Hello, and welcome to the second installment of my stay in Kyoto. First up is the Heian Shrine, home to Japan's largest torii gate. Look, you can even see it all way from a distance in the street. I love the stark contrast between the gate and contemporary society with its sea of cars and clean pavement. Upon crossing the gate, one is thrust back into another era, with the shrines architecture kept in tact by preservation. While everyone else seemed to be in motion or their body language suggested a more relaxed mood, I noticed this little boy, who had a profound effect on me. You hardly notice him at first but then suddenly, you see him there standing so poised and regal in his hakama, bearing a kind of maturity a child his age rarely possesses.
My cute companions huddled together for a quick picture. Whilst gazing upon the trees pictured below, I instantly thought of a congregation of faeries, whose light was the source of the illumination. How magical it was to pass by it and immediately struck with wonderment.
The actual temple was nestled in the side of a mountain and would require an approximate 10-minute journey. From this distance, the image in the mountain looked truly magical. Upon closer inspection, as we drew nearer, it looked to be a screen with a picture of the temple printed it or an image projected onto the screen. I'm not sure. I don't remember. I could see Kyoto Tower from a distance. That open area down below was quite impressive. Pictures do not do it justice at all!
A quiet reflection of the trees in the water. It's too dark to see it here but it was rather serene to gaze upon at the time. Almost eerie if you've got a wild imagination like me. I'm deathly afraid of ghosts and such. We ended the night with a nice warm meal after staying out in the chilly weather. A steaming bowl of broth-y ramen and a side meal of sashimi served on a bed of rice!
P.S. Yay, it's the first day of October!
Until next time...!
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