Good Mornin' America

Beep, beep, beep, beeeeep. The dreaded sound of one’s morning alarm is probably the most hated sound. I usually set mine to snooze or just lie in bed playing the coming day over in my head in an attempt to muster up some form of enthusiasm. Dragging my ass out of bed is a cumbersome process but today was different. Where I was staying snoozing was not an option. As soon as I realised where I was, I wanted to get up and out of my room. It wasn’t that hellish but it was by no means a tranquil duvet heaven.

Breakfast perked me up a bit. Yet more pancakes, my arteries will be pleased. The sugar rush certainly did the trick. My stuff was organised and ready to lug to my next destination but I still had most of the morning so I went out for a walk.

No surprise that it was a beautifully crisp, clear and sunny morning. I walked along the beach and pier and indulged myself with a session of people-watching. Sometimes I like to imagine what people’s stories are, why they are in that place at that particular time and what their lives are like. It’s a nice escape from my own inner monologue.

My thoughts were interrupted briefly as I breezed past a cheery surfer. I did a double-take as I thought I saw something strange. Maybe I should start drinking proper coffee. I took a few more photos and made my way back to the hostel. In doing so I passed the same surfer guy in the car park…yep, that guy has horns. A middle-aged surfer dude with horns protruding from his forehead is what stood before me. We exchanged smiles again, mine a slightly nervier effort. Inside I screamed – “Don’t flay me”. Then my mind started to wander. If he is meant to be a demon, what do they normally do with humans? They probably don’t flay people…or do they? I tried accessing my faint memories of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel but then the thought of David Boreanaz took me down a separate thought train…

…“My friend wants to marry you.” I paused and looked to my left. There beside me were three dishevelled fellows and a straggly girl. One was propping up a sign with a message of love and a plea for money. How random. A marriage proposal from a tramp wasn’t what I was expecting to get from my day. I didn’t have my purse so it was a wasted proposal.

That concluded my morning stroll and it was time to head to the train station. Thankfully that was a simple bus ride away. I knew where I was going and everything!

Before I boarded a patronising desk clerk answered a couple of questions I had. He spoke to me like I didn’t know what a train was.

Farewell San Diego, greetings Los Angeles. Three guesses what happened next…yes I got lost. I jotted down directions but they didn’t help. I walked across the road to a shop selling bus tour tickets in search of a street map. They had one but it was shite. It didn’t help me whatsoever and the staff were only concerned with people buying a bus ticket. I had a decision to take, left or right. It was the wrong way.

Ordinarily I’d just wander around aimlessly and take the “scenic route”. This is the point where I meet incredible people or discover something great that I would have missed otherwise. This time I had my whopping suitcase so I was in no mood to wander around without a clue.

In an act of desperation I went into a Domino’s pizza joint shop thinking they’d probably have a map as they deliver. This was my theory. They didn’t have a map. The manager took pity on me and offered to drive me across there as he’d just finished his shift. I accepted as I had no idea where I was or how I’d get to the hostel. This guy would be pretty dumb to kidnap me seen as half his staff witnessed me getting into a car with him. This guy would get some serious good-karma-points with this goodwill gesture. It was tainted slightly when he asked me out for dinner but I made my excuses and walked into the hostel. Marriage proposal and dinner request all in one day, now I do feel special.

That’s enough excitement for one day I think. I set my stuff down in the female only dorm that yet again confirmed that girls are just as messy as guys, if not more in some cases. This hostel was definitely a step up from San Diego. I had a plug socket and a light by my bed. Now that’s what I’m talking about.

A Touch Of Luxury

Unlike other places I’ve visited in New Zealand, I left Franz Josef satisfied. I did what I went there to do and had a great time. I was also looking forward to hopping off the bus and having a break in Wanaka.

Before we reached our final destination, we stopped off at Lake Matheson for a walk. It was a three hour trail but Hannah, Kerry and I were certain that it could be done in two. We briskly walked through the winding route taking photos along the way.

