breakfasts here have been interesting. i love the idea of travelling in a place with completely new and exciting food, a lot of the time its things that you wont know what they are until you put them in your mouth! but atleast thismorning i had the obachan club to teach me about the foods presented to me thismorning. to think, i would never choose to eat fried white-bait or raw eggs or fish roe cakes for breakfast on my own volition, but im up for anything!
so, i was up and ready very early and decided to make the most of it by testing my public transport skills and heading off to some of the lesser known temples in the suburbs and outer towns. the first was kashihara jingu 橿原 神宮 which wasnt too far from nara. i left the train station by the wrong exit, and in doing so did not find the temple, but instead found a beautiful lake which lead me on to a burial ground for one of the emporers - the name illudes me now - which was nice.
i then righted myself and headed back to the temple, past all the customary takoyaki sellers and kitchy toy places that i will forever associate with temples now and on through the gates to the temple. i wish i had the guts to ask someone what it was, but there was a ceremony of sorts happening, with all the priests in their thick, white kimonos and black ephemerally adorned shinto hats. resounding drums and chanting seemed not to bother the temples native visitors, who continued to haul small change at the temple bins, clap and pray for good fortune in the new year. i found the whole thing an amusing spectacle and forgot again about the hordes of people around me.
i love this custom of tieing paper fortunes to things in the temple. at this time of year it seems the trees inside the temples grounds cannot suffice, so areas are made and even the trees outside show new shining paper leaves that even rival the green ones.
i intended on going to the nara archaelogical museum - supposed to be aazing alex, i was going to take plenty of notes and photos for you - but i keep forgetting its the new years holiday week and few things are open. to console my sadness i gave in to the irrepressable IRASHAIMASEEEE.. of the vendors and bought myself some takoyaki - for all who dont know that is friend ocotpus balls, one of my favourite japanese foods - and positioned myself in the temples grounds to figure out what i was going to do next.
i dont know why, but i was drawn to a temple only lightly mentioned by the guide book, that could have scared anyone with its mention of endless stairs. this did not fault it in my opinion, it gave it an advantage in scaring away the weak! hahaahaaa! so i did the mission out to hasederu 長谷寺。 this was one of the most beautiful places i have been yet. the weather was pefect, though freezing, and the stairs only served to keep me warm. i stroll through the smalll town at the foot of the temple, with its small cosy streets and mossy cobblestones. my muse for this whole trip i saw first at a station easier on, a young boy in a green blazer who went everywhere with a sense of stern direction, a camera and a budhist guidebook under his arm. i will mention him again later...
so, i know the photos say a lot but too be honest, they say nothing. it is the setting, the natural surrooundings, the winds that rustle through the whole hill surrounding the temple, the smells of incense wafting to the furthest parts of the temple, the way the sunlight glints off a spire you would not have noticed otherwise, like it was drawing your attention intentionally. maybe it was just the adrenolin from climbing all those stairs.
this temple, like most in japan, has supposidly burnt down many times in its long history but is always rebuilt. you would not guess, everything is so authentic, so weathered and original.
this temple, like most in japan, has supposidly burnt down many times in its long history but is always rebuilt. you would not guess, everything is so authentic, so weathered and original.
so, as i returned to the town my muse in the green blazer kept appearing, dotting about like a sparrow, nipping up hills i never would have ventured to. i followed him sometimes, trying to be discreet, and saw even more intimate sights of this small town. his presence followed me through the rest of the day, glints of the green blazer at the stations, flashed glances accross the carraige...its one of thse phenomena of travelling and travelling alone i think. when you see another lone wolf on your path, they disconcert you somewhat but also intrigue you. neither will say a word, or keep a glance when one is made. each is in their own world.
so, after my magical time at hasederu 長谷寺 i ventured back to nara, i felt no more urges, though the guidebook highlighed opportunities along my path, and headed straight back to town. i get the feeling im just chasing temples after only two days and want to soak in some of modern japan aswell. i re-explored nara-machi for a bit, browsing おみやげ souveniers and the restaurants in the area. i settled for カレ うどん which was amazingly delicious and cheap - 5 dollars for a massive bowl of udon with tofu and leek - strolled around the shops once more and headed back to the hostel.
after long arduous journeys on foot im becoming accustomed to the japanese style of bathing. its as if sanitation and relaxation are seperated, you get everthing that needs to be done done, in a quie ucomfortable but functional position, then you proceed to the bath to soak and relax. no more worries about washing, this time is only for relaxing. i want a japanese style bathroom at home!
so now, i sit with my three dollar kirin, feeling toasty and warm, and though my feet are growing more and more sore, and the thoughts of uprooting to a new hostel are a little disconcerting, i could not possibly have a single complaint in this world right now...bliss..though i should stop drinking this beer since im up early again tommorrow...
oh and one for mum, you can buy mini discs in the 7-11s here, the 1gig ones are like 9 bucks...hahaha sweet
so, after my magical time at hasederu 長谷寺 i ventured back to nara, i felt no more urges, though the guidebook highlighed opportunities along my path, and headed straight back to town. i get the feeling im just chasing temples after only two days and want to soak in some of modern japan aswell. i re-explored nara-machi for a bit, browsing おみやげ souveniers and the restaurants in the area. i settled for カレ うどん which was amazingly delicious and cheap - 5 dollars for a massive bowl of udon with tofu and leek - strolled around the shops once more and headed back to the hostel.
after long arduous journeys on foot im becoming accustomed to the japanese style of bathing. its as if sanitation and relaxation are seperated, you get everthing that needs to be done done, in a quie ucomfortable but functional position, then you proceed to the bath to soak and relax. no more worries about washing, this time is only for relaxing. i want a japanese style bathroom at home!
so now, i sit with my three dollar kirin, feeling toasty and warm, and though my feet are growing more and more sore, and the thoughts of uprooting to a new hostel are a little disconcerting, i could not possibly have a single complaint in this world right now...bliss..though i should stop drinking this beer since im up early again tommorrow...
oh and one for mum, you can buy mini discs in the 7-11s here, the 1gig ones are like 9 bucks...hahaha sweet
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