Catch up!

Haven't written for a few days--been working on a paper! On Friday we took the famous bullet train! For some reason I expected it to be ungodly fast to the point of making the outside world blurry,...it wasnt that fast. We WERE going fast as compared to most modes of transportation, though.

Anyway, we took the bullet train and moved from Tokyo to Kyoto. (ps--both of those cities have the same letters!).

Kyoto seems like Tokyo's relaxed younger brother. It's as though Tokyo stopped caring and took a deep breath. Tokyo is pristine and perfect and clean and green. Kyoto is still amazing, but there were bits of trash and such like one would expect in most cities. It is still better than anything you'd find in America, but after being in Tokyo you notice the small things.

We stayed at a hostel in Kyoto. For those who don't know what a hostel is: think of a place for travelers to rest their head for the night, without the luxury of a hotel. Some travelers don't want the expense of a room to ones own, or a private bathroom and the like. It's a cheap place to sleep--people are always coming and going from all ends of the earth. You meet some pretty interesting people. Don't worry, we did NOT accept the drugs the Australians offered us. Our room for six girls consisted of three sets of bunk beds in about an 8 by 12 foot room.  There are common bathrooms on each floor, a main lounge, kitchen, and laundry room.

Side note to all: when using a hostel kitchen, don't actually keep any of your food in the fridge. It will be gone in literal minutes.

After checking into the hostel, we went to Kiyomizudera--another temple. I'm not complaining or anything, but I have been to enough temples and shrines for a lifetime. We go to at least one every day. They are all very unique, bur which one is which is starting to blur together in my mind. Kiyomizudera is up in the rolling hills of Kyoto. That's something that Kyoto has that Tokyo doesnt. Mountains. So pretty! From the temple we went to, you can see the whole city of Kyoto.

There is something about Japanese architecture that lends itself to good picture taking. Everything is balanced and very aesthetic--even the trees seem perfectly placed. Which is because they are.

Something that I find particularly interesting with Japanese thought is the way they tame nature to look natural. It seems contradictory, but it very much reflects the society, too. I had it best explained to me in an essay by Don Richie (not to be confused with Dan Ritchie). he says:

"A garden is not a wilderness...rather, a garden is created to reveal nature. Raw nature is simply never there. Paradigm: in japan, you get up, take your morning bath, and you are invisible. No one greets you. Only when you are dressed, combed, ready--only then comes the morning greeting. Unkempt nature, unkempt you, both are equally nonexistent. The garden prepared is now revealed, and everything is in it's natural alignment."

Things are purposefully done to enhance the natural beauty. Bad simile: it's like that make up that says it enhances your natural beauty.

In the evening, we were going to go to a fertility festival at a temple, but read that it was meant to "make easy births." ...none of us are planning on bearing children any time soon, so we deemed the trip unnecessary.