We caught a train to the Inari Shrine.
It's famous for the hundreds (maybe thousands) of orangey red torii gates that line a path winding way up Inari Mountain. We hiked the path for a good hour up to the top of the mountain so we had an amazing view of Kyoto. Walking through these gates immersed in the woods and mountains was an amazing experience. I love how in Japan, even amid booming urban centers like Tokyo and Kyoto, you can find these fantastic natural sceneries.
After all this hiking, I was exhausted and feeling sicker, but I kept up my spirits and caught a subway to Sanjo (sort of a nightlife area) to meet my Berkeley friend Chris for dinner. It was great seeing him for the first time since Sept (last trip to Kyoto) and we went to this tasty Thai place. I had some spicey chicken and basil dish that cleared my sinuses. Oh, you might not know, but as a rule, whenever I travel to a bigger city, I try to eat as much international food as possible because we don't have many options in Akita. Anyway, after dinner, we took some purikura and said goodbye. We might meet for dinner in Osaka tonight if the timing works out.
Off to bed at the hostel, where I slept on the bottom bunk in a room with 8 beds (only 4 decent backpacking travelers + me though). It was clean and convenient - and cheap (2500Y).
Today Juls and I checked out, had waffles (yes!!) a place in the station. Then we bought 500Y unlimited ride bus passes from the cute old lady in a tiny booth and went to Heian Shrine. It has an AMAZING garden that will be even more fantastic in about a week when the cherry blossoms bloom. It sucks we're just a bit too early, but I'm hopingto catch them in Hiroshima.
Anyway, after a lunch at starbucks, I'm on the train to Nara! bye for now. (^-^)/
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