Kyoto Japan

I just returned from Japan on Sunday, and I have so, SO much to tell you about my trip!  First things first, Japan is amazing.  The weather was cool and crisp, the people were warm and friendly, and the food was always delicious and plentiful. I had toyed with the idea of going to Japan before leaving for Cambodia, but wasn't sure if I would actually go through with it since it is on the more expensive end of the spectrum with respect to places-to-travel-in-Asia.  However, compared to coming from the US, it was so affordable.  We also stayed in hostels, used public transportation, and ate cheap grab-and-go lunches from small convenience stores most days. 

Another intern at IJM and I were discussing travel one day on a previous trip, and when I mentioned possibly going to Japan over the September holiday, she asked if she could come along.  Thus, the trip became more of a reality as it is always more fun to travel with a friend than alone!  We booked our flight and hostels a few months back, and have been anxiously awaiting the Pchum Ben holiday in Cambodia (three day holiday meaning I only had to use two vacation days to have a full week in Japan...yippie!).  We decided to explore two of the main cities in Japan...Kyoto and Tokyo.  We allocated two days to Kyoto and four days to Tokyo. 

On Saturday, September 20, we headed to Japan.  We arrived in Osaka, but only stayed the evening, leaving first thing Sunday for Kyoto.  Kyoto is about a 45 minute train ride from Osaka and is the old Japanese capital.  When you think of "old-school" Japan...you are imagining Kyoto.  The two days we spent in Kyoto were an absolute whirlwind.  The first thing we did was explore the Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine which is maybe one of Japan's most famous sites.  It was made famous in the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha"  (ya know, the part at the end of the movie where she is running through the orange tunnels).  It is almost 4 km of orange tunnels of torri gates to walk through and goes straight up a mountain.  It's a beautiful climb.  Along the way, there are smaller shrines and great lookouts over the city.  We also stopped along the climb for some shaved ice.  I opted for the green tea flavored shaved ice, and it was one of the most delicious treats I had during the trip. 



Entrance to Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine



Sake Offerings



Torii Gates



Posing



This is Victoria, my fellow adventurer!



Smaller shrines scattered throughout the walk.



Green Tea shaved ice.  Sooooo much yumminess.



Strawberry and Green Tea shaved ice.



Delish

After leaving Fushimi Inari Shrine, we headed to another shrine in Kyoto called Kiyumizudara Temple ("water temple").  It is a Buddhist temple and a UNESCO world heritage site, so of course it was stunning.  The biggest attraction at the temple is the Otowa waterfall which is believed to have wish-granting powers if you drink from it.  Unfortunately, the line was very long so Victoria and I opted not to take a drink. 

After a full day of visiting temples and sightseeing, we headed to Gion district which is the geisha district of Kyoto.  Yes, geishas still exist, and they are beautiful.  There are many people who dress up in geisha attire (tourist trap), but you can definitely spot the real ones.  They are stunning and just carry themselves with such grace.  We walked around for a while and decided to grab a bite to eat.  We have been really spoiled in Cambodia with the locals ability to speak English.  However, Japan is a totally different story; very few Japanese speak English and none of the signs and very few menus are in English.  After wandering for what seemed like forever, we finally went into a small ramen restaurant in a winding, narrow alley.  They were two counters and a half dozen stools.  We couldn't communicate with our cook, but were able to make it clear that we wanted food, particularly their best selling dish.  I'm still unsure of what we actually ate; it was some variation of ramen, but it was absolutely delicious.  They tried to chat with us, but we ended up just laughing and smiling and bowing a lot to them.  They did understand that we loved the food so I guess that's all that matters.



All in Japanese!



Yummy Ramen.



Our Cook

Day two in Kyoto was just as packed as the first day.  There were so many beautiful things in Kyoto, and we tried our best to see as much as we could before moving on to Tokyo.  First, we headed to Kinkaku-ji (better known as the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion").  It was stunning.  It is a Zen Buddhist temple with beautiful, meandering gardens around it.  The day was gorgeous with not a cloud in the sky which provided excellent photographs.  Seriously, it looked fake.  Next, we headed to the Arashiyama area to see another temple and explore the bamboo forest.  We went to Tenryuji Temple which is another Zen Buddhist temple.  It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.  We sat inside the temple looking out into the garden for quite a while, then meandered around the gardens.  It was so peaceful and relaxing, I almost didn't want to leave.  When we finally forced ourselves to leave the Temple, we walked through the Sangano bamboo forest.  The forest covers about 6 square miles.  It is absolutely beautiful.  There is a trail that goes through the forest that tourist can walk on.  It's incredible to walk through and look high above your head into the bamboo.  Pictures just do not do it justice.  



Temple of the Golden Pavillion



Bamboo Forest 

After a full day of sightseeing, we met some of Victoria's friends for dinner.  She has a few friends from university that are teaching English in Japan.  It was great to meet some new people.  Plus, they were more experienced in Japanese food so they ordered for us at the restaurant and introduced us to some pretty amazing food.  All in all, it was a great two days in Kyoto.  After dinner, Victoria and I caught the night bus to Tokyo which got us into the city bright and early on Tuesday morning.  I would love to go back to Kyoto and found it to be my favorite city of the two.