Alone in Japan (Part 3): Kyoto
The number one rule in traveling (if you want to go home with good photos) is to wake up early and visit the place early... because tourist spots can be crowded and you won't really appreciate the place if there are just too many people in the area. But of course, it depends where you're going-- for instance, of course, you don't want to see Shibuya without people in the streets.
And that's what I did when I visited Fushimi Inari and Gion Street. (I was too tired on Day 3, that I woke up late and visited Arashiyama like 10AM. And yes, there were already A LOT of people when I arrived there.)
Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
The thing is, I didn't do enough research on this one. I thought it's just an ordinary temple with a "bunch" of vermilion torii gates just around it. I was not "that" wrong. I just didn't expect the "bunch" part means "thousands" of it! HAHA
I'm actually that friend in the group who says "it's just around the corner" and that means 1 mile or over. And so there I was walking and hiking the stairs/mountain; too curious of what's on top, when I suddenly noticed "this is taking forever!" -- and that's after 1 hour of hike. lol But I still kept going... because I wanted to see what's the end of it. I took it slowly and ignored my plantar fascist that's trying to stop me. But you see, I'm stubborn.
So I reached the top and this is what I saw...
Photos along the way...
They have wild cats there in the mountain
Entrance of Fushimi Inari Shrine
Gion Street
When I was planning my trip weeks before my departure, I forgot about this place. One night, while I was staying at my AirBnB, I saw a photo of the Hokanji Temple. And that's when I remembered I wanted to see it personally.The problem was, the photo I saw didn't have the name of the temple. It just said "Gion Street". I googled the place and yet I couldn't figure it out. I still went anyways. I roamed around and asked people around.
It took me 30 minutes to find it! haha
Hokanji Temple
After finding it, I walked around and found the Starbucks and Hello Kitty Cafe with a theme like from the old Edo era. In my head, "I should have just googled Starbucks!" (cause I had its address! ugh)
Address: 349 Masuyacho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture 605-0826
Here are more photos from Gion Street...
A temple I saw while walking around the area. I don't even know its name lol
One of my favorite photos during my stay in Kyoto
I even befriended a cute doggo wandering its streets...
Arashiyama (Bamboo Forest)
This park is actually big. Aside from the Bamboo Forest, they have a bunch of spots where you can chillax and be surrounded by the cherry blossoms. They even have a river where you can kayak. And there's a Monkey Park where you can (i think) feed them-- I didn't go there 'cause I've already seen a bunch of wild monkeys back home.
I had to crop this photo because the bottom part of it's a river of people LOL
Travel tip: when planning an itinerary, put in consideration the time of travel (walk, bus, train, et al), the distance of each place you're visiting, train stations, the time you're spending on each stop, the place to eat, and time to relax and re-energize. Make sure not to overwhelm yourself and make sure to get plenty of sleep/rest before wandering around so that you can enjoy your stay and see the places you want to visit... because "touring around" or "traveling" means A LOT of walking!
