Kyoto Moments

Living in Australia and California in my early twenties I relished the chance to venture out by myself and explore undiscovered places. The sense of freedom and the people I met along the way made up for the slight feeling of isolation, and those trips on my own were some of the best I ever took. These days, however, I rarely travel alone, and when I do I don't enjoy it as much, constantly wishing I had my man to discuss the sights with. Oh no, does this mean I've become co-dependent?! Nah - fact is that we share so many similar interests when we travel that it seems a shame not to be each other's touchstone :-). My trip to Kyoto was an exception to this, because I'm slightly obsessed with geisha (how cliche!) and he really doesn't care all that much. The ideal scenario was a meeting with my friend Liesbeth & her sister Marlies, but that got cancelled at the last minute. So besides a fun night on the town with my JET-friend Shree it was just going to be me for a few days. It turned out to be a perfect opportunity to de-stress after some intense weeks at work!

Despite the pouring rain I thoroughly enjoyed wandering the stone-paved streets of the Higashiyama area. Being able to stop for more than 3 seconds at whatever sight amazed me was a real treat, whether it was pausing to view a tranquil Japanese garden or browse through a tourist-packed souvenir shop :-).

Sitting in a tiny coffee shop close to Kiyomezudera Temple (see photo) drying out my soaked trousers, I was approached by a middle-aged Japanese woman who included me in the conversation she was having with the two owners. My broken Japanese didn't seem to faze them and before I knew it I was offered a free hot chocolate and a visitor's book for signing. Who said that Kyoto people are haughty & cold? They certainly warmed up my evening :-).

I was thrilled to see that the rain had cleared up on Sunday because this meant I could visit Heian Shrine, THE place to be in Kyoto during cherry blossom season. The shrine gardens house about 300 weeping sakura trees with branches so heavy that they bow towards the earth! Many trees were already past their bloom during my visit but my main purpose was something else anyway: the Kan-o-chakai, a tea ceremony held during sakura season in the garden teahouse. I had read about this and got up early so as not to miss out...

And was my early rising worth it! Being served green tea and Japanese sweets by kimono-clad ladies, while basking in the morning sun & listening to birds chirp was about as perfect as it can get - a true Kyoto Moment :-).

The whole scene was so captivating that I ended up sitting there for almost an hour, the whole time completely mesmerised by the red parasol, the elegant women and commanding tea master. I must have overstayed my welcome a bit because they eventually asked me -in the friendliest of voices- to leave! Still, without a doubt an experience I'll remember for years to come...