At one point we noticed a camera lens cover abandoned on a wooden bench. We felt bad for whoever had left it as it’s not something that’s easily replaced whilst travelling. It was at our next viewpoint where we met a guy (later to be nicknamed Hannah’s Future Husband) who it belonged to. After hovering for a little too long, we moved on. HFH had split apart from his group and had positioned his tripod on higher grounds. With a crushed flapjack in one hand, HFH took photos of the stunning view. Hannah became flustered with her camera but not to worry as her future husband helped her capture a great image. HFH was a hot topic as we power walked the rest of the way. Apparently a guy who squishes a flapjack in his hand without a care in the world whilst taking photographs is a great turn on for some.

Conversations with the girls on the bus tended to transcend in to Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus…literally as one of the girls is reading that book (I won’t name names, it’s not me!). I detest books that tell women how they should act around men. Surely both parties should learn how to compromise and work together without manipulation and game playing. I can never be arsed with all that rubbish as it’s too much hard work!

We were the first ones back and decided to treat ourselves to some lovely grub at the café. I had an epic sausage, egg and crispy bacon sandwich with tomato relish. It was that good that I groaned with almost every mouthful. I didn’t have room for my raspberry and white chocolate muffin so kept it for the bus journey.

I was the only one hopping off at Wanaka which astonished some. I wasn’t sure if it was the fear of missing out, but a lot of people kept asking me why I wasn’t leaving the next day like everyone else. I’d heard from a friend back home that Wanaka is beautiful, I was hoping to meet a friend I made in Bangkok and I couldn’t wait to part ways with the bus. Obviously I didn’t say the last part. I did get on with a few people on the bus but those lovely people were lost within the awful mass of annoyingness that was taking over. I’d not had a break from Stray since Rotorua and I felt like I was overdue.

The whole bus stayed at Base hostel that night. I’d pre-booked my room online for a knock-down price. I was very happy with myself for doing this. Even though Stray get a certain amount of rooms blocked off for passengers only, it didn’t faze me that I would be staying elsewhere.

Kerry, who recommended I book online, had done the same and we asked if it was possible to stay in the same room. Unfortunately the rooms are randomly allocated so that was not possible. My disappointment soon transformed into dizzying excitement as I was told I’d be staying in the Sanctuary. I had no idea what that meant but it sounded good.

The receptionist handed me a white fluffy towel. It was a nice touch. I asked if anyone else was booked in the room and was told I’d have it to myself for three nights. Happy days!

I entered my room and my jaw dropped. My eyes lit up at the sight of a ridiculously large room, a table with chairs, a kettle, tea and coffee. Attached to the wall was a flat screen TV. I actually jumped up and down on the spot and squealed. You may laugh but try travelling for over nine months and see how you react to fresh linen, open space and a room to yourself!

Although I had my white fluffy towel, I could not for the life of me find where the showers and toilets were on my floor. I was too embarrassed to ask the staff so grabbed Kerry who is a seasoned sleeper at Base. Kerry followed me to my room and shared my excitement. Kerry had stayed in a Sanctuary room on the north island so knew exactly how I felt. Within seconds, Kerry found the showers and toilets…in my room! I bypassed the mirror which happened to be fixed onto a door. Behind this door were two spotless showers and two floral-smelling toilet cubicles. Ohhhhh yeeeeeah.

Now if THAT wasn’t enough, Kerry told me that there should be some hair straighteners around somewhere. It turns out you can put a bond down for a pair at reception. I’d not straightened my hair in a long time as my GHDs broke in Australia.

I felt no shame in bragging about my room and invited some of the girls over. Hannah and Sam came over and ate their dinner whilst I pranced around to random music off of my laptop. I offered my facilities to Kerry as I owe my little luxury pad to her.

As it was my last night with this bus…well mainly because I had hair straighteners, I decided to glam up for the night. I knew exactly what I was going to wear.

