So, with apologies and pictures, here is more Kyoto, also known as... holy crap, more walking, holy crap, monkeys everywhere.
 |
| Iwatayama Monkey Park in Arashiyama overlooks Kyoto |
Back when this monkey paradise was being set up, someone very smart decided to put the ticket booth at the bottom. Let me tell you, if I had known that scaling a mountain was part of the adventure, the day may have turned out differently.
It's a step-filled climb, the first part of which is dense trees and very pretty scenery. Then, as the trees become sparser and you see signs like this-
You come to realize what you may be getting yourself into.
After the sign (which is one step away from a skull and crossbones), you start to see glimpses. Out of the corner of your eye, a quick movement, a vague shape running across the top of the mountain, branches moving in your vicinity. Paranoia and fascination quickly form. The monkeys, however, are few and far between so you can't help but wonder if this was a tremendous rip off. If all you'll get to see are the ass-end of a few fleeing monkeys, it may not be worth the time or money. Wrong. So wrong. At the top, this awaits:
They wander around freely, generations upon generations of monkeys. That building in the background is the "ranger station," and where you go to feed the monkeys. The people are inside the cage.
These monkeys know what's up. They know the people have food, and they camp out the best spots. They are vocal, and they chase their tinier counterparts away, which is the opposite of endearing. We also had one more frightening call. What is the number one rule of the monkey park according to the scary sign? Do Not look a monkey in the eyes. If you ever go, please don't be a Blake and forget all about it and then get into a staring contest with one of the locals. The local will FREAK OUT and start monkey-screaming. It's pretty scary and we thought maybe it would come after us. So, we power walked away and acted nonchalant.
Despite the long climb and potential mauling, it was very much worth going.
It was also a bit of a train ride away, but there are a few attractions just outside of Kyoto that Blake and I had to see. In addition to Iwatayama, we went to the uber-famous Fushimi Inari Shrine.
Torii gate after Torii gate. The effect is really beautiful and would be mesmerizing, were it not for all the people.
Like seeing the monkeys on top of the mountain, we went into this, not knowing there was a real climb involved. The gates are very dense near the bottom, but spread our further and further as you get to the top.
The entire way up, there are people stopping to pray and light incense. There is a very specific procedure, bell ringing, bowing, clapping, and money. There are little stops along the way selling food and smaller torii gates, for those who can't afford a ginormous one.
All in all, the Kyoto trip was awesome and we'd like to go again. There is so much to do there and very difficult to see it all in one go. There is so much history, so much good food, and where else can you see geisha clip-clopping down stone streets at night?
