Again I headed off bright and early as being a weekend, I had read that the crowds are even worse than usual. So I made my way to Arashiyama and arrived by about 7am. It was actually lovely to head out of the city to a more rural setting to get some fresh air. And it certainly was fresh… about 4° and I was relieved to have my teddy jacket with me which up until now, I had wondered why I even packed.

I headed over the Togetsukyo Bridge…

and up the Main Street which a couple of weeks ago would have been surrounded by a pretty impressive number of cherry tree in full blossom.

The mountains behind the bridge are dyed in shades of pink when the Sakura bloom… but you guesses it… pretty much no blossoms. And no people. There was barely a soul to be seen and nothing was open.

I had been hoping to have some breakfast somewhere but as has generally been the case, that seems impossible in Japan as cafes and bakeries don’t open until around 10. So I passed the Kimono forest- an art installation of 600 clear cylinders with Kyo-yuzen kimono designs around one of Arashiyama’s railway stations…

… and then headed straight up to the famed Arashiyama bamboo grove.

Arashiyami Bamboo Grove is a beautiful place full of tall bamboo trees. If you’ve seen a photo of Kyoto, there is a big chance that you’ve seen the Arashiyami Bamboo Grove.

But I have no idea what all the hype is about. It was a lot smaller than I would have thought… in fact I’m sure I’ve seen more impressive groves elsewhere. But it was still lovely… paths lined with endless rows of towering bamboo… other-worldly, serene and dreamlike… with the sound of the rustling bamboo (which btw apparently the Japanese actually have a word for that- how poetic) but there were already quite a few people here trying to capture the feeling of standing in the midst of this sprawling bamboo grove and I could imagine what it would be like once the tourists start pouring in. No tranquility then, that’s for sure.

I had planned to take a ride on the very popular retro Sagano Romantic Train, which offers picturesque views and runs along the majestic Hozu river, passes through a veritable tunnel of Sakura for 7.3kms from Saga to Kameoka station.

Except obviously there was now no point. And then there would have been a river boat down the Hozu River to Arashiyama… all surrounded by cherry blossoms. But not this time!

So I took a taxi down to the Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple that I had heard about and knew I would love… with it’s collection of 1200 unique and whimsical statues called rakan… the followers of Buddha…

… created by everyday people who made a pilgrimage to to learn carving under the guidance of the Buddhist monk Kocho Nishimura. He urged them to bring forth the unique, personal figures that were hiding in the stone. And so they did!

Each one is completely unique and many have humorous or whimsical expressions… some in prayer, some cute, scary, serene, laughing, bizarre.

What a wonderful eclectic mix… and all covered with moss and lichen… like some weird fluffy green hair covering their faces.

I spent ages amongst the sculptures and kept noticing new things. No one may have heard of it as this place is definitely off the tourist path… a rarely visited and interesting place that rewarded my adventurous spirit. It was so peaceful… and I made so many new friends 😂

I then walked through the lovely back streets of Arashiyama to Gio-ji Temple and Moss Gardens- and everyone knows how much I love moss.

A mossy carpet coloured in different emerald shades almost completely covers all ground surfaces under canopies of shady trees, while a small number of stone footpaths help to immerse you in the tranquil setting. And virtually not a soul in sight once again.

And another bamboo grove.

So when I walked a bit further down the road and turned the corner, I was totally shocked at the hordes of people that had packed the bamboo grove and the main street since I left for my few peaceful hours on my own. What a transformation!

I was told to expect it to be busy… but this was next level! Buses packed the car park and it was difficult to walk down the main street now. I would hate to have been one of those people trying to get a photo amongst the bamboo.

I stopped by a cute cafe- the eX cafe that I had read a recommendation for- with no idea of the menu.

Of course there was a queue but I didn’t care as long as I could sit down. Eventually I was called to a seat and handed a menu. It was all very unusual and not what I was hoping for but I saw the girls on the next table with something that looked cool… so I ordered that. Japanese sweet odango (which is a kind of rice dumplingy thingy on skewers that I had to brown on a little traditional charcoal burner and then dip in black honey and red bean sauce). It was ok but more about the experience… and to rest.

Back to Kyoto now to see the Fushimi Inari Shrine… a definite top drawer here that does not include cherry blossoms. This place is massive.

There are 30,000 red torii gates or shrines that span four kilometres up a mountain. These gates symbolise the separation between the secular and sacred world … and seem to go on forever… leaving plenty of space to thin out the crowds. And there were crowds…

… bottlenecked at the base of the shrine. But I had heard that there would be so just continued up the trail… up and up and up. I think everyone had the same idea because the crowds didn’t thin out nearly as quickly as I expected.

Apparently most visitors only hike ¼ of the way, so if you climb just a little further the people start to dwindle away… and eventually it did happen. There were still plenty of people but not the crowds at the bottom.

There are plenty of amazing photo opportunities a bit further up… and a lovely view over Kyoto.

Did I make it to the top? I would usually pride myself on getting to the top no matter what, but just couldn’t do it. I probably got three quarters of the way and knew that what goes up must come down. With my knees and hips at the moment, it was going to be hard enough getting down from where I was.

More subway time and then a walk to a little temple I had seen pictures of Yasaka Koshindo- often referred to as ‘Koshin.’ Colourful, eye-catching “Monkeys” adorn the temple.

Visitors write a wish, the date and their name on the monkeys of their favourite colour. That, combined with letting go of one desire, is said to make the wish come true. The monkey is considered a godly messenger. Whatever… but I love colour and thought this temple was very cool.

I had walked past it several times without even realizing it as I had been there in the early morning and late night when it was closed. The area was now teeming with people- very different to when I had been to the area before… and I couldn’t wait to get out of there…

… although I did see a couple of beautiful Japanese girls posing for some photos in stunning kimonos.

I was tired, struggling to walk and craving wine. I hadn’t had one since I arrived…everywhere has beer but it’s not my thing. So I hobbled back to Pontocho and found a little bar. The bars and restaurants on the right side of the alley offer seasonal outdoor patio or window seating with a view of the Kamogawa River and I was lucky enough to be given a window seat right next to a river and the setting was beautiful. And so was the wine.

End of day 4- and today I walked 25kms. Tomorrow is pretty much a rest day as I head back to Tokyo.