Life is full of uncertainties, perhaps one day some unforeseen circumstance would bring her into his life once more
Murasaki Shikibu
It would have been a huge regret of mine if I didn’t take the hour long train up the olde town road to Kyoto — the former capital of Japan. The train stations might as well have been the Narnia closets, because I arrived at another universe altogether. The train station was old, there were rickety stone floors that lead out the open station and to more rickety stone roads. Hiking up the streets, I constantly stopped to look at the shops face the road — most sold tourist items like masks, keychains, socks, etc. A lot had the religious items like amulets and beaded necklaces. I though that walking up the long road was enough — there was food at the end and the head shrine was astonishing. You had to walk through this huge entrance to approach the palace-like shrine. There were endless wishes and prayers hung or tied around the shrine and the shrine had people praying and ringing the bell. I looked inside the shrine and it was just as amazing inside. It was designed and built with so much dedication, you can practically see the guy carving the intricate designs inside.
I thought I was finished walking now. My legs were genuinely crying to stop walking and give them a break. Turns out I wasn’t even at the main event — the tunnels connecting to the other smaller shrines. And turns out, luckily for everyone, it was another hike up inside the “tunnels” (not even sure if it’s called a tunnel — more like a covered pathway?).
The small shrines were much smaller, simpler and in my opinion, a lot cooler. It was a little ominous every time I went to one just because of how empty it was standing in front of a single lit lantern facing mysterious amulets, talisman and wooden signs. I enjoyed it a lot better than the hustling and bustling of the crowded main shrine. There were also cats. So many cats.
After scaring myself half to death at each shrine, I headed down the mountain with my screaming legs, bought a traditional mask and hopped on the train to the main city of Kyoto. I went to the Nishiki Market, which had, again, special foods and specialty items for sale. I think candy and these Japanese jube jubes was a Kyoto item. Just cute things in general, actually. I ate a lot of sweets — the sucrose gods really blessed me that day… maybe I had accidentally wished for it at the shrine.
At the end of the market was the Nishiki-Tenmangu Shrine in the middle of a… strip mall? Shopping street? You could enter from here and leave on the other side to another shopping street that was outdoors. The shopping street was so much more modern that the Nishiki Market. Lots of modern clothing and little gadgets, accessories and such. I bought one of those electric fans that were considered sort of an accessory there. I was blown away by how cute it was.
In the evening, I walked to the Gion neighbourhood — the Ponto Cho alley and such to grab something to eat for dinner. The old timey, stone road atmosphere was strong even though the neighbourhood was in the middle of an urban area. There were geishas walking around and lanterns lit up the area instead of streetlights. And that concludes the end of the trip — a tummy full of good tsukemen noodles and a nice walk through the Hanamoji-koji Street.
Ivy In Japan 