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Back Home in Kyoto

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Sept. 13 The morning agenda was taking a bus to Daitokuji, a famous Rinzai Zen temple, and visit several gardens on the grounds. After walking to several bus stops and watching several full buses pass by with no room for 18 Americans we finally arrived. I took the lead and followed three male pilgrims up to the main gate, finding myself quite amused at the image of these three men dressed in traditional garb (they could have actually been from the 16th century I think) walking alongside a young girl in a short minidress and tall boots whose hips swung side to side with each step. I probably giggled out loud at least a few times. The man at the main booth pretended to not understand my Japanese, and I kept hearing strange Eastern European languages whispering by, coming from a never ending stream of ungainly and gangly tourists I wanted so badly to distance myself and our whole group from. Thankfully there was a tea ceremony at Daitokuji this day, so these two unpleasant points were ...
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Mountain Magic Part I

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Sept. 9 I left Nara with an aching foot, shoulder, shin, and kneecap. Not to mention the equally injurious hangover. Let’s skip to something good…we were headed to Mt. Kōya! The beautiful mountain scenery on the trainride cleared my bad mood. I looked out at ancient tombs and wrote poetry. Civilization gradually turned to mountain vistas, and we passed through at least ten tunnels on our way up the mountain. The final push to the top required a short but impossibly steep cable car ride. I had another of those how-the-hell-did-anyone-establish-a-temple-complex-here moments. Short bus ride to Henjōkōin where Takayama-san, head temple administrator, greeted us with rosy cheeks and a huge smile. One of my favorite things about visiting temples in Japan is the happy-go-lucky demeanor of most people who reside therein. Inner peace and contentment really shines in their faces. We were led past an unbelievable garden that rose into the steep hillside to our tatami rooms on the second ...
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Highlights from the High Life

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Sept. 14 It's the end of the trip, and due to exhaustion and laziness I am losing the motivation to write detailed accounts of my days, thus here I offer only tidbits: - Moved across town into old house with tatami floors, detached toilet and shower, and small rock garden. I am so in love with this house! - Private tour at Ginkakuji of oldest tea house in Japan - Lunch of Yamakake cha-udon (green tea infused noodles, grated mountain potato, raw egg, seaweed served cold) - Strolling the Philosopher’s trail - Walking through cemetery at Hōnen’in - Rock garden at Nanzenji - People watching atop the great south gate at Nanzenji while looking out over all of Kyoto - Shopping the outdoor food market near Teramachi…quite a sight! - Dinner and sake (surprised?) with Cynthea: think fresh watermelon, carrots, cucumber dipped in sea salt and sweet miso, nasu dengaku (my favorite dish of ...
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