My So-Called Life in France: Day 6

"Evelyn Waugh was a man."

We totally forgot what day it was. Wake-up late and eat then lounge around. We are tired! Somewhere just beyond exhausted. No wonder we’re bickering all the time.

So we head back to the temple we left off at the day before.

Beautiful view from atop the temple gates. Then we go to the Zen garden and walk around.

We didn’t feel very Zen though. David did some Karate then we left.

Walk forever to a bus stop then take the bus for 30 minutes to the golden temple which sucks.

We get herded through the ground like cattle. French Boy and I argue over the pace of my eating of my green tea ice cream cone.

We leave and take the bus all the way back to the hotel, then at the very last minute decide to go see one last shrine just outside of town before sundown. When we arrive it’s almost sundown so its closing time.

The entire grounds are empty and it so damn quiet and so peaceful and calm and there is no talking and all we hear are the birds singing to each other. We walk up the mountain under the red gates.

Everything is quiet until a chubby pink faced American man who is searching for his wife asks if I have seen her. We haven’t. We’re alone up here. Me, French Boy, and the praying lady. This is my favorite place.

Later we descend and buy yet more nekkos. I adore them and I will probably buy more tomorrow. Two little old ladies help the American man who had lost his wife to make a page over the temple intercom. We hear: “Janice I’m waiting for you at the bottom of the hill.” Go out over all the loud speakers of the temple. It’s too weird to laugh. I wonder if he ever will find his wife.

We leave. And catch the train back to Kyoto. I find a sushi place in the guide book. I know its somewhere near the shopping arcade.

We almost miss it but finally stumble in. Two little teenage girls wave us upstairs where we are seated by another teenage girl. We get two stools at the conveyor belt. We crack up. We eat and laugh and eat and laugh. Is that an Octopus?

We eat until we will burst. We get the bill and the total is 975 yen-----6 euros. We had a two person sushi dinner for 6 euros? I love Japan. We decide to come back tomorrow for a snack before dinner. Its just too fun.

After dinner we walk through the shopping arcades and see totally cool stuff. We decide to come back tomorrow for gifts.

I see some converse low tops on sale. The sales girl says “Yes, very cheap!” And indeed they are. They are half the price that I paid in France! I buy 2 pair for 19 euros each. Every sales associate in the store thanks me and bows as I leave. I love Japan

While waiting for the bus we realize that we’ve passed 2 shrines, in fact the bus stop is right in front of a shrine. You can buy a Gucci bag and then go pray immediately afterwards!