12,000 stairs with boars and monkeys
The 6 am start this morning was rough and If any of you have seen Conner at 6 am you’d know he is overly chipper. For a good reason, as today we tackled the Fushimi Inari shrine!
After the short bus ride, we only had a 10-minute walk to get to the shrine. We decided to go super early so that it wouldn’t be super busy, which was a great call on our part because it was cooler as well. Once we got there, we walked around the main shrine and then began climbing to the top of Mount Inari.
To get to the top, you pass 10000 torii (gates) and climb 12,000 stairs. The hike was beyond beautiful which was the perfect distraction from the cardio workout of climbing all those stairs. Conner and I also were able to make friends with the various species of spiders that made their new homes in between many of the gates. Specfically one encounter pictured above (8) slightly off the commonly trafficked path there was a small stone walkway that had sounds of crashing water which is like a siren call to our tourist ears. However, when Conner turned the corner he was greeted by the biggest spider he had ever seen. This one was not infact named TObias. It had made a web through the width of the path which we can only assume was designed to catch human prey. Unbeknownst to me who was trailing behind him when he turned around with pure shock on his face I thought we were getting jumped by monkeys and we both began respectfully speed walking in fear of our life. The top however was well worth the long hike and numerous near death experiences.
During the hike there were opportunities to participate in the water rinse/ drinking ritual that we mentioned in yesterday’s blog, so we got to partake. There were several smaller shrines on the way up the mountain which were good stopping points as well. Some parts of the hike go through what feels like the jungle and there were many signs that said that boars and monkeys may be lurking and that we shouldn’t engage. Of course, Conner was hoping to see a monkey.
After we reached the summit, we descended the mountain just as the bigger groups were showing up to tour the shrines. On our descent, we stumbled upon a black cat sitting along the path. In japan black cats are a symbol of wealth and prosperity so we are feeling extra fortunate. After 2 hours of hiking, we were hungry and excited to head to our next destination: Nishiki Market.
Nishiki market is in downtown kyoto and it is known as “Kyoto’s kitchen”. Even though it has such a striking reputations, we did not eat a ton, instead we walked around the shops for a while. After we each purchased a super nice pair of chop sticks, we made our way to a tiny pork katsu restaurant. On the exterior this restaurant was no bigger than a door way with a menu on the outside. However the inside was two floors filled with wood and stone features. Once we entered and saw it filled with locals our confidence shot up and it was justified. We got pork katsu over rice with a runny egg on it and a concoction of vegetables and sauces that we couldn’t name if we tried. This meal was beyond delicious and took a top 3 slot for sure. After the katsu, we headed to our final destination for the day, the imperial palace.
The Imperial Palace is the former palace of the Emperors of Japan, and upon entry has this huge beautiful garden. Conner and I were feeling a little fatigued, so we decided to lay in the shade on the grass for a bit and watch the families who were playing frisbee, or games with their little ones. It was so sweet and felt very intimate. After lounging for a bit, we walked to the actual entrance of the palace. I will not bore you by us explaining the importance of every building we saw (because of course we read the pamphlet like the proud tourists we are). However, one section we found to be very intriguing was the “waiting rooms”. These rooms were designed as temporary guest rooms and were appointed based on the class of the guest. The cherry blossom room was the lowest, following it the crane, and the top was the tiger. Each room was decorated with paintings to match their class and it was quite beautiful. The whole walk lasted under 30 minutes but it was well worth the short detour.
After the imperial palace, we let our legs get some much-needed rest at the hotel, went out to grab some food, and walked home as the sunset. Another beautiful day in Kyoto- we are feeling so grateful and like the luckiest people in the world. Love you all.
✧˚ · .all blog posts are written by merrick bearson and conner couture.·˚ ✧