Archilibra Journal

January 16, 2005 - Kyoto (Day 5)

Round Two. With each visit to Kyoto, Tim and I become a bit more familiar with our surroundings and are able to return to some favorite little spots. Taking the same train (Hankyu Line) to the same station (Kawaramachi) as we did two days ago, gives Laura that same pleasant feeling that we are growing to know… “Hey, I recognize this place!”

Rather than head southeast like we did last time, we instead board the subway and head a couple stops north. By the end of this second day in Kyoto, we will have walked a respectable length along the hills that form the southeastern edge of the valley that holds the city. The lower hills form the urban edge and age-old historic temples ease the transition between city and forest (albeit a second-growth mono-culture forest).

As it is nearly 11:30, I call for lunch! We find a really great little falafel place with organic ingredients and a nice selection of ‘global awareness’ travel type magazines. It’s very comfortable and heartening. We wander up towards the hills, but notice that something big is about to happen in the streets. People are beginning to gather and volunteers are handing out red flags and monitoring street cones and blockades. I recall hearing that today is the big test day for high school students to determine whether or not they get in to college. As we are standing next to Kyoto University and some uniformed students are wandering out from campus, I am certain there will be a parade. We stick around to find out. The crowds are growing and we see pace vehicles coming up the street. Imagine my surprise when the first petite woman strides by at full-speed heading up a pack of marathon runners. She was moving! We sleuthed a bit more and determined that we were close to the 20-mile marker. These were no weekend warriors. As it turns out, it was some sort of qualifying race and these girls were giving it their all. After sneaking though the crowds, we headed for the hills towards Ginkakuji. Ginkakuji is most-known for a large, flat-topped sand cone that miraculously stays in place. Another feature we find impressive is the tall, hedge-lined entry that seems to be more monumental than the garden beyond.

Feeling a bit burned-out on temple-viewing, we strolled along the Philosopher’s Path following a quiet stream with occasional carp. Hoping to avoid being rained on, we then headed downhill towards the train station. We couldn’t possibly walk by the giant Heian-jinja (shrine) without going inside. Heian-jinja is well known for its cherry blossoms, which are now just beginning to bud. They won’t bloom until the end of March or beginning of April. We made a brief stroll around the expansive gravel center plaza, and wandered the perimeter trails through the bare cherry trees. To keep from freezing, we decided to check out the exhibit at the nearby City Museum of Art. With only 30 minutes until closing, we decided it was not worth the high price of admission and decided to head back home.

We finished up the day by riding the “Harry Potter Train” (Hankyu Line) home. The burgundy rail cars, stenciled logo and celadon velvet seats help us pretend we are on our way to Hogwart’s School of Magic.