Kyoto trip

We came back to my parent’s home from Shirakawago and we stayed two days with my family and following day we headed to Kyoto for the second time in her life. We settle in to our local train from an extremely tiny station

We used buses on occasion and spent walking through on a very hot day. We went over little streams, down old alleyways and along the small canals.

We made it to the beginning of the philosophers path, a very lush green pathway which runs along a steam for a few kilometers.

We visited Nanzenji temple, a big bridge complex with many small and big temples

 

And then we shuffle our way through a narrow alley cram packed with tourists heading to see the Golden temple. Kyoto itself is littered with temples and shrines and this one is one of the most famous. 

 

Nishiki market is a traditional food market. While modern food ships and souvenir shops are starting to move in, there are still enough traditional ships to give you glimpse of what a traditional market must have looked like.

We were quite lazy because we were so tired from all our walking that day. We spent a few minutes along the river. It was awesome to see hundreds of people sitting along the river at night, playing music or having some drinks. So many good vibes.

On our last destination we headed to the Fushimi Inari red tori gates which line the pathways all the way up a mountain.  It was very impressive at night since there’s a few people passing by.  It’s calming to be on this hike, surrounded by shrines and spiritual constructions. Along the path there are periodically little waystations and shrines to leave offerings, make prayers, or just rest your feet and get a drink. As I ship on a bottle of Coke I reflect on the trip so far. It is, in a sense, a pilgrimage for me.

overall, we were extremely tired and could make the most of time.