# Day 13 - Spirited away ## Shopping on the slopes This morning provided a second chance to visit an area that had been previously struck from our itinerary after being too tired the night we first arrived in Kyoto. We started by walking up Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka, old uphill shopping streets that look straight out of the beloved Studio Ghibli film *Spirited Away*. Though the streets were crowded and touristy, and the day was wickedly hot, it was difficult not to be pulled into their charm. We wandered into a fantastic ceramics shop, and purchased a few beautiful matcha bowls and adorable Japanese Crane chopstick holders to kick off our collection of Japanese tableware, which we hope to develop over the years. We quickly scarfed down the area’s classic street snack—a giant pickled cucumber on a stick—which was perfectly refreshing and hydrating on a scorching day. ![[day 13 - 1.jpg]] ![[day 13 - 2.jpg]] ![[day 13 - 3.jpg]] ## Beauty... When we finally made it to the top and stepped out onto the landing of the temple complex, all our previous grievances about Kyoto immediately melted away. We found ourselves in a heavenly paradise. The entire garden, which looks out upon the sprawling city below, glowed with a sheen of unreality—a scene of such rare beauty that one can hardly believe it exists on Earth and not just in legend. The vivid orange and green pigments of the shrines and the delicate pinky white sakura were radiant in the beaming sunshine. Farther in we entered the Kiyomizu-dera Temple (translates to “pure water temple”), which gets its name from the Otawa Waterfall on which it’s built, and boasts a large wooden stage that juts out over the hillside. When we were done exploring the temple, we took an isolated back route through the woods and past a peaceful cemetery until we finally found ourselves back on the street at the bottom of the hill, and caught a bus back into the city for lunch. ![[day 13 - 4.jpg]] ![[day 13 - 5.jpg]] ![[day 13 - 6.jpg]] ![[day 13 - 7.jpg]] ![[day 13 - 8.jpg]] We enjoyed some yummy lunch sets at Mumoteki Cafe, and split a delicious strawberry sundae (known as a parfait in Japan). ![[day 13 - 9.jpg]] ![[day 13 - 10.jpg]] ## ... and serenity After what felt like a long few days in Kyoto, we were excited to catch a taxi to our next accommodation in the Takao area of Kyoto City, which feels worlds away. Nestled on the banks of a quiet mountain stream sits Momiji-ya Annex, a more than one hundred year old ryokan. We crossed over a rope-suspended wooden bridge and entered the common area of the main building, which centered around a hanging iron pot over a fire pit nearly identical to the one we saw in Amazake Chaya in Hakone. Sophia discovered that this type of setup is called an irori, and was traditionally used as the primary source of heat and light in Japanese houses, as well as being used for cooking and drying clothing. ![[day 14 - 3.jpg]] Our room was separated into a traditional tatami mat space and a western-style sleeping space with two twin beds. Out back we had our own little private garden, complete with an outdoor bath that Sophia declared looked like a giant matcha bowl. We immediately enjoyed a soak and slipped into our provided yukatas before being treated to a delicious kaiseki dinner (Japanese multi-course meal following certain principles) in the tatami portion of our room. Stuffed and happy, we couldn’t resist one more bath under the stars before it was time for bed. ![[day 13 - 11.jpg]] ![[day 13 - 12.jpg]] ![[day 14 - 2.jpg]] ![[day 13 - 13.jpg]]![[day 13 - 14.jpg]]