Kyoto day 3 (Part II) - Kinkaku-Ji - 金閣寺 (Golden Pavilion Temple), Kiyomizu-dera -清水寺 and Fushimi Inari Taisha - 伏見稲荷大社

In that street we came across the old mean of transport – carriage and I wanted to take it but my friends said “we won’t have time to go to Inari-Taisha!” so I had to skip it this time.

That narrow street must be very important because there were lots of people everywhere, as well as lots of restaurants and shops to buy souvenirs. And it was whilst I was taking pictures that I finally started looking people using kimono like the couple below.

Typical Japanese couple wearing Kimono in a street in Kyoto during December

Then we saw this group of ladies, pretending to be geishas but my friends told me they don’t know how to even be maiko. Actually the ladies were very shy and a couple of them didn’t like my camera (or me? J)

Maiko in a narrow alley near Kiyomizu-dera

It was then when I saw the perfect pair of girls using the kimono and painted as geisha (or maiko). One of my friends were taking pictures and immediately stopped to look at them. It was when I got, in my opinion the best picture of my Japanese trip. I took many pictures but this is the best one. Hope you like it as much as I do.

Beautiful and colourful kimono worn by Maiko in December in Kyoto

Then we went up again to the Kiyozumi-dera and this time during the day. We went quickly and managed to get some beautiful pictures from different points inside the temple.

Buddha statue and "Kizuna" (bonds among people) Kanji of 2011 at Kiyomizudera Kyoto

Me and Nio-mon (Benevolent Kings Gate) 15th Century - Kiyomizudera

View of Hondo (Main Hall) overlooking Oku-no-in at Kiyomizudera

Old Style Story teller woman outside Kiyomizudera in Kyoto

Three Story Pagoda & Kyodo (Sutra Hall) at Kiyomizudera 

After the Kiyozumi-dera we left to the next place which was not that close. We even had to take the train to get there but the distance and the rush was worth it. It is so nice to see that even the train station has sacred dogs everywhere – the same dogs that protect the Fushimi Inari Taisha.

It had been a great day and we were rushing from one point to another and again we were hungry – this time we had ice-cream. But not any kind of normal ice-cream – soy ice cream that can be turned upside down as Keisuke was doing in the picture. There was an American who I  think wanted some friends – because he asked my friends many things and then he didn’t want to leave us, but eventually he went his way. Nice lad though.

Keisuke playing with the soy ice-cream

Fushimi Inari Taisha -  伏見稲荷大社

Finally, the great Fushimi Inari Taisha - I couldn't believe my eyes! 

There are many sacred dog (kuma inu) figures, pictures, statues everywhere. We got there quite late to be honest but we had the chance to reach the top of the mountain to see the sunset and it was magical.

I thought guards would come up to kick us out of the shrine. But that didn't happen, instead, a lot of people still were walking uphill and downhill the shrine. There are so many people even in the evening that you really say this is a nice country.

I know it sounds random but when you come from a country where religion is not important or at least is not relevant and then you see this…. You have no words to describe the moment and the experience itself. I could write and describe the whole experience, but that won't be enough.

Walking downhill at Fushimi Inari Taisha 伏見稲荷大社

Torii and Lamp in Fushimi Inari Taisha 伏見稲荷大社

Komainu inside Fushimi inari Taisha - 狛犬・胡麻犬に伏見稲荷大社

The journey starts 伏見稲荷大社

I don’t know how many kilos I put on during that trip but when we came out the Fushimi Inari Taisha my friends told me to try a sweet. It was like a sponge filled with Anko – or red bean paste…….delicious!

Shabu-shabu experience comes next!