Previously on Lenka’s diary: I lived my dream of walking the street of Kyoto wearing a kimono
You can’t have two perfect days in a row, that’d be unfair, right? Maybe that’s why the weather on the second day was, as the British say, shite. But we had our plans and were determined to follow them. And so did hundreds of other people, as we later found out.
First stop, the Kimono forest. This was okay, this was still fun, because we just got off the train and had something new to see. Moreover, as we’d just worn kimonos the day before ourselves, it was cool to see the traditional patterns. But we didn’t stay long, the Bamboo grove was waiting after all.
To our surprise though, as we made it to the main street, instead of lovely shrines/temples and a path leading to the grove, we saw oceans of people… and as the rain got stronger, also rivers of rain. Not my favourite combination, may I say. The water in my shoes and the inescapable crowds started to get me. I’d like to think I don’t get frustrated often, but this was the ♥special occasion♥. I couldn’t tell you which shrines/temples we visited or whether the grove is worth the hype (though, in my heart, the randomly growing bamboo without people will always win). All I know is that all of sudden, I was sat at a random stand (ironic), eating my curry rice and building up courage to start walking in the rain again.
The good thing about Kyoto is that there’s something to see on every corner. And once you lose the crowds, it’s not that bad even if you’re literally swimming in your shoes. On our way to another S/T, we found a really cool one, where there was almost anyone. I could use the names, but I’m terrible with names and this goes for building too. Just know, that sometimes it’s better to just explore and find the hidden gems than running after the tourist traps. Or go to an onsen, especially after such a disgustingly rainy day. I think this was the moment I discovered the beauty of just chilling at the hotel. And you know what, there’s something to it.
And, yet another pro trip, if your shoes are soaking wet, but you need to make a quick trip to the closest konbini to get dinner, use plastic bags as socks.
