Nara

For whatever reason Nara has a lot of deer running around. They want cookies, but I didn't buy them cookies this time. I just patted some of them that didn't look mean. Like this one. They aren't scared of people and will come and say hello (I want food).

Nara is a good day trip from Kyoto if you are up for walking around. It's about a 860 for one way, so a little expensive for me as a budget traveler. It's not too difficult to get there but I do suggest you know the kanji for Nara and your transfer stop (mine happened to be Tofukuji). Even still, there is always someone who speaks English somewhere around.

In Nara there isn't just deer, there is Todaiji, a massive complex with a large statue Buddha inside. There is also a large golden one as well. Although Todaiji might not be as decorated as Kinkakuji (golden pavilion), it is just stunning. The wood is old and it's age shows. Pictures can't show just how massive this building is. It's truly stunning. 

I walked back along the park road, passing many deer as I went. I picked up street food. Half of a massive baked sweet potato. I love the sweet potato here. It isn't pink on the inside like in America. More like a yam type thing, but sweet, hot and tasty! I passed through Kofukuji, a Buddhist temple. There were also deer there as well. Some tried to take my sweet potato. My potato.

The good thing about Nara is that it's a perfect day trip, even half a day if you aren't just strolling along. It was getting cold out and was cloudy all day, which made it feel rather late even though I finished up around three in the afternoon. From the JR Nara Station everything is just a walk away and it's not all that complicated to get to. There is an English map you can pick up with all the sight seeing spots. No buses needed, just walk!

Tofukuji

To start my day I went to Tofukuji which is a zen temple with a beautiful garden area. It's tucked away by residential houses which makes it a beautiful walk out of the city. There are two sections of this temple, both require different entry. Both are 400 yen for a total of 800. I was a little surprised by that but it wasn't very expensive and was still interesting to see.

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Next I walked down the road about fifteen minutes to Fushimi Inari Taishia which is the the number one place to visit in Kyoto. I think maybe all of Japan as far as shrines/temples go. It's famous for it's thousands of bright red gates and the large foxes who are said to be messengers for Inari. It's a long, beautiful walk upstairs and it's totally free! 

Gion

I then took the bus home that afternoon and walked aimlessly around Gion. The main roads are busy, full of tourists and locals all looking for places to eat, to go to bars and tea houses, but back a few streets were my hostel is, there are old Gion streets which are beautiful restaurants and shops and homes. 

Kiyomizudera (Pure Water Temple)

Kiyomizudera (pure water temple)

Quite possibly the most relaxing place you can go to in Japan. Well, if it weren't under construction and always busy. It's a beautiful place, with that large balcony that overlooks a beautiful forest. It's fairly close to Gion (where I am staying), but I still took the bus because I got the day bus pass and I'm lazy.

There are water purification and cleansing places at all temples, but this is by far the most decorative. With the ladle, you take some water and clean your hands, then you put water in your cupped hand and drink. Although many people skip the drinking part. You spit into the draining area, don't swallow.

There are also incense bowls where you pay maybe 10 yen (10 cents) and you burn incense. The smoke is said to have healing powers so you fan it towards you. (If your shoulder is hurting, wave it towards your shoulder, if you need to focus for an exam, wave it towards your forehead! Etc etc.)

Day one in Kyoto happens to be Christmas day!
I woke up early this morning to talk with my parents and at the time it was still Christmas eve for them. It's really not Christmas without them, but I guess I skip Christmas this year.

I headed out a little before nine in the morning. I bought a 500yen (5 dollar) bus pass for the day and visited a flea market that morning! At Kitano Tenmangu Shrine was a large year end flea market. I ended up buying a few things!

Top Left: Tiny sake cup
Top Right: Matching tiny sake cups
Bottom Left: Temari Ball (traditionally a hand ball, but it's an art form now.
Bottom right: Another sake cup.

I then visited Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) which was in the same general area. The bus pass is definitely recommended when you get here. Chances are, your hostel or hotel will sell one for 500yen. They are a deal because anywhere you go is 230. Therefore, if you ride more than twice a day, which you definitely will, it's a deal. I think I saved at least five to seven dollars. It's also quicker than counting out change all the time.

I headed back to Gion after that and visited their local shrine which I hadn't last time I came here. It's spread out and quiet but a very pretty walk.

The weather today was off and on drizzly, sort of breezy and sometimes sunny. In the city it's always shaded anyways and the wind is typically tunnel wind. It is late December but these photos probably look like early fall. It was fairly cold today but I was fine in a coat and sweater.

After walking around for a while and going down old Gion which is the Geisha district with old tea houses, a theater and other shops, it started to rain. My shoes have holes in them so I decided to call it a day.

I am here long enough that I don't need to move around quick and I can actually enjoy some time at my hostel. It's nice to walk around in the morning to early afternoon and head back before it's too cold or too dark.

I took the Sunflower Ferry from Beppu port to Osaka. I enjoy the ferry but it arrives a little too early for my tastes. Unfortunately there is not much to do at 7am in Osaka except barely find a place to get breakfast.

I was going to head to the history museum, but it didn't open until nine.
I grabbed a small breakfast at a small breakfast restaurant. (2 pieces of toast and a hard boiled egg and coffee).

Due to the printers at APU deciding not to work for a few days before I left, I had no maps. Somehow I still managed pretty well actually. Although you can travel pretty easily in Japan without knowing Japanese, I suggest at least knowing how to read the hiragana or katakana. Not their meanings, just how to read them. Sometimes the subways stations on the map are only written in hiragana.

SO DESPITE ALL OF THAT.

I walked around Osaka Castle park really early that morning, killed some time there. Still all beautiful all that. I didn't go inside, since I wasn't here to visit the inside of the castle. Osaka is not my favorite city, maybe my least favorite. Not much to do except eat and I am on a budget. Eating comes second.

