Rushing Through Kyoto and Arashiyama

What can I say about Kyoto the city? Well, I have not seen enough of it to give a real impression except of a few firsts. The memory that really stood out was the regret of not staying long enough to take in the sights. We arrived in Kyoto late in the afternoon via Shinkasnen from Tokyo, and we went directly to Tofukuji Station in hopes of checking in our Airbnb so that by 3pm we could start exploring the city. That was the tricky part─finding the exact place in a location that's not that easily locatable with a GPS. For almost an hour we were going in circles. We were got close to the pinned location, but then we were either standing on the opposite street that we cannot cross because of a wall or we kept walking to a direction that looked completely different on the map; it was so frustrating that at some point we told the rest of our family to wait in one spot and we'd come fetch them the moment we find the house. Because really, it was sad to watch us haul our huge bags on the streets back and forth.  This led us to ask a few locals and experience what a lot of tourists had been claiming─how willing people are, to go out of their way and help lost-clueless tourists like ourselves. A girl walked us all the way to the police station and talk to the officer when she didn't know where it was. Surprisingly the police also didn't know where that street was because he was using this old area map...and so the girl assisted us to asking around and never left us until we stood at the door of our Airbnb. The whole thing must've took more than thirty minutes...precious time and effort that I'm sure not everyone is willing to do for strangers. I truly appreciated us getting lost even if that incident caused my mother to complain about how scared she got the whole time we stayed in Kyoto, because that gave me a first-hand experience of how well-meaning and valued courtesy is to the Japanese.  

By the time we arrived in our rental place, I heard all sorts of complaint from my mother starting with a comparison between how outdated the house was compared to where we stayed in Tokyo. To my bewilderment, my brother even told me about how she started yapping that evening about how it could be a plot by the Yakuza to lure in innocent tourists in an old quiet neighborhood then suddenly barge in middle of the night to kidnap us just because the house didn't have a traditional Yale pad lock like we did back home. "How can houses in Kyoto not have high walls and gates!? How can they not have door locks!? And why can't they have normal beds?" She jeered. There was also a mention that made her willing to stay on the second floor because she felt like the whole setup of the first floor was eerily similar to those horror films. 

Of course, all those are unfounded fears that my mother had painted in her head when all the while the real charm of the house is in how it felt like I was living is some anime character's place with the tatami floors and traditional sliding doors. The setup of the house was really something I found distinctly beautiful. It felt like we were staying in a ryokan for a bargain. 

After all the hullabaloo, my parents were beat and ordered us to go find them something for dinner. It was the only opportunity for us to explore the city because time was not on our side. We've just wasted two precious hours looking for our Airbnb, so we left them with a promise to bring them food offerings and water as soon as possible. Of course, we took our time searching for the perfect bottled water and can of mackerel that we arrived just in time to tell them goodnight. 

Tsuruse Restaurant. This was one of the first sights in Kyoto that got me excited.
We were walking along Kamo River when we spotted it, but didn't cross the bridge
to get closer, unfortunately.

We were seriously tired from walking yet we didn't know how to ride commute
to Gion when I saw this. I was hoping this was it, but was disappointed when people
pointed us to a direction that was much farther than I imagined.

This shop was the first one we saw that was brightly lit and was full of people,
so we decided to give it a try because we needed to sit and eat by then.

The shop turned out to be a restaurant, Issen Yoshoku...and they serve only one
dish. We didn't have much choice but to order it. It was just...okay.

One of the sights of how I imagined Japan as child I was finally staring at.

The entrance to Yashaka Shrine. This was our only glimpse of a temple entrance
in Kyoto city proper.

Yasaka Shrine was beautifully lit the night we arrived. The rest of the area
was unfortunately closed since we managed to walk all the way here at a time
when people are on their way home.

This is what our house in Kyoto looked like, tatami floors and warm interiors.
That's my dad holding his birthday cake that we bought all the way from Tokyo Station.

With the lack of proper research, the only thing I could remember was Gion. So we asked around and they kept pointing us to walk straight, and if we spot the street crowding up, that's when we'll know we've reached our destination. Twenty minutes after we were still walking straight, right along the riverbank of Kumo River. It was actually beautiful with the storks fishing on the river, and along its bank are lines of willow and cherry blossom trees...that were unfortunately just green. But I loved it! It made me go back to my memories of Rurouni Kenshin and that dramatic scene where sakura petals were falling on the river and he and Kaoru were romantically reminiscing...until they died. Yeah, memories.

The street they kept telling us was Shijo Dori, that's the street that runs along Gion area. We finally found the street, but to our horror, by then most of the shops started closing. We barely got to any of the shops. Japan seem to have a knack for closing shops quite early as compared to where I come from. 5PM is the magic hour that you must remember; almost after that time shops and temples will close. The horror!

We went around Gion a bit, but the streets where we found ourselves were red light alleys without much photogenic night scenes. And no, I didn't spot any geishas/geikos or maikos. We were so beat from walking that we agreed to ride the taxi on the way back and prepared ourselves to pay whatever price we were billed. The ride didn't take long...and we only paid Y1000 by the time we reached the house. Kinda makes me regret why we bothered walking and end up being pressed for time instead of paying something that's worth a single meal.

A perfect time to repair the escalators is when we were there. We ended up climbing
five flights of stairs.

This view was the view that made me realize that I was in Japan. It took five
days before reality sank in. This is where I found my sense of place.

I love this scene, and I'm glad I was able to immortalize it with this photo.
I stood on that spot. taking in that autumn moment when this moment took place.

The stone art was a really calming piece, and the shot could have been better if not for
the guy taking a selfie photobombing them stones.

This was along the garden entrance. Their pine trees are so beautiful!

A view of Sogen Garden. Hordes of tourists were sitting just beyond the right
side where I cut the frame. All in awe and meditation at the sight of the landscape.

This for me is one of my favorite shots taken on the whole trip. The colors of
the foliage and the reflection on the still water. I could have taken a wider shot,
but tourists were in the way, so this was the extent of what seemed like an exclusive shot.

That night we agreed to leave for Arashiyama at 5am. When morning came, something expected happened...we left as late as 7:30am because our mother did not permit us to leave the house, not until we ate our breakfast...and wash the dishes right after.

We reached Arashiyama by train. It's just a couple of stops from Kyoto Station, and the scenery getting there is beautifully provincial. We got off at Saga-Arashiyama Station where we managed to rent bicycles right at the station's exit. It was the best yen I spent. Not only did we manage to save time and energy, it also got us to more places. It was the first time I rode on an electric bicycle, and it was a stark difference between leisure pedaling to a full-blown workout had we chose to use the regular bikes. 

Our moment in Arashiyama felt both rushed and slow. The whole pace was slow, but we kept looking at the time because we were trying to catch a train to Osaka that same afternoon. Our entire time in Arashiyama was an unbelievably short as four hours. That barely gave us time to really see the beyond what stood in the way of our sights. And I suppose it's because of this whirlwind of a trip to Kyoto that made me swear on going back to the places where we stood, yet missed out most of it, and next time see what's beyond that corner where we never reached or turned.

Of course, the famous Bamboo Grove. The most popular scene of Arashiyama. 

One of the scenes I enjoyed in Arashiyama was this street filled with traditional
looking shops and restaurants. It was a real charming place to just sit and people-watch. 

Soft served ice cream is my favorite kind of ice cream, and this was heaven.

The Kimono Forest is just a small area where you can stroll along Keifuku station. 

Here is another angle of the train line. At night, the kimono poles light up.

Our last meal in Kyoto was at Little Dragon Cafe near Taifokuji Station because
this is where I told my parents to wait for us after checking out from the house.

Notes:

*DO NOT EVER EVER EVER make the mistake of staying in Kyoto for less than three days at least. There is so much to see, and going here for a day-trip is just not a smart thing to consider. 

*They say it's pricey, but for what it's worth, it's reason enough.

*There are selections where you can find cheaper accommodations, but you'll have to take the train to get to the center. A real good choice would be to look for Airbnb's 

*Just as a rule of thumb when I travel: Set a budget for a place of how much you're willing to spend and not convert and compare prices between the Yen you're spending and your local currency. 

*Take time to glance at every corner you can. Japan has this charm of putting an effort even to create details even on minute things, and you'll be surprised at how much you can see in one eye-frame.

*Pictures...make sure to make a balance between appreciating the state of present you are in, and taking some time to take home a snapped scene of it.