With a God in my chest, I could hear my breathing labored. Mist all around me. My bare feet nestled in lush green moss. Sounds of horses, the blades of swords clamoring.
The audience, powerful and silent trees.
The battled lasted for only a few minutes before the contrast of cool moss and warm blood lay before me. I looked up into at the blue sky behind the trees. My heart racing.
The bells chimed, the fog had lifted, and I was sitting crossed legged in Ryoanji temple. My travel companions walking past me towards the next attraction.
The fog, the battle, were now only a small garden in front of the temple. And a story telling tree looking for a listener. The garden itself, so simple, yet so beautiful, so breath taking that to open your heart to it is proof of God.
Breathe.
Adjust.
This was only one of the amazing experiences I had in Kyoto. The list form of my travels is this:
Leave Okazaki in a Yamasa van.
Get to Kyoto.
Check into the Ryokan.
Explore the night activities of Gion Matsuri (festival).
Sleep.
Next morning, join the HOARDS of people to watch what can only be called highly decorated carts????? Yeah, I know that is a butchered explanation, but look at the pictures and decide for yourself.
Freak out in the push and crush of people and go into a department store near by instead.
Get a haircut
Walk the wrong way for 30 minutes, get lost.
Find my way back to the group.
Eat lunch
Go back to the hotel, nap, recharge my camera.
Meet the group under the bridge.
Supper.
Walk around and go see Kiyomizura temple lit up at night.
Sleep.
5:40am wake up call.
Walk to Kiyomizura temple by 6:30am.
With no one there it is breath taking.
Watching the sun come up.
Finding a God in a tree.
Drinking pure water.
Walk back to the hotel.
Eat breakfast.
Go to the Ninjo castle.
The floor of Ninjo castle is called Uguisu-Bari (Nightingale floor), it squeaks and creaks when anyone walks on it, but it makes the sound like a bird. This was for security reasons, but truly fascinating.
The next place we went to was Ryoanji temple. That place was amazing. I bought a 13 Buddha (the names and pictures are carved into the beads) wooden bead bracelet there. Good to have that reminder.
After that we went to the Rokuon-ji temple or better known as the Golden pavilion.
More amazing sights.
Next was the Ginkakuji temple, truly gorgeous walk, but really crowded. It had started to rain as well.
After that we did the walk of philosophy.
We were suppose to go to see the most important zen temple in Japan, but my travel mates spent all our time shopping and so when we got to the HUGE gates the temple was closed. That sucked, but it gives me reason to go back. It seemed amazing!
The trip was from Friday to Sunday, but it seemed like a week. Or maybe we did a weeks activities in those few days. But Friday was a whirlwind, school ended at noon and Odin and I went for lunch. Then he came back to my room and I packed while he used my computer. After that we hung out till 4pm when it was time to go back to the school. Because Declan was having trouble with his computer we didn't leave until 6pm. We were suppose to leave at 4:30pm. Eh. Odin, Johan, Marta, and I hung out outside in the sun. Then we were off. What happened between Friday night and Sunday, was more or less I met some great people. Chou-chan my other roommate is adorable!! And I spent most of the trip feeling like I had walked those same streets before. And finding my way even though I had never been there. It was strange, there was an old part in my heart that was stirred. The old Japanese grandma in me was smiling and remembering her childhood. It was great to be alive.
Alright, so with all the pictures (and there is tons more I didn't post) you can see for yourself some of these things. I posted them in order this time, so if you scroll down you will start at Friday night. YAY.
But with all the stories, and there are tons, including Chou-chan finding a cockroach in our room on Saturday night and Marta catching it in a tea cup and throwing it out the window. Me, pretending to be a giant butterfly, yeah, lots of stories. Anyway, the words that sum up this journey are:
A God in my chest.
Love, enjoy, and I hope the pictures will tell more of the tale.
The audience, powerful and silent trees.
The battled lasted for only a few minutes before the contrast of cool moss and warm blood lay before me. I looked up into at the blue sky behind the trees. My heart racing.
The bells chimed, the fog had lifted, and I was sitting crossed legged in Ryoanji temple. My travel companions walking past me towards the next attraction.
The fog, the battle, were now only a small garden in front of the temple. And a story telling tree looking for a listener. The garden itself, so simple, yet so beautiful, so breath taking that to open your heart to it is proof of God.
Breathe.
Adjust.
This was only one of the amazing experiences I had in Kyoto. The list form of my travels is this:
Leave Okazaki in a Yamasa van.
Get to Kyoto.
Check into the Ryokan.
Explore the night activities of Gion Matsuri (festival).
Sleep.
Next morning, join the HOARDS of people to watch what can only be called highly decorated carts????? Yeah, I know that is a butchered explanation, but look at the pictures and decide for yourself.
Freak out in the push and crush of people and go into a department store near by instead.
Get a haircut
Walk the wrong way for 30 minutes, get lost.
Find my way back to the group.
Eat lunch
Go back to the hotel, nap, recharge my camera.
Meet the group under the bridge.
Supper.
Walk around and go see Kiyomizura temple lit up at night.
Sleep.
5:40am wake up call.
Walk to Kiyomizura temple by 6:30am.
With no one there it is breath taking.
Watching the sun come up.
Finding a God in a tree.
Drinking pure water.
Walk back to the hotel.
Eat breakfast.
Go to the Ninjo castle.
The floor of Ninjo castle is called Uguisu-Bari (Nightingale floor), it squeaks and creaks when anyone walks on it, but it makes the sound like a bird. This was for security reasons, but truly fascinating.
The next place we went to was Ryoanji temple. That place was amazing. I bought a 13 Buddha (the names and pictures are carved into the beads) wooden bead bracelet there. Good to have that reminder.
After that we went to the Rokuon-ji temple or better known as the Golden pavilion.
More amazing sights.
Next was the Ginkakuji temple, truly gorgeous walk, but really crowded. It had started to rain as well.
After that we did the walk of philosophy.
We were suppose to go to see the most important zen temple in Japan, but my travel mates spent all our time shopping and so when we got to the HUGE gates the temple was closed. That sucked, but it gives me reason to go back. It seemed amazing!
The trip was from Friday to Sunday, but it seemed like a week. Or maybe we did a weeks activities in those few days. But Friday was a whirlwind, school ended at noon and Odin and I went for lunch. Then he came back to my room and I packed while he used my computer. After that we hung out till 4pm when it was time to go back to the school. Because Declan was having trouble with his computer we didn't leave until 6pm. We were suppose to leave at 4:30pm. Eh. Odin, Johan, Marta, and I hung out outside in the sun. Then we were off. What happened between Friday night and Sunday, was more or less I met some great people. Chou-chan my other roommate is adorable!! And I spent most of the trip feeling like I had walked those same streets before. And finding my way even though I had never been there. It was strange, there was an old part in my heart that was stirred. The old Japanese grandma in me was smiling and remembering her childhood. It was great to be alive.
Alright, so with all the pictures (and there is tons more I didn't post) you can see for yourself some of these things. I posted them in order this time, so if you scroll down you will start at Friday night. YAY.
But with all the stories, and there are tons, including Chou-chan finding a cockroach in our room on Saturday night and Marta catching it in a tea cup and throwing it out the window. Me, pretending to be a giant butterfly, yeah, lots of stories. Anyway, the words that sum up this journey are:
A God in my chest.
Love, enjoy, and I hope the pictures will tell more of the tale.
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