One wonderful shower later and I was ready to don my short blue dress I bought from Australia and first wore to see Laura Marling. My smile dropped when I saw my legs. Shit, I forgot about my bruise collection. My left knee was a patchwork of blues and greens accompanied by a scab thanks to my fall at Blue Duck lodge. On the back of my leg sat a huge red-veined nastiness from my tanking adventures. Dammit. I knew it was going to be dark in the bar, but no amount of soft lighting could hide those monstrosities.

Kerry suggested I wore leggings with it but it wouldn’t look as good. I wanted to look all girly and human again rather than the frizzy mess I’ve become since leaving Australia. I settled for my maxi dress in the end and hoped that I looked just as nice.

The answer to that question came in a form of a compliment as soon as I left the room. One of the guys from the bus said I looked really nice. It’s been a while since I’ve had a seemingly genuine compliment from a guy. I felt really good.

That feeling grew throughout the night. I managed to get in on a game of pool and potted three balls in a row which caught us up to the opposing team who only had the black to pot. Nobody had seemed to notice what I’d done. I had one more shot which I should have just fluffed. Instead, I potted the black. Everyone certainly noticed that! I felt like an idiot. Jim, my pool partner, hugged me although I'm sure he'd rather of kicked me.

Battle of the buses was my chance to make up for this loss. Kiwi Experience, Magic and Stray in one room. Only one would be hailed champion. I wanted that title.

My competitiveness subsided as the quiz was so long-winded. Most of the questions were about the Queen’s Jubilee. I now know that Buckingham Palace holds 775 rooms, Elizabeth was 25 when she took the throne and she has 5 dogs.

At one point we were in the lead but the Kiwi bus had a smart phone and were cheating their way to victory (boooo hissss!). We faired ok at the karaoke but didn’t stand a chance in the dance off. Kiwi had a guy who could back flip and do the splits as well as a girl who could breakdance. I got up all the same as the first challenge was to copy the dance moves to Eric Prydz Call On Me. Everyone must remember the crotch thrusts right? I tried in vain but my maxi dress kept getting in the way when it came to the kicks and rolling around on the floor.

Never mind. We left Kiwi to their victory and $100 bar tab. A couple of people from our bus sneakily went to the bar to claim a free drink. They didn’t even check! I wasn’t that fussed and sat down beside the pool table. I got chatting to a couple of people from the bus who I’d not spoken to before. Seana from Chicago was especially lovely. We spoke about our travels and plans for the future. I gave her my email address for a possible meet-up when I reach Chicago. Seana even offered me her couch to sleep on. I’ve not couchsurfed in a while but I might have to in America depending on how much money I have left!

I also spoke to another American for a while before spending the rest of the night chatting away to Jim and Chris (both British). This surprised me as they weren’t as chatty when I first met them. It turns out, Jim’s first impression of me wasn’t a good one. After the pool table orgy at Franz Josef, I didn’t really approach the guys as I thought the territory had been marked by the girls. Jim especially, was always with one particular girl from the bus so I left them to it. Jim mistook my avoidance as a dislike towards him and his mate. It also turns out that my pre-judgement of Jim was also off. So I went back to kicking myself again!

Having talked Jim’s ear off earlier in the night, I thought his brain had switched off for the most part. I do have a habit of going off on a tangent regardless of whether a person is actually interested in hearing what I have to say. When we spoke again, it turned out he was listening (a rare trait in a guy). It annoyed me slightly how well I got on with some of the people on the bus that I originally avoided. It wasn’t so much of a regret that I’d change my mind and hop back on the bus though. I’d need a bit more than a few random conversations with people for me to do that!

For once, I was one of the last people out that night. Everyone departed pretty quickly after the battle ended. It was quite sad saying goodbye to some people from the bus. Perhaps I might see some of them in Queenstown but others I may never see again.

