Monday, November 23, 2009

Kyoto: Fushimi Inari and Kiyomizudera

Monday my dad and I finally traveled somewhere: KYOTO! My usual Monday alarm went off, waking me during my REM sleep and my eyes were still REMing when I woke up >.< I got dressed, almost forgot the big duffel of my clothes my dad is taking back to the US for me (my suitcases were packed when I came here... and after all the things I bought... ZETTAI MURIDAYO!), and met my dad at the hotel. I had to run to catch my bus. Lately, I've been using the bus schedule to get to the bus stop just in time... and I look at it and the next bus is in 10 minutes, which is plenty of time if I go right then. And with the big heavy bag on my shoulder I had to try to run a bit faster.

I got the just when dad was trying to figure how much it would be if he didn't checkout by 10, which he didn't have to worry about after all. We planned to go meet my friends at 11 at the Fushimi Inari station so with time to spare we hit up Starbucks before hopping on a train. For the record, no express trains go to Fushimi Inari... I think the fastest train was the blue train. Which is almost no better than a local train HAHA.

So we start riding and I get off at the wrong stop... in fact I exit the station at the wrong stop! We got off at Fushimi Momoyama (I think is the name). I check my train map in my schedule book (I have the entire train map of Tokyo and Osaka and subways from all over Japan... did I mention these maps are entirely in Japanese? Kanji too), and we buy a 200 yen ticket and continue on to the correct station. Where we meet Mai (we volunteer together). Mai's friend, luckily had my email address because I forgot to write hers down, also had traveling problems. So it all worked out good. We all waited for each other.

Fushimi Inari was awesome. So many toriis!!! I wonder how many there are. We didn't climb all the way to the top though. I guess we took the weenie route down 1/3 of the way up LOL. We did run into TWO pet-able kitties :D I haven't pet a kitty since I left home! The cats here are wild and just run away :( I bought a torii (a little one) and my cell phone charm + a soft Inari cats eye charm! I mean so sooooo soft too! Super cute :) Here are some pictures!!

15944_549354522472_50107051_32361893_8344276_n

Inari the fox. His temple!

15944_549354557402_50107051_32361900_5849147_n

Seeing double? Both paths went the same way by the way.

15944_549354572372_50107051_32361903_4477446_n

Toriis! Feel like you are in Memoirs of a Geisha yet?

15944_549354622272_50107051_32361913_1052458_n

Me and the toriis

15944_549354672172_50107051_32361923_154353_n

Fall leaves!!!

15944_549354717082_50107051_32361931_4593691_n

The second of two kitties I got to pet :) This one was comfortably sun bathing.

Afterward we went to Kiyomizudera. I decided to go to the Kiyomizu Gojo station... after walking to the temple I started thinking the Gion station that we went to when I went with the dance booth members was closer. Not sure if I am wrong or right... I got a little lost trying to go back the way I went with the dance booth members. I knew I saw a Family Mart and I hadn't eaten really the whole day and I wanted to find it. Anyways, at Kiyomizu we walked around... it was really crowded. I bought an omamori :) AND GOT A GOOD FORTUNE FOR ONCE!! YAY :) I drunk from the fountain... I'm not sure what kind of luck I drank though LOL. I could use some luck no matter what kind it is.

After Kiyomizu we headed back on an overly crowded limited express train. Next time, I'm just going to take sub express. It's not like we were in a hurry. Sub express wouldn't have been so crowded. I was so pooped by the time we go to back to Hirakata-shi. We sat in the atrium of the station and I tried to think of something that to do that involves sitting since we had time to spare before needing to go to the airport... come on... what did I choose to do???? Shouldn't be that hard to figure out... What is something fun to do that involves sitting? KARAOKE!!! So we hit up karaoke for an hour before heading to the airport. It was fun :)

I took dad back to the airport, an easier way that when I went to pick him up. It may not have been cheaper, and may or may not have taken as long, but it was sooo much easier. Hirakata-shi to Kyobashi on the Keihan line, Kyobashi to Tennoji on the JR Loop Line, Tennoji to Kansai Airport on the Airport express train. Then do it in reverse!! I didn't get back to the dorm til almost 11. I hate how much I have been eating McDs lately but I've been so busy. I think starting today it is back to cooking and packing bento.

I'm trying to remember what day of the week it is LOL. Holidays throw me off. Festivals too. And we just had both!

Current status: hungry, sleepy, but mostly hungry.

0 comments: