Up fairly early, after a good night’s rest on a futon on the floor. A quick breakfast and off to Kinkaku-ji Buddhist temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion. I thought we’d be beating the crowds and to be honest we did somewhat, but soon bus loads of tourists flooded the pathways around this beautiful temple and surrounding grounds. There were impressive amounts of moisture in the air and the heat was oppressive. A few facts that are easily looked up on wikipedia but still you are a captive audience, gentle readers,so let me enlighten you with some history. This temple started as the villa of a statesman After his death, he willed the home to the Buddhist priests, and Kinkaku-ji was built in 1397. As with most things, the original structure burned down in 1950 and rebuilt in 1955 (burned down by a schizophrenic young priest - I’m sure there’s more to this story!).The gold leaf on the temple besides an aesthetic choice is also intended to purify any negative thoughts toward death. The pictures of the interior are certainly stunning as much for its spirituality as for its very minimalist style.This was a great experience shared by way too many tourists, but inspiring regardless.
Despite the heat or maybe because of it, we decided to try the sento in our local neighborhood (sento is japanese baths not spring fed, an onsen is geo thermal spring water). We went during the day to avoid crowded baths, along with every old guy in Keyoto. In this sento, tattoos are ok as the proprietor of our ryokan said the owner has a full back tattoo. I only mention this because as I was sitting on my stool soaping up and cleaning myself to be ready for bathing, an elderly local said alot to me pointing to my dragon on my back. It’s difficult to say whether this was a reprimand or admiration, as he chuckled every now and again. The sento seemed very much like your local YMCA, a little bit dingy and shabby, but functional with lots of saggy balled old guys just hanging out. The baths were fine but the sauna was the hottest thing I ever felt. The walls felt like a searing oven wall if one (such as I) were unfortunate enough to brush up against them. Rusty lasted a little longer than I did in it. They also had one of the electricity baths where one sits in and sustains some electric pulses. As a former electrician in the army I just can’t wrap my head around sitting in a bath of water being purposefully zapped by electricity. But both Yosiell and Rusty tried it, and report out it out as a weird sensation as you would expect. The cold plunge ended up being my favorite of course.
We were promised rain the entire day, because of the temperature and the humidity, we knew rain would reduce the temps. For dinner we went to a cute little restaurant on the edge of the botanical gardens near our hotel. Pizza was the order of the day and it was brick oven baked and very good. With no tables available inside we opted for a seat outside on the patio, and quite frankly when the rain started, sitting in the greenery of the gardens, and enjoying the thunder and lightening with a cool breeze pushing through the what like a bull dozer, this happenstance became another serendipitous Japan moment,I live gently readers, I live. Truly an accidental moment that could bring a tear to your eyes with its poignance
After, to beat the heat and crowds we went to the Fushimi Inari-taishi - a shrine with approximately 10,000 Torrii gates, all donated by Japenese businesses to honor Inari the patron of business. Being there in day might have yielded more views but honestly it was magical to see the temples on this spot and the Torii Gates without incredible amounts of tourist. This day has been filled with lots of beautiful moments, I know I’ll sleep well with these things in my dreams.
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