Kyoto - first full day (and it's a sweaty one)

I woke up feeling so tired today. I really didn't want to get out of bed and go anywhere. I realized that this was the first morning in weeks and weeks that I didn't have to set an alarm. It has been go, go, go since the middle of April and I'm tired.I took a leisurely morning before heading out to see some shrines. Even if I'd like to stay inside and binge watch something for the day, I'm in Kyoto. I'll rest later.

It is ridiculously hot and humid here today. It was in the low 90's and 88% humidity when I left the hotel. I meandered my way to the train station and on the way stopped at a Buddhist temple I saw yesterday called Ryosoku-in Temple. What a beautiful way to start my day.

In the heart of one of the oldest monasteries in Kyoto you find this temple. It is one of the few temples you can visit and enter the monastery and they are only open at certain times in the year. This is one of them. I was so tempted to go into the temple to sit zazen and you can do that here but everything is in Japanese. I'm going to figure out a way to go back to sit zazen and have tea or lunch at the temple. I guess there is a way to reserve a time so I'm going to ask at the inn.

I'm not sure if it's because the temple is only open at a certain time of year for a short amount of time but there were traffic cops at every intersection the entire 1/2 mile to the train station. Maybe it's like this all the time. 

My walk took me along the Shirakawa River that runs through the center of Kyoto where there are different levels to walk and see the scenery.

I took the train up to Fushimi Inari Shrine that is famous for the thousands of vermilion torii gates that climb up sacred Mount Inari. This shrine is the most important of several thousand shrines that are dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice and abundant crops. You can see fox statues throughout the grounds because they are thought to be Inari's messengers. The shrine predates 794 when Kyoto became the capital. The torii gates are vermilion to represent the sun and are donated by individuals and companies (you can see the donor's name and date of donation on each gate). The cost is anywhere from $4,000 for the smaller gates to over $10,000 for a larger gate. It takes 2-3 hours to hike up to the top of the mountain and I figure, while I'm here, let's give it a try.

This temple is one of the most visited places in all of Japan so I was totally regretting not getting up early to beat the crowds as I walked along the busy lane lined with street food vendors leading up to the shrine.

               
 Little cakes stuffed with cream or red bean paste

There was roasted corn, grilled beef, chicken or pork, juices and octopus balls (takoyaki). No, they are not the balls of an octopus. Get your minds out of the gutter. They are tasty little balls made with flour and egg with octopus meat in them. That will be my reward for hiking up the mountain.

On the left: cucumbers on a stick.         On the right, Japanese pancakes.

I didn't realize how popular hot dogs are in Japan. They are everywhere!

Here is the view when you first walk onto the grounds. There are fox statutes everywhere like sentinels guarding the mountain and shrine. I took over 250 photos here and I will not subject you to all of them but here are a few as I made my way up the mountain.

I tried several times to capture this shot but there were thousands of people and I just couldn't capture it. I inserted a stock photo so you can see how beautiful this shrine is.

Here's a map showing you how the gates are laid out up the mountainside. Let's see if I can make it to the top.

It was insanely crowded at the bottom of the mountain but once you got up a bit higher, it got quieter and quieter and much less crowded. At some points I was the only one so it was lovely. I'm thinking hiking up a mountain in a kimono and those wooden shoes isn't an easy task.

Only part way up and I'm already a hot, sweaty mess.

At one point the sign pointing to the summit said 20 more minutes. I thought I'd pass out. Sweet Shinto god!

A view of Kyoto from above.

It just goes up, and up and up and up! Holy sweat Batman! Just when you think it's almost over, you come up to another series of gates. I drank 2 bottles of water on the way up and another on the way back down. I don't even have to pee so that tells you how much sweating there was going on.

I made it to the top, although I admit I almost turned back a few times. There are 12,000 steps and 10,000 gates. Here is a view of Kyoto near the top.

I was planning on making another stop today but I was completely DONE when I got to the bottom. It took me just under 3 hours and I was completely soaked with sweat. Was it worth it? Hell yes! This was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been!

I inserted a short video so you can get an idea of what it was like walking up the mountain. What a spectacular pace. It truly was magical.

The walk down the mountain didn't continue to go through gates once I reached a certain level and there so many more photos to capture along the way.

Look closely at the water to the right. That's a fabulous dragon spigot!

My last fox on the way out off the grounds.

I did, in fact, stop for the octopus balls and iced yuzu with tea. They were both fantastic! I earned these babies. Now, back to the hotel to take a shower and regroup. Hmmmm....what's next I wonder?