We didn’t leave the hostel until past 2 pm yesterday because I had to figure out what we were doing the rest of the trip. If anyone’s coming to Kyoto, just know that the subway is a little less clear with labeling signs and stuff. I felt like it was a bit more challenging than Tokyo to navigate. The subway cars here are pretty amazing with velvety plush seats and shades for the windows. I was in NYC last fall and the subway was nowhere near this comfortable.
We got to Arashiyama at 3:30 which is pretty late but we made the best of it. I really enjoyed how quaint and small this town was. The scenery was beautiful.
It was quite the hike up the mountain to see the monkeys at the top but it was totally worth it. They were very specific on the rules to follow:
- No feeding the monkeys unless it’s in the safe house
- No direct eye contact
- 6 ft minimum
- No touching the monkeys
This was very different than the deer in Nara which were in your face. The baby monkeys were so cute and it was cool seeing them up close. In the safe house you can buy apple pieces or peanuts for $1.50.
I guess 5:30 was the monkeys’ bed time so we make the trek back down the mountain and went to check out the bamboo forest. I’ve never seen or touched full on bamboo trees like these before. It almost felt like plastic. The cicadas were in full force here and the noise was deafening.
We are leaving for Osaka tomorrow for just one day and then heading to Chiba. I wish we had at least one more day in Kyoto. It’s a lot more slower paced here than in Tokyo which is a welcome change and we didn’t have time to visit the fox village.
Next time I guess…
