Holy smokes I'm tired! There's so much to see in Kyoto and to even do a fraction of it is taking all my energy. I wish I could say my last weekend in Jeju will be a time to relax, but it's already full of meetings with friends and last goodbyes. Hopefully I can squeeze a morning at the sauna and another massage in there somewhere.
It did take about 8 hours to get to Kyoto on the local trains from Yokohama. I transferred about 6 times, which seems like more than I really needed to, but I just followed the station master's advice of where to change trains and that's how it worked. It was pretty simple and I didn't wait longer than 10 minutes for a single train so it was a relaxing day nonetheless. Fortunately, the last 2 trains coming into Kyoto were rapid trains which probably cut 30 minutes of travel. I had booked a hostel online before coming here and it turned out to be a great decision. 'Tour Club Kyoto' is probably the most affordable accommodation in Kyoto and it is clean, quiet, conveniently located, and comfortable. There's even a Zen garden next to my room!
Having only 2 full days in Kyoto, I packed today full of sights. Kyoto was Japan's second capital, after Nara, and has many, many, many historical sights, especially Shinto Shrines and Buddhist Temples but also more than a few castles, palaces, gardens, and parks. I followed the Lonely Planet walking tour through the east part of the city today, leaving my hostel at 7:30am to hopefully beat the heat and the crowds. It was very quiet and not yet boiling hot as I walked the traditional Japanese alleyways up to my first temple of the day. I'd love to tell you the name of it, but it's long forgotten. Fortunately, I remembered to take pictures of most of the signposts with names on them. I walked kilometer after kilometer, saw temple after temple after shrine after temple, and sweat buckets. My clothes are so disgusting, I won't even describe the smell to you. (Not that that's new...I've been sweating this much for a month.) I paused for an early lunch at a quiet park (fresh avocado, tomatoes, French bread, and a Japanese rice cake all purchased at the local mart the previous evening) and continued on to temple after shrine after temple. Needless to say, my body needed a rest! I finally conceded to the heat and walked to the Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art for an hour of air conditioned bliss. I don't usually go for museums when I travel, but this was a necessary and enjoyable change of pace. The most interesting exhibit was photography taken by an American in Japan at the end of WWII. It showed both American and Japanese soldiers and civilians and it reminded me just how much Japan has recovered in 60 years. The country was literally devastated and has become one of the strongest nations in the world. South Korea has a similar story, although for completely different reasons. After another beautiful temple, waterfall garden, and impromptu hike through a cedar forest, I took the bus back to my hostel, grabbed some clean clothes and headed out to the sauna. Yes, sauna - or onsen as they're called in Japan. There are signs all over my hostel advertising a bath house just a few blocks down the road for a very reasonable price. And, oh yeah, was it just what I needed. It was as nice a sauna as any, 4 or 5 hot pools, a cold pool, a dry sauna, and an outdoor hot pool. I soaked and bubbled away my muscle aches and foot cramps and feel pretty refreshed for another day tomorrow! I intended to go to Gion, the historic Geisha district, this evening but after a simple udon noodle and tofu dinner, my body said "No! Go to bed." And here I am on the internet, not in bed. I'll head there shortly, though!
The temples and shrines were really beautiful and very interesting. I don't mean to make them sound bland or boring. They all have a unique feel to them and beautiful, peaceful grounds. I meditated in a few and got to sit in on a ceremony in one. They are all a little different from each other and are quite different from Korean temples (Mahayaha Buddhism) or Thai temples (Theravada Buddhism). The history of Japanese Buddhism (Zen Buddhism) is marked by the emporor or shogunate of the period and many times in Japanese history Zen Buddhism was outlawed or changed for a long period. Most of the temples have been rebuilt, moved, or restored at least a few times and almost all that I saw today were undergoing restoration.
Gotta run, internet over.
1 comment:
Thanks for the update! Sean and I are going to Japan in November and I'm really enjoying reading about what you have been doing.
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