京都、また！

Reading: The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera
Listening: いつか二人で, hiro

Ah, another belated travel post. I'm giving up on writing these devotedly.

Several weekends ago, Chris and traveled into Kyoto, a city that is rapidly becoming one of my favorites. For this trip, we thought ahead and made reservations at a hotel just across the street from the station. I only wish that I had more time to spend there: our hotel was located on the same block as Starbucks, Gap, and Muji.

We arrived on Saturday morning, making my requisite stop at Frappuccino Heaven and grabbing some lunch before heading off to Sanjusangendo, the famous temple that houses a myriad of beautiful golden Buddhist figures. Chris and I wandered peacefully along the long, quiet hallway, barely missing a large group of boisterous Western tourists that arrived just as we were leaving. The temple grounds were clean and tranquil, and the interiors of the temples themselves always remind me of my childhood, of following my parents and grandparents in offering prayers and incense. At every temple, I buy omikuji (paper fortunes) and omamori (protective charms): at Sanjusangendo, I bought a special headache omamori!

The following day, we ate lunch at the Subway at Kyoto Station. Kyoto Station features a wealth of shops, and one could possibly spend an entire day solely within the staton itself. We did a bit of shopping in the stores beneath the station. I bought three boxes of Twinings teas (Assorted / Earl Grey / Darjeeling), blueberry muffin mix, rotelle pasta, corned beef, and Snyder's buttermilk ranch pretzels. Chris and I found Hawaiian Sun canned juice being sold for exorbitant prices, but I don't miss the stuff that much. Yet.

We wandered around the city for a bit in the afternoon, stopping at Curry House for lunch. In our explorations, I discovered the wonders of a small part of Sanjo: I could happily live along that street forever. Quirky art cafes, flower shops, and clothing boutiques line the narrow roadway, along which a mellow, creative crowd strolls.

We eventually made our way to see Jidai Matsuri, a period parade through the streets of Kyoto. Chris and I found good seats from which we comfortably watched the procession of costumed people and animals representing various eras in Japanese history. I had an unspoken conversation with an antsy horse, and I chatted briefly with a grandfather from one of the local temples, who in pausing in front of our spot, asked me how I was enjoying the parade. (Murasaki Shikibu (author of The Tale of Genji), one of my heroes, was still my favorite parader.)

Following the parade, we loitered in Book Off for a bit before attempting to join the masses heading to the Kurama Hi Matsuri (Fire Festival). The long train ride to the top of the mountain can be made only in two small railway cars, and after waiting in a lengthy queue, we found ourselves packed so tightly into the cars that we could barely breathe. I clung to Chris's arm, having little else to hold onto and prayed simply that I wouldn't pass out. Claustrophobia comes with many inconvenient moments.

At the top of the mountain, we discovered the beauty of Kurama, a small mountain town, with its many signs cautioning residents and visitors to protect the surrounding nature. The streets were swollen with visitors: I haven't seen so many foreigners in Japan since our JET Orientation in Tokyo. I wondered if the residents resent having their festival overrun by tourists hungry for a good picture, pushing one another aside for photos of a young Kurama-ite parading up the street with a miniature torch of fire in imitation of the adult men's struggle to bear large, burdensome torches through town. All the same, we loved getting caught up in the frenzy of the crowds, swarming the enormous bonfires and cheering as the men raised their torches into the air. After the main ceremony, Chris and I hurried into yet another line onto a train back into the city.

We had taken nenkyuu (paid vacation) for Monday since we knew that we'd be getting in late from the Fire Festival, and on Monday morning, we caught a train into Sannomiya, where we purchased our multiple entry permits at the local Immigration Office. Chris and I are now capable of departing and re-entering Japan!

With rain pouring down outside, we traveled like moles through the tunnels of the basement levels of the Sannomiya buildings. We ate lunch at the new M-int building, where I had a "meal" of seafood ("Happiness of the Ocean") soup, bread, caramel pudding, and a cafe mocha. On a happier note, Chris and I shared a rustic loaf of chocolate bread, speckled with plump red raisins. Yum! We wandered through bookstores through the rest of the day, picking up much more literature than necessary. I bought a Real Simple Thanksgiving magazine, with fantasies of conjuring up a Thanksgiving feast--my favorite meal!--away from home.

We finally made it home--as I've finally made it through this post--through much struggling given all of our luggage.