It was this thought that shifted my mood slightly. Although travelling has made me the happiest I’ve ever been, I do have my down days and this was one of them. I missed my friends back home and started to think about all the people I’ve had to say goodbye to whilst travelling. I offloaded onto poor Jim who had no idea what to say to me. I think he thought I was going to cry or something! Only an hour or so beforehand I was wittering on about how wonderful travelling is, the changes that I’ve seen in myself and how great it’s been to meet so many people. Talk about Jekyll and Hyde!

I’ll add that to the scrapbook of embarrassment to open up at a later date for self-torture! To be fair, I have done and said far worse in front of guys so this is nothing really.

I will say this though, I am extremely grateful for the people that I have met. For once in my life I’ve felt completely at ease with who I am. I have been myself and not only have I been accepted, but I’ve made some wonderful friends who like me for me. Throughout my life I’ve always tried to please everyone else to my own detriment. It’s meant that I’ve never really known whether I’m being me or if I’m just being someone that I think everyone would like. I always found it hard saying no which sometimes people took advantage of. It’s so refreshing to find people who are on the same wavelength as me.

In regards to guys, it’s a mixed bag. On the one hand, I’m meeting guys that I’ll probably never see again so if I do make an arse of myself I don’t need to worry too much. However, if it turns out that I like a guy then…well it’s just plain rubbish. Most travellers are randy and are only out for whatever they can get. I’m not one to normally generalise but it’s a heavy percentage that are this way. So any guy that I do meet and is friendlier than normal, I often wonder whether they are being nice to me because they like me or whether they just want a quick fumble in a crowded dorm room to satisfy their cravings. Some men can say the right things at the right time and it confuses me. Guys say that they never know what women are thinking and that we talk in riddles. Sometimes guys can be just as cryptic.

I've not really thought about a future with a guy too much whilst I've been travelling as I never saw it as a plausible outcome. I really want to travel more and work where I can. It just makes me wonder whether I’d ever be able to make a true connection that way.

When I’m home and things go wrong with a guy, there is no quick exit like there is with travelling. But then when it does go right, the likelihood is that it isn’t transitory and I may get my happily ever after.

Most of you know by now that I am a hopeless romantic. I watch far too many movies and have read numerous books where women can be completely ridiculous yet still have a guy chasing after them. Now wouldn’t that be a perfect world to live in?

I would like to meet someone one day who likes me for me and isn’t afraid to show that. Nevertheless, I’m not willing to shape my life around something that’s not there so I will follow my heart to wherever in the world it takes me. Having someone there next to me can be the icing on the cake.

Sydney So Far...Guys

The one thing I have learnt whilst travelling is that backpackers are randy little devils. I use that in a general sense as I’ve seen guys as well as girls putting themselves out there if you get what I mean. Who can blame them? If you are safe, there are no consequences. Nobody at home knows exactly what you’re getting up to so your reputation is intact and moving from place to place ensures that any drama that could be created is left at the side of the road by the airport. What’s not to like about that?

Hold your horses, I’m not talking about me. It would be easy to get caught up in that world and I’m not denying I’ve had fun (mum if you’re reading this, I’m saving myself for my wedding night), but there’s fun and there’s leaving your dignity, morals and knickers in your locker whilst you dive into the queue of rampant guys waiting in the nearest bar. Hey, if that’s what makes you happy then so be it!

As it seems like every male backpacker has bathed in a bath tub of sex panther before they arrived at their intended destination, I have experienced an increase in male attention. Something which surprises me as I only seemed to get advances from the drooling drunken perv at the corner of the dance floor back home. The guys on my travels that showed an interest had all their teeth and looked human. Shocking, well that was until I noticed the above and realised that most male backpackers will take a sock-puppet with all the right parts home if it showed an interest. Oh dear...

Readers might have noticed that around 90% of the friends I have made on my travels have been male. Not all of them showed an interest in me. That would be insane. I have been very lucky in that I have met some great guys who don’t flinch at my friendliness nor do they interpret it as my signal of undying love for them. How refreshing.

But Australia wouldn’t be complete without a tale or two about the random actions of the male population. If only they knew I was writing a blog. For my own safety, I won’t use their names.

