Fushimi Inari-Taisha 

Didn’t really sleep all that well last night. Had some bizarre dreams, and when that happens I wake up often. There was also a dog (or some kind of yapping animal) outside my window…So I ended up officially getting out of bed at 6:00am. I walked out of my room and found Jamie already up and getting ready. 
We make breakfast again: noodles with olive oil, scallions, cilantro and sesame dressing along with tofu and grapes. We left our place at 7:45am to catch the bus to the Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine. It is a shrine that sits just at the base of a mountain called Inari. It took us about an hour to get to the head shrine by bus. Vendors were just opening their shops and prepping their food to sell. We got to the start of the trail which led to the shrine, and already there were so many people! Tons of tourists and school groups. 

Jamie and I walked to the shrine on the Torii path. The torii gates our actually quite beautiful. A rich orange color that symbolizes the transition from the profane to the sacred. 

Our whole morning and early afternoon was spent at the Fushimi Inari. We had lunch from different street vendors. And Arti even met us there which was so much fun. He wanted to ride his rented bike to another temple about 2 miles away, and Jamie and I decided to go back to the main city center where we were staying. While walking to our bus stop we found a little cafe and stopped in and split a green tea cake and paired it with tea and coffee. So relaxing. 🙂

We went back to our place after that to freshen up. Around 3pm we headed out to meet up with Arti again at Nishiki market. We ate food from the market, some we enjoyed…others not so much. I love seeing locals in their element. And markets for me are the best place to experience that. You get a mix of different people, food, and cultures. But at the same time you see everyday life for those who’ve never left that city. The contrast in one designated area is such a fulfilling experience. It’s one of my favorite things about traveling.

There are a couple of things that I really like about the Japanese culture and lifestyle. One is respect. Young people always are respectful to the elderly. Bowing when appropriate and giving up their seats on the bus. It’s the little things that have impressed me. Also, I have not met one rude or impolite native since I have been here. Everyone has been so helpful! An older woman even gave Jamie and I two bus tickets for the bus when we first got to Kyoto and had no idea how to maneuver through that means of transportation. I also have not once felt unsafe or in danger since I have been here. I would HIGHLY recommend visiting Japan. 
Tomorrow we leave to head back to Tokyo. Then Friday we fly to Indonesia!