Day 3

Another early day. Took train right straight to Kawara-machi and grabbed a white mocha and a taxi and went straight to the starting point of Tetsugaku-no-michi. Oh yes, my modeling picture was taken there. But at the time when I was setting my camera on the bridge, people passing by were just staring at me and wondered what so interesting for this guy to take, because the scenery around wasn't special. Some aunties even came and asked me the way to Ginkoku-ji. I felt like I were a tourist ambassador.

Started walking along the stream but red leaves weren't that magnificent. Still the quietness was enjoyable. I was stepping on the pave stones and felt like a chess walking on a chessboard.

我像是一顆棋子　來去全不由自己　舉手無回　你從不曾猶豫

So strange that people weren't enjoying the tranquility but walking like jogging or running beside me. Whenever I wanted to wander slowly, they walked fast, and vice versa. Weird people. I kept my pace of strolling like a chess piece. Arriving at Eikan-do, I saw people were flowing into the temple area. I was still going as this temple was said to be the no.1 must-go in Autumn Kyoto. Trees were flaming everywhere and it was so hard to decide from which angle you should press your shutter. I l somehow lost my direction in the red and I could merely follow the flow of tourists. Spent much time there as I expected and it was about 11am when I headed to Nanzen-ji. The faces of people were turning off from walking farther into this temple and as I’d visited it 3 times already, I turned right and went directly to see if that tofu restaurant was open for business yet. Luckily, I went there earlier as there was a crowd following me right after I left my name at the reception. After securing my seat, I went back to the entrance gate of Nanzen-ji, procedurally took a few pictures of this prominent gate, and then returned to Jun-sei.

Kyoto cuisine is always healthy without too much meat and deep fried food and so different from Tokyo’s eating habit. Those tofu I tried in Arashi-yama yesterday was excellent, but this time, tofu specialist really has its own knack, my lips and tongue tasted its softness and it kissed me back so gently. It was a wonderful sweet kiss. What’s more, I had 8 bricks of tofu to repeatedly feel this static. While I was eating, I was also thinking if I could get a pack of such high quality tofu at the supermarket around my home?

It was a warm afternoon when I was on my way again. Got onto a bus and heading to Shisen-do way back to the direction where I started this morning. Massive tourists were getting through the small grassy gate and I’d been waiting for so long to take such a no-person picture in 0.01 second time. The tiny temple was also filled up with tourists and there was no more space to accommodate anyone else. But the view from there was really spectacular. Sunshine was adding heat to the redness of maple and trees were covering people like umbrellas, made us fell like baking in an oven.

Walked farther to Manjyu-in but turned out I didn't buy a ticket to enter it. Maybe I needed a break to stop taking pictures of red things as they were hurting my eyes and I felt a bit fed up. Still, a tree attracted every tourist on the way. I wondered if some of its leaves were fake. How could there be 3 colours for leaves on the same tree?

Time for an afternoon nap. Another random bus took me back to Gion. This time I remembered where is the weeping willow at the corner along the river Shiragawa. Time was like passing quicker near evening as the sun was drowning towards the horizon at an unusual speed. A bit irritated by mountain of faces when I tried to find a place to take a rest. Turned into an alley and surprisingly I found a nice quiet café with no one there! I loved it and the family-operated feeling was so warm and welcoming. Had a green tea ice cream and stretched my legs. My tiredness was accumulating.

Tonight I would have an early dinner of Kaiseki. Those old wooden buildings in sunset looked so romantic when I saw it turning from golden yellow to dark. Pale yellow light was glowing from paper windows. Then I entered the restaurant which I made reservation long before.

O-ko-shi-ya-su.

The first time I heard of such a greeting. It was so sexy and mushy. It made me feel like a very special guest when the receptionist told every waitress about my arrival and everybody knew my name. The damp lighting and elegant decoration were so cozy and waitresses were receiving guests with refinement. I wasn't told what I was going to have for my dinner course, which made me feel so excited for everything presented to me. It wasn't only about food, but art of eating, with not only mouth, by eyes and nose. What I paid was worth. The whole dinner took me more than two hours.

It was still early when I walked out, so I went to Kodai-ji and wanted to see the night scene. The endless queue shocked me but I might regret if I didn't go. After all what I had was time and I am now much patient to queue up than before. The moon was shining round and bright overhead but seemed that no one noticed it. People were just looking at their steps. Luckily, the queue was moving fast and soon I climbed the staircases and entered the temple area. Kodai-ji is dedicated to one of my favourite historical person Nene, wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and it was my first time to visit this temple even though I've been to Kyoto for so many times. The whole temple area was lighten up, but I was imagining how dark it was if there would be no light around, and how Nene spent the rest of her life here. She chose this place to pray for her deceased husband, their defeated kingdom. Everything passed just in a blink, she just wanted to withdraw her power and get rid of the reality and hid in the dark, recalling her memories with Hideyoshi? In the non-stop flashlight, seemed I saw the image of Nene praying in the dark, lowering the burden as a powerful woman in the history, retreated into the darkness.

Going back to Umeda, I ate another bowl of noodle. Yes, I ate after 11.30pm again.

***
Some friends can take very good pictures of places where they visited. Photography doesn't necessarily need to be equipped with professional skill. All it depends on how you see things through your heart. The lens and shutter are just intermediaries to express your feeling towards what you see. Pictures are in square, but our feeling is boundless, which is not limited within the frame. Adjust your angle of viewing this beautiful world, you are capable to take great pictures for your own gallery too.

*** Links
http://www.to-fu.co.jp/ma.html
http://r.gnavi.co.jp/k382201/