Kyoto Chaos: Lost in Translation (and Slightly Damp Socks)
okay, so i'm still processing *Kyoto. seriously, what a trip. i arrived with a vague plan and a whole lot of hope, fueled by matcha lattes and questionable expectations. the numbers that popped into my head before i left were 1268135 and 1356979141 - donāt ask. they just were. anyway, let's dive into the delightful mess that was my time there.
first thing i noticed? the air. itāsā¦damp. not oppressively so, but definitely carries a certainā¦dewiness. i just checked and it's...surprisingly brisk for mid-October, hope you like that kind of thing. itās the kind of damp that clings to your clothes and makes everything smell faintly of moss and old wood.
The weather report said 24.55Ā°C (feels like 24.34Ā°C) with 49% humidity and a pressure of 1011. pretty standard, i guess.
i was staying in a tiny guesthouse near Gion. the neighborhood is a whirlwind of quiet alleys and the occasional flash of a kimono. itās a really beautiful contrast, but also, navigating those backstreets in the dark was an adventure in itself. someone told me that if you wander too far, you'll end up in a geisha district with very specific rules about staring.
Food was a major highlight, obviously. i spent a ridiculous amount of time just wandering around, trying to decide where to eat. i heard that the best ramen spots are always the ones tucked away on side streets - the kind you have to practically pry open. i definitely went down that rabbit hole. and the market! oh, the market! so many pickled things.
āJust point and pray,ā a vendor told me, gesturing at a mountain of unidentified vegetables. āYouāll be fine.ā
Transportation wasā¦interesting. the subway is efficient but crowded. i mostly relied on walking, which meant getting gloriously lost a lot. i even tried renting a bicycle, which was a spectacular disaster involving a very steep hill and a near-miss with a rickshaw. (donāt ask). if you get bored, Nara is just a short train ride away.
i spent a good chunk of a day at Fushimi Inari Shrine, hiking through those thousands of red torii gates. it was overwhelming, in the best way possible. i swear, i felt like i was walking through a dream. it's also a workout. someone warned me about the crowds, especially on weekends. apparently, it gets packed. i definitely got stepped on a few times. i also checked out a small local board at a coffee shop - people were recommending a hidden tea house near the Philosopherās Path*. i'm adding it to my list for next time.
honestly, Kyoto is a sensory overload. the smells, the sounds, the tastesā¦itās a lot. there are rumors of ghosts in some of the older temples, but i didnāt encounter any. although, there was one particularly creaky floorboard in my guesthouse that gave me pause. i'm thinking of taking a class to learn more about history; there's a great website about Japanese history if you're interested https://www.japan-guide.com/.
my top advice? embrace the chaos. get lost. try weird food. say yes to everything. and donāt be afraid to look completely bewildered. you're in Kyoto, that's practically a requirement. and maybe pack some waterproof socks. seriously.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g298467-Kyoto_Kyoto_Prefecture_Japan-Vacations.html.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/izuju-kyoto-kyoto.
Happy travels!
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