*****

Guy #1 had joked a couple of times about liking me to my roommate but I just laughed it off, especially as he’s old enough to be my father. I made the mistake of turning it into a joke and wound him up a little bit. He blushed and didn’t know what to say. I thought no more of it.

Several hours and a copious amount of alcohol units consumed (on his part) later, Guy #1 knocked on my door and told me he genuinely liked me and walked off. I didn’t have chance to pick my jaw up off the floor and reply to his declaration.

I soon forgot about it and put it down to the booze. As I was alone in the room I comfortably stripped off and picked up my shower things. I chose to use the towel that the hostel provided me. I would hardly call it a towel though, more like an over-sized flannel. I’d say I’m pretty average sized yet the towel would only fit round my first love handle. By the time the ends met at the other side, practically everything was on show. I somehow manoeuvred the towel so it covered the essentials – there are kids running round this place. That kind of sight would scar a child for life!

I peered out my room and looked left and then up the corridor. Both routes were clear. I hovered for 30 seconds to be on the safe side and still nothing. I tip-toed towards the bathroom whilst clinging on to the flannel for dear life. What I wouldn’t give for a large fluffy white towel. Phew, I made it.

Shower over, I slipped my flannel back on. It seemed the heat of the water had shrunk me slightly as I felt a bit more give when I wrapped it around my body once more. Either that or I stretched it.

I managed to make it back to my room without being seen. It’s a terribly awkward moment meeting a guy in the corridor whilst dressed in a towel of any size.

With the room still to myself, I dried myself off and dropped my towel and had a good sing-song.

BANG BANG

What the fudge? I squealed and grabbed the flannel. I assumed it was Steff as he always forgets his card. Just to be on the safe side I opened the door a crack. In peered Guy #1.

“I’ve just got out of the shower. What’s up?” I said impatiently in the hope that he’d sense the tone and skiddadle. Unfortunately that didn’t happen. He didn’t respond and just leered.

Me: “Guy #1, I’m not dressed and this towel is shit. What do you want?”
Guy #1: “Give us a peek, I don’t mind.”
I had no words for that and replied with a look of disgust and confusion.
Guy #1 – “I just wanted to let you know that I’m a shy guy but I like you. All you need to do is give me the word and I’m here if you want me.”

Oh. Dear. Lord.

‘Right, thanks.” I closed the door on him. I cringed and felt sick. He’s not going to remember that when he’s sober. That’s what I kept telling myself anyway. It’s true, he didn’t remember but felt the awkwardness instantly. Strange man.

*****

Guy #2, AKA The Starer, was indeed the creepiest of the weird. It honestly felt like he was trying to send telepathic thoughts into my brain, he stared at me that intensely. He’s not the first guy I have met who does this. I don’t get it. It’s hardly alluring.

Anyhow, I thankfully didn’t have any moments as awkward as the above with this guy but he sure did try. I didn’t really get on with him which didn’t help. Our personalities clashed and I always had the overriding feeling that I had to punch him in the face. It’s a rare trait that does bring out the mostly dormant violent side in me. In my lifetime I can only recall two people that conjured up those feelings. As I don’t have a criminal record for assault and battery, you can assume correctly that I used all my efforts to avoid these people. I tried the same with this guy but it wasn’t easy.

Guy #2 always found me and tried any excuse to come to my room. I was so rude to him. I didn’t speak to him or make eye contact and gave one word answers if he tried to talk to me. I used distraction tools like my laptop or just leaving the room entirely. He just didn’t get the hint. I did cave in when he asked me to rub suntan lotion into his back. This guy has hygiene issues. I couldn’t even dry-heave as there was a mirror facing us! Never again!

One time when a group of us were eating, they each complimented him on his apparent weight loss. He then turned and looked at me, expecting something just as fake and over-enthusiastic. Well I’m the wrong person for that! Instead, I shoved a bundle of chips in my mouth and looked away. That was the day I learnt that food has another use other than to satisfy.

