spirited away

Well, we've successfully managed our first class field trip!

Kyoto was our destination for the day, but we made sure to stop and experience a Shinto shrine in Ishiyama along with the other May Short Course (which focuses on religion), and attempted to see a Buddhist temple as well. Unfortunately, we had a time limit for seeing the temple in Kyoto, and only got about halfway there before we had to head back in order to catch the last bus to JCMU in time.

It is a good thing that we don't often meet up with other classes and combine into one huge group. Collectively we become oblivious gaijin (foreigner, but in a really unflattering way. Think gringo.) walking the streets and keeping traffic from flowing the way it should because we're all distracted or simply not paying attention. Typically in japan, no one honks their horn. Horns were honked.

Regardless, we got lots of practice in with the Japanese Railways. By the end of the day, I think we had ridden 6 trains. I loved it. It was so easy to people watch at each station! Mostly what you see are the professionally dressed workers of Japan, but there were also day trippers, couples, and school kids of all ages!

By the time we had made it to the shrine we were all a little hot and frustrated, but within moments of crossing the threshold all ill thoughts or feelings melted away and all that was left behind was pure awe. The first things we saw were these:

Before we could progress any further into the shrine, we had to cleanse ourselves by washing both of our hands and the inside of our mouth (left hand first, then right, and make sure you don't spit the water back into the pool!). So, like good sheepy students we flocked to the little spring and washed ourselves.

As we stepped inside, the professor from the other course began lecturing on the significance of each element of the shrine's grounds, but I was much too distracted by the eye candy architecture. Cue photo dump.

We watched as people came to pray at the shrine, and took a turn ourselves. Hoping for good fortune, health and eventually safe travel back home. 

That last picture is of a family and their newborn baby who had come in order to have a naming ceremony for the child. The priest of the shrine came out in special robes and they played taiko drums after the name "Yui" had been chosen for the little girl. It was such a quiet and humble event, but in this shrine it had so much more gravity than I would have expected. We all made sure to say a quiet congratulations to the parents as we made our way out of the shrine and back into the city.

At this point we were starving for lunch. So! Professor Thomas took us to Otsu, a city between Ishiyama and Kyoto that he had lived in for something like 6 months. A plaza called Aqus had lots of restaurants, so we settled down at an Italian one called Piatto on Boots (whatever that means) and I had THIS DELICIOUS FOOD.

With happy bellies and lighter wallets we finally headed to our destination: Kyoto.

Running short on time, Professor Thomas swiftly showed us the shopping district in Kyoto by the station and then started us off on our one mile trek up hill to the Buddhist temple that he sort of remembered the way to.

We actually took a wrong turn once, and found ourselves dead ended (no pun intended) into a cemetery that cut into the hill we were climbing.

After we had asked for directions to the temple and gotten back on the right track, Professor Thomas stopped our group because he had to make a meeting at a specific time and those of us who wanted to take the shuttle bus back to JCMU would have to head back now in order to make it back in time to catch it. So.... after going all of that way, we turned around and headed back.

I'm not upset at all, because I know I'll be back to Kyoto at least two more times this month, but it was a little bit (kind of a lot a bit) disappointing. Keeping that in mind, though, he was right about the timing. We got back to the bus stop with only about 5 or so minutes to spare.

Today, which is Saturday for me (the day after all of that happened), we biked out to the train station in Hikone, hopped one stop, and explored the neighboring city where we're planning on seeing the next Harry Potter movie in July. It was fun to explore the neighborhood and test out our bikes (mine has a flat front tire), but at one point we all got separated and frustrated and ended up heading back in odd groups instead of together. Even so! It was a good day (beautiful weather and everything), but I wish we would have planned it a little better so that there wasn't any confusion and endless searches for each other.

Ashley and I bought some new essentials for food makings here at the apartment. Pancake makings, curry sauce for our soba noodles, eda mame, more orange juice (I sucked down the first one super fast) and the really delicious bread rolls that we had the first breakfast in Japan. Oh and some mochi and sweet japanese pudding-y dango type dessert foods. On to better meals for the future!

...and here are just a few more pictures from throughout the day~