Adventures in Japan

Pictures and Words

There's not a lot of separation between Osaka and Kyoto. There are a couple of patches of less built up spaces, maybe even a couple fields, but that's it. Kinda hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. But somewhere during our 45 minute train ride all the vending machine prices increased by 20 yen.

Interesting things I saw out the window during our train ride: the statue of liberty, and a 5 storey bowling alley with a batting cage on the roof.

There are temples and shrines EVERYWHERE in Kyoto. We passed at least a dozen that weren't mentioned in any of our tourist information or maps. And our maps and information mentioned a lot of temples.


We didn't hit as many places as we wanted to today but we'll be back. Probably within the month. Kyoto is a pretty place. Very easy to get sidetracked by an interesting looking path or odd looking shrine or an overcrowded cemetery. But I'll get to that last one in a bit.

First let me mention that I saw more white people today than I have in the last two weeks. Kyoto is a tourist mecca, y'see. Seeing all those white faces was kinda distracting. Not as distracting as the incredibly short skirts some of the Japanese girls were wearing, but fairly distracting. There was one couple in particular that kept crossing me and Carla's path. Mainly my path, Carla was busy stopping in every other store looking for purses. And tchotchkes.


I reckon most of our souvenir shopping will be done in Kyoto. But back to this couple. They were annoying. Never said a word to me or I to them but they just rubbed me the wrong way. They just had a look about them. They were either really conceited or mildly retarded, you know that look. They might have been French. The girl especially. She looked like she had once been beautiful but that time was behind her. She hadn't aged gracefully, unlike me. Not that I'm Johnny Depp or anything, but I've just about grown into my forehead, and she had totally overgrown her ass.


But I'm ranting about annoying people when I should be talking about the gorgeous scenery. Fall is the time when people from all over Japan come to Kyoto to look at the leaves change colour. Well, I probably won't talk all that much about it because y'all would rather just look at the pictures anyways.


Kiyomizu-dera was easily the best part of the day. Full of interesting architecture and great views. We walked around for hours, taking in all we could.

Then we strolled through the adjoining graveyard. If this one is indicative of the rest of Japan, this country has got crazy crowded cemeteries. Nearly piled on top of each other the graves are.


Heck, there's an overpass over part of the multi-level graveyard. It was really pretty and kinda bizarre. Especially the vending machines.


We walked back up to the viewing platform to take in the sunset and get bit by mosquitoes. I was going out of my way to squish the little pests when Carla pointed out that maybe I shouldn't be so violent in a Buddhist temple.

After the sun went down, we wandered around. I have no pictures of the geisha we saw because I didn't want to be a part of that whole scene, man. Bad vibes.


I did, however, take a picture of all the people trying to take a picture of the geisha.

Carla recommended First Kitchen's Yakiniku Dog, and I dis-recommend their raw bacon and asparagus pizza.