Japan Day 8: Fushimi Inari Shrine, Nanzenji Temple, Okonomiyaki with Fu, Okazaki-Jinja, Ginkaku-ji

We woke up early (5:00am) to see Fushimi Inari without the crazy amount of tourists. The hike was definitely more than we bargained for. The heat was pretty intense. We walked up many stairs, and prayed at every shrine that the Gods take our souls. We also walked up alongside a group of businessmen, and bowed to them when we'd all stop at a shrine. Props to them for having done this hike in long-sleeved button ups and slacks. There were many shrines. It was hot. It was moquito-central. But there were no tourists, and the view from the crossroads was something else. Along the way down Mt. Fushimi Inari, we passed by a cool shrine with all the zodiac animals, and we prayed to the Rooster, as our birth year zodiac, and to the Pig for this year's animal.

We returned to our AirBnB to nap, and that was a grave mistake. I think the nap triggered my body to realize that it was tired. After the nap, we head over to Nanzen-ji to see the aqueduct. For lunch, we ate at Okonomiyaki-zen where the Okonomiyaki was made at our table. I tried one with "Fu". The texture was.... interesting. Like a cotton jelly. The heat from the table probably didn't help me, as I began to feel weak, even after eating. I believe it was the beginnings of heat exhaustion.

After lunch, we head to Okazaki-jinja to see the little rabbits. We went into a grocery store to get ice cream. Cheaper, and more variety than the vending machine ice cream! There was even ice cream wrapped in a crepe. We then made our way to Ginkaku-ji, and also found that the children on their field trips in Nikko followed us to Kyoto. It seemed that Japan's students only go on field trips. It must be wonderful to have a lot of emphasis on learning about your culture. You learn to enjoy seeing them. I was jealous of their school bucket hats.

After the Silver Pavilion, I asked if we could go home, as I felt terrible and asked Moose if I could get an ice bath. The day ended with me in bed with heat exhaustion.

(Complete photo album here)

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12 Days In Japan

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