I visited Namba, Dontonbori and Shin Sai Bashi which is a long shopping district with modern things such as clothes, kitchen stuff, etc, etc, nothing I wanted to buy. Killed time, killed time.

The real reason I stayed around in Osaka instead of going right to Kyoto was for the Osaka Castle Illuminations which were beautiful!

It's Christmas Eve here and I can't help but feel a little lonely. I know my family would have loved to see these lights and gone out for breakfast. I think they would enjoy themselves here and I want to show them around one day. I hope they have a wonderful Christmas and I miss them a lot. It just doesn't feel like Christmas here, although I am enjoying myself.

❅ ❄ ❆雪が降った！IT SNOWED!❅ ❄ ❆

❅ ❄ ❆ Oh no! APU is under snow! ❅ ❄ ❆

❅ ❄ ❆ Classes were cancelled for this. ❅ ❄ ❆

There are many people who have never even seen snow! So I guess this comes to a shock for them. There were people playing outside in the snow, making tiny snowmen or having snowball fights. Of course everyone was bundled up tight too! Classes were cancelled, but I don't have Wednesday classes anyways! Too bad the snow is just one day late! I wouldn't mind classes cancelled tomorrow!

❅ ❄ ❆ Slippery! ❅ ❄ ❆

❅ ❄ ❆ The deepest part I could find. ❅ ❄ ❆

The best part of the day was coming home to find two Christmas cards in my mailbox! The kitty one is from my parents and the snoopy one is from my friend Jenn! I am so happy! I feel very Christmasy for sure! I really miss home and am sad that I won't be home with my family, but I will celebrate with them when I get home!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE! 

Compared to Kyoto, Beppu does not have temples or shrines really. It has onsens and pudding so that's okay. All that white smoke is actually steam from the dozens upon dozen of onsen in Beppu. I believe there are at least 36 onsen, but I am pretty sure there are over a hundred baths.


I am living in the city of onsen (hot spring), but I haven't spoken much about them. Today was cold so of course onsen! I went with a friend to a famous onsen in Beppu, only a 15 minute or so ride from my school by bus. Very cheap bus ride, rather expensive onsen but it was so much fun. That symbol to the left is the onsen symbol. The map below shows all of the onsen in Beppu. (Look for the symbol in blue!)

Beppu has the most rich and natural onsen in Japan. In Beppu there are 8 different springs which are now towns and onsen areas within Beppu. They are named Beppu, Kannawa, Myoban, Kankaiji, Hamawaki, Kamegawa, Horita and Shibaseki. I have visited onsens in Beppu, Kamegawa and now Kannawa. From sulfur baths, to clay, to salt, to special mineral water for your skin, there are many natural onsen in Beppu. There are also other onsen that are 'man made' such as the carbonated bath and the electric bath that gives you shocks as you sit in it. I have tried all of those and maybe the clay is my favorite and the shock one is my least favorite.

Indoor 

Onsens are not expensive typically (in Beppu at least). Maybe a few hundred yen (a few US dollars). There are indoor spa type baths or outdoor ones that look like beautiful pools of water. Some are small, with only one bath for both genders. Then there are some with saunas, outdoor, indoor, sulfur, clay and normal baths, those are the expensive ones.

Very Pretty Outdoor

Onsen water isn't just good for your skin, but you can boil stuff with it! Go figure. Onsen Tamago (onsen boiled eggs) are delicious, as well as sweet Purrin (Pudding).

So today I visited Hoyoland onsen in Kannawa. This one had an outdoor, clay, sulfur and sauna bath in it. The clay was by far the most fun out of the baths but the sulfur is very nice for your skin. Unfortunately the onsen boiled pudding was all sold out! We then went to get dinner at Myoban which is known for it's thatched roof huts that house crystal making facilities used in bath salts. Now because we are on a mountain and there are hot springs everywhere, including sulfur baths, yes, it smells like rotten eggs. Sometimes when the wind blows up the mountain, we get that lovely smell on campus. I can't get used to it and where a face mask.

Myoban

For quarter break I went to Yufuin which is only a forty minute bus ride from Beppu. I went with two friends from my Japanese class. In Beppu it was pretty warm and I was dying even in a t-shirt but in Yufuin, a quiet mountain town, it was pretty chilly and I was glad I brought my light sweater. The leaves are starting to change color finally! I visited here before and wrote a post about it back in spring semester.

For lunch we visited a Snoopy Peanuts themed cafe. We got to sit with a giant snoopy stuffed animal and got snoopy themed foods! Definitely a super cute cafe why can't we have these in America. I stopped at the Studio Ghibli store here and bought a cute photo frame as well!

I don't typically go to the dining hall on campus, since we have kitchens. But when I have become so lazy and so hungry, I do go there.

It's completely different than American lunches, let me tell you. I got two fried white fish with a sweet egg and onion sauce. The other fish is mackerel in miso, then the green stuff is spinach salad with sesame and for something sweet, candied yams. For drinks either we can get something bottled or there is free hot tea (which I got two of) and cold water. All of this was about five dollars.

If I am lazy during the night and don't want to cook, I get instant yakisoba which are noodles in yakisoba sauce. The black one is dyed with squid ink (note the tiny squid picture) and the left side is just plain.

 In other news, November is already half way over and many of the trees are still green. A few have changed color on campus and some are barren, like the cherry blossom trees. The average temperature is still maybe 60 or so during the day. If it isn't windy it is warm, but the wind can really make it chilly.

So many flowers out still!

I have like, three months until I come home. So basically time to go wild and do all the fun Japanese stuff I didn't already do!