Kyoto Day 2

March 2008

After the aquarium excursion we headed back to Kyoto. We reserve a hotel and relax for a moment as I plan out the adventure for the upcoming night. We followed the sakura guide book I picked up and headed to various locations famous for their lit up flowers. We came to a bridge crossing the kamogawa river where the banks are lined many trees. I managed to get a few good shots. To do so I set up my portable tripod on the bridge railing. When I let go to drink from the can I was holding the camera tumbled from the railing, fortunately onto the bridge and not in the river. A plastic ring surrounding the lens broke off yet overall the camera seemed alright.

We went to the next spot shirakawa river in the Gion district, the most famous geisha district in Japan, and when I turned on the camera again the lens just fell out. I managed to piece it together with tape, but it often refuses to take pictures due to some percieved lens error. Theres nothing wrong with the camera, I swear! We managed to get along enough for me to get most of the pictures I wanted, nevertheless this was upsetting.

Alongside shirakawa was a row of several small restaurants. Each one had bridge to cross as an entryway. The canopy of flowers from the short trees along the river was fantastic. This was a very crowded location. From here we walked without knowing where we were headed, and we came across an area like such a place we searched for the first night in Kyoto. This was an entertainment district with lots of shops that were still open at night. At the end of the the street we noticed a large gateway beckoning us to see what was inside. It turned out to be a huge park with, surprise! more flowers. There were lots of people having parties in the park, but it was a Sunday night. There were plenty of the ubiquitous  food and drink stalls, as well as carnival type games. There was even a stall selling Nintendo games. We passed a small dance party, but it was puny compared to the one I saw in Yoyogi Park during the day.

I must point out that the most amazing sakura tree I have ever seen resides in this park, It is massive and simply breathtaking. 

Eventually we sat down and had a bit to eat and drink. I was talking to an older couple who were sitting next to us. Our conversation wasn't too significant. They left before we did and Dave was considering returning to the hotel at this point. Just then, where the old couple was previously sitting two girls came and sat down. They were dressed in the Japanese 'gyaru' fashion: expensive designer clothes, bleached hair, and tanned skin. What would eventually unfold demonstrates that these girls were quite skilled in getting what they want. They whispered to each other and giggled. Clearly they sat down right in front of us in order to get our attention. It worked. After a few minutes of talking to them I found myself buying them each a drink and split some grilled chicken skewers with them. They were rather attractive and exactly the type of girl I had been avoiding in Japan up until this point. Although part of me felt as though I was being deceived somehow, I couldn't bring myself to see through the trickery. I got one of their numbers and decided to call her the next day.

Kiyomizudera

Early March, 2008

The trip to Kansai remains one of my best experiences in Japan. The 8 hour bus ride from Shinjuku to Kyoto was a bit taxing considering I had only slept for two hours the night before we left. I did sleep a bit on the bus, but not very well. The scenery was great, with some spectacular views of the Japanese Alps. I realized I don’t like taking pictures from moving vehicles much so I only took one during the ride. Despite the length the bus ride was quite pleasant, yet altogether insignificant compared to what was waiting for us.

Upon arrival in Kyoto Dave and I stopped at the tourism information center in order to find a place to stay. This is always something very easy to do in Japan and allows mystery travel to be quite manageable if you don’t overextend your energy. I doubt that you will find English speakers at all these travel centers, so this is a time when Japanese is useful. Simply tell them how many people you have, the area you would like to stay, and how much you want to pay. They will make phonecalls to the necessary places to determine if a room is a available. I have always managed to find a place to stay in this manner.

The first night we stayed at a ryokan with a shared bath and toilet. The woman who explained the detailed information regarding the lodging asked if information given in English was ok. Dave told her Japanese is ok too. She thanked us breathed an obvious sigh of relief upon realizing that she wouldn’t have to struggle through an English explanation. She was quite cute.

After settling in we went to go eat and ended up at a Chinese restaurant. The food was unremarkable, but the best part was the drunken Japanese guy sitting at the table behind us whose face had turned an unbelievable shade of red. Here is a undeniable proof to the existence of the stereotypical drunken Japanese businessman. The color of his face was truly unlike anything I have ever seen. Imagine a plump tomato and think of what a tomato would sound like if it could talk. Then take that tomato and give it beer. Lots of beer. The end result is something so inebriated I doubt even his friends could understand much of what he spoke of. Hopefully they made sure he got home alright.

From here we went back to the ryokan because I wanted to take a bath. Then we ventured out to find the night life of Kyoto; however, ultimately we failed to do so. What we did find was uphill climb past many traditional crafts, food, and souvenir shops. This street was packed with tourists, mostly Japanese, but we continued on in search of something greater. At the top of the hill we discovered what seemed to be an old temple with a large great welcoming us. In the background were blazing spotlights of glory. Little did I know that Kyoto really likes to light things up at night. This over-the-top display of Japanese culture turns out to be Kiyomizudera, one of the more famous temples in Kyoto.

The lights were spread all throughout temple grounds providing for some amazing night viewing of sakura. We also saw a superb panoramic view of the city; In the words of a passing gaijin, this place will definately go into my list of top ten sights, if such an obnoxious claim can be objectively, or even subjectively made. Either way around lists can be so so obsequious (yes I do mean to use this word).

We came upon something that was exclaimed to be lacking of people presently, so it was a good time to enter. We paid a few dollars without having any idea what this attraction was, but when I noticed we would enter an underground passageway I knew it had to be good. It turned out to be a twisting tunnel that was so dark you could not see your own hand in front of your face. There was a handrail to hold which was the only thing preventing you from walking right into a wall. After several twists and turns a faint light began to radiate from ahead and when you rounded the next corner a rock about 3.5 feet tall and maybe 2 feet across sat powerfully beneath a single dim lamp. The energy emanating from this slab of earth was awesome. On top a single Sanskrit character issued forth meaning. What could this be? This here possibly stands as number one on my list of cheap things you pay for before you even know what you get. Life is full of these gambles. Take the risk.

From here we continued to tour the temple grounds and on the way out I saw the most illusory thing. There was a small pond with sakura trees dangling lazily down on the water. The water seemed completely still with some flower petals drifting aimlessly on the surface. Above and beyond stood the buildings of the temple. People were everywhere. The scene was unlike anything I knew that actually existed. It becomes apparent how little I know. The world awaits my discovery. I will take part in its extravagence. This moment of time is surreal. It inhabits a place in my memories alongside my bizarrest of dreams. I often wonder about the difference between dreams and reality. Is there any? This was definately the climax of Kiyomizudera. From here it was all downhill.

We bought some beer on the way back to the hotel. I was disappointed to find out that the liquor store had already closed. We settled for the convience beer. Back at the hotel we played some bomberman on the Nintendo DS. Dave took his sleeping medication, and despite his increasing delirium and general incomprehensibality I lost every game. How does he do it?

The next morning we walked around town and tried to find a place for the night on our own. We checked a few places but they were all booked. The final ryokan we inquired at we met .a nice old lady. The way she spoke was so interesting with her kyoto dialect. The Japanese she spoke was furthest from hyojungo(standard japanese) than probably anyone else i met in Japan. She told us that just about all the hotels are full because it is a Saturday in the middle of sakura season. She gave us her card and told us to come back again, but more importantly, suggested that we go to Osaka instead and stay there for the night. So that’s what we did.