Kyoto in the Shell of a Nut

Travel in Japan is ridiculously expensive so to get to Kyoto we took a chance on the overnight ferry between Kyshu and Osaka. It was a total of 16 hours, from 4pm to 8:40am. The good part is there are sleeping quarters and a public bath! It barely feels like your traveling because you can chill out and play cards and relax the entire time. It is my number one preferred method of travel. Cheap and fun!

Click on any pictures for a larger view.

A view from the boat as we departed. Isn't Kyushu beauitful?!



Of course you can fork out lots of dough for a private cabin, but we opted for the cheapest route which is a big room with small mats laid out for each person. Provided is a small pad, a pillow and a blanket. Here's a picture of the room as people are settling in. It's close quarters! I was by the wall, but both me and Shawn's neighbor tried to cuddle him in the night.



Shawn conversing with some young crazy kids.



Enjoying the morning sun. It was gorgeous!



A lovely sight at 6 in the morning.



We finally made it through Osaka and took the half hour train ride to Kyoto. We checked into our hostel conveniently named Kyoto Cheapest Inn, and with cameras in hand set out to see what we could find. I stumbled upon this scene and it reminded me of the children's book called "The Little House." If you haven't read it, it's a good one. A small house in the country is eventually dwarfed by sky scrapers and the filth of the city. One such example:



That night we met up with two of my former students and ESS Club members who are now in college. They are so sweet and showed us their university campus, a very famous temple and a rock garden.

Satoko, Yu and Shawn at the famous Golden Pavillion.



These are wooden blocks that people write prayers or wishes on. Every first Sunday of the month the priest prays for the wishes to be granted. There were wishes from people of all languages and it was really fun to read the ones we could.





At most shrines/temples you can also purchase a fortune that looks like this:



Satoko and Yu patiently translated Shawn's fortune. This is the part where they told him if he has a disease he should visit a doctor in the North East...but the disease will be terminal so there really isn't anything he can do. They also said he would have lots of kids, and if he lost something he will find it if he keeps looking.



As we were leaving we then found an English fortune dispenser! Glad we did because it cleared up that disease part. There are about 10 categories covering everything from childbirth to business, diseases to finding love. I suppose they cover all the bases so that each person can have something to relate to. Phew! So relieved to know Shawn's terminal illness isn't a prediction!

This is called a torii gate. According to my friend, Wikipedia, the torii gate signals the entrance to a shrine or temple to mark the transition from the ordinary world to the sacred. Torii gates are often painted red and some have writing on them.



To finish the rendezvous with my former students, we ate delicious okonomiyaki! Okonimi = as you like it. Yaki = grilled. So, basically it's anything you like grilled in pancake batter with cabbage. You can see it cooks right on the table in front of you. I'm really going to miss this food.



The next morning we went to the Silver Temple (a nice compliment to the Gold Temple) and I have to say....silver was better than gold. The building itself not so, but the gardens were amazing! A lot of work obviously goes into maintaining these gardens and it is worth it. Japanese gardens are absolutely beautiful. If you've never been to one...seek one out and go. There are lots in the US, including one in Portland!

This is the Silver Temple.



We were there early enough to see the gravel being raked. It was awesome to see how much work and calculation goes into this gravel. And...it does look amazing when it's finished. In Zen Gardens the raked gravel signifies water and moving currents. This man is doing a fabulous job.



A final product:



I can imagine that Japanese Gardens are meticulously planned and cared for, but strolling through you can't help but feel everything is so natural. I think that's the main difference between a Japanese Garden and a Western Garden. They make use of regional plants, simplicity and space. I wanted to show the moss on the floor of the garden in this picture. And check out how green it is, it's almost flourescent! The moss makes everything looks very soft and smooth. I really wanted to lay down on it like a giant pillow.



No wonder the moss was so awesome! It's VIP Moss!





The best thing about walking around all day in the sweltering heat and humidity was the promise of soft serve ice cream! Here they call it "soft cream" and it is everywhere! You really can't beat green tea soft cream. I wish I could eat it all day.



Another example of the mixture of urban landscape and tradtional culture. A giant torii gate in the middle of the city.



It is easy to tell where the hubs of Kyoto were in the old days because you can walk on a constant path of temples, narrow streets, tea houses and creek side paths. It was beautiful! I will admit we were a bit 'templed out' but it was so serene and peaceful. We did decide to ascend the step of this particular temple because it was the place where The Last Samurai was filmed. Equally beautiful and huge.





Lotus pond



It seems like many countries around the world reserve traditional wear for festivals and museums. In Japan however, it's not uncommon to see women walking around in kimono or yukata. Even in Oita I have seen it on numerous occasions. Of course in Kyoto, that occurences tripled due to tourists and Japanese people connecting with their roots.

This woman was doing a professional photo shoot. I asked if I could also take her picture and she obliged.



We all know about Geisha thanks to the blockbuster, Memoirs of a Geisha, but did you know they actually still exist? It's a very secretive organization and it is very rare to get a glimpse. I am very proud to say we did see a Maiko (Geisha in-training) heading off to a client. She said goodbye to her 'house mother' and hopped into a cab. Of course at that time we had no camera. But it was amazing and I was so excited!

Travelers can also pay hundreds of dollars to dress as a Maiko and have their picture taken. This picture is one such occasion. We saw a few of these imposters, but I know for a fact the Maiko we saw getting into the taxi was the real deal. For your viewing pleasure, here's the gorgeous kimono and make up they wear. You can see what looks like a shadow on the back of her neck. It's actually the white paint. The view of the plain skin on the back of her neck was a major turn-on back in the day.



We made it up to the Pure Water Temple called Kiyomizudera. It's up on a hill and overlooks the city. It's really beautiful. And, it is a candidate for one of the New Seven Wonders of the World! You can vote online if you feel so inclined...





In addition to being purified as you pass under a torii gate to enter a shrine you are supposed to wash your hands with this water.



We took a small train ride to Nara, the capital of Japan in the 700s. In Nara tame deers run wild. (Does that even make sense?) Anyway, the deer are fed by tourists and so hang around all over. It was a little creepy...but cool.



This is Todai-ji Temple that houses a very large buddha inside. I loved this view with the very green and smooth yard.



By the end of the trip we were super tired.



The last thing we saw in Kyoto was the Fushimi Inari Shrine. It is famous for thousands of torii gates that were donated by business men who felt fortunate in their life. It was SO awesome to walk under all these red gates.





And...those were the highlights! Lots of sightseeing. It was a gorgeous place to go and hopefully we can return one day with some family to share our experiences. This is definitely not the last time we will be in Japan.

We miss you all!