News Year Resolution...

To catch up on posts...

I have been accumulating stories and pictures since November and have been too busy and too lazy to post them all.

This, of course, can only mean one thing. Prepare yourself for a deluge of posts over the next few days. I have a few more days off, so I should be able to get caught up.

With that in mind, I need to rewind quite a ways back to November when Russell's sister Carolyn visited. I got a few posts out, but there is so much more.

Let's see...

Fushimi Inari Shrine! We finally made it. I have been wanting to go here since I first started researching Kyoto. The problem is that it is just far enough outside of town that we never quite made it. As you may recall from previous posts, Kyoto is the kind of place you can easily get lost in over and over again without ever repeating the sites you visit. It really is amazing that way. It means you really have to make your first destination Fushimi Inari Shrine, though, or you are never going to make it. And it is definitely worth going.

Here's some of the information I have gathered about the shrine. I know not whether this information is complete or even accurate, so if you know more, please respond to this post! From what I have gathered, Inari is the godess (?) of grains and by extension, of business and wealth. Her messenger is the fox (a common statue throughout Inari shrines). This particular shrine is extensive. Beyond the main buildings, there are trails that go up into the hills and which are largely lined by Torii - or orange/red gates. From what I have gathered online, the gates are donated by businesses from around Japan in hopes of successful business (since Inari is the goddess of business).

I had heard about these torii before and I had seen some beatiful pictures on the internet, but I had no idea how many there actually were. It was a pretty serious hike to see the whole grounds. Keep in mind that these trails all weave up a hillside. While the trails are exceptionally well kept with stone stairs neat trails, we found ourselves out of breath pretty regularly. By the time we had finished hiking most of the trails we were pretty tired. We got lost several times, but never for too long. The trails are designed to keep you headed towards key points - you can't wander off too much. By the second time we reached the top of the hill we were honestly tired, so we sat for a while, ate toasted soy (kinako) soft serve and watched the shrine cats start to come out on the hunt for dinner. We also tried to ignore all of the runners out training by running the paths - over and over again. The old ladies next to us were less shy. At least one time they called out "gambatte!" (Do your best!). Russell, Carolyn and I dragged ourselves back down the hill.