Soon enough, he found new prey and I was off the hook. Phew!

*****

As my normal hideouts are either my room or the beach, I’ve not had any other encounters with guys at the hostel. The above experiences happened early on in my stay and put me off venturing out too far.

However, not all my experiences have been negative. I have been a subject to the Aussie charm and I don’t mean the brash heckles on the street. The statements, “Do you want to see some action?” and “I know a way to keep you awake” didn’t quite have me weak at the knees.

Guy #3 – The Aussie – kind of threw me off balance slightly. I’ve seen and heard many stories about people visiting Australia, finding love and never looking back. It’s not something I anticipated would happen to me especially as I’m so driven towards seeing the rest of the world. I stop for no man! Perhaps my stubbornness interfered in the events surrounding The Aussie or maybe it was just never meant to be…

It was just another standard day at work – quiet but steady. I served a table of three guys who certainly made my life that much more difficult with their crazy order (I won’t bore you with the details). Beers were a-flowing which meant I visited the table a few times. Banter ensued and one guy told me his mate liked me and can he have my number. His friend was speechless. If he protested too much I could take offence, if he didn’t protest at all it might look weird. Either way, his mate dropped him in it. I laughed it off as a joke and the conversation moved on.

We spoke about my travels and they bombarded me with information and places to go. There was no way that I’d remember it all. Two of the three guys had girlfriends and they arrived soon after. They didn’t make it easy for me to work. As it was so quiet there wasn’t that much to do. So instead, all I could concentrate on was the fact that these two women were staring at me and whispering things to the guys. Great, thanks!

After they all ate, they invited me out for drinks later after hearing that I haven’t met any nice Aussies yet and friends were running thin on the ground. I gave The Aussie my number and awaited a text.

It’s not something I would have done back in England. As a waitress, guys get carried away and it’s not the first time someone’s asked for my number. But I was bored, had no friends in Oz and they were all easy-going.

I received a text quite late in the night to say that they were in the city. Unfortunately that was too far out for me. By the time I got to the city, I’d have to come back again. I also had an early start the next day so gave it a miss.

I was a bit disappointed but soon after, The Aussie text me about another evening out. He was a bit vague as to who was coming out and I wasn’t sure if it was a date or not. I just decided to go with it and see what happened.

It happened to be one of the best nights I’ve had in Sydney. We met up – it turned out to be just me and him at the beginning – and had a wonderful Thai dinner. He paid, which screams date! Conversation flowed nicely and he made me laugh.

He drove us into the city to meet some of his friends. He told me he had double-booked and wondered if I minded staying out for drinks with his friends. At this point I’d not seen much of the city and who better to show me round than a local!

The drive down wasn’t awkward either. We spoke in depth about a lot of things, mainly my trip. The conversation drifted on to film – “mainstream or arthouse?” – The Aussie asked. Well he seemed to know a bit more than most just from that statement. He then asked me if I’d seen Stranger Than Fiction which just happens to be one of my favourite films. He knew my favourite scene…it was a freaky moment, one of many that night.

If I was to write a list of things that I would like a guy to encompass, he fit the bill. Active and sporty, check. He rock climbs, goes on hikes, swims and so on and so forth. Good sense of humour, preferably cheeky and a little naughty, check. Confident but not cocky, check. Gentlemanly, check. It goes on. He was the perfect guy. He volunteers for St John’s Ambulance and he’s trained in sports and therapeutic massage.

The thing is…there was no spark. Nothing. Zilch. Nadda. Non. Arse. I didn’t get any butterflies and there were plenty of moments when there should have been. He said some lovely things to me and I felt nothing. I must be dead inside.

It’s not that I’ve been sat pining away for a guy to sweep me off my feet, but it is a fairy tale that all girls think of thanks to films and TV. Here is my knight in shining armour and I’m just a cold fish flailing about on the harbour.

Like I said, we had a wonderful night. We walked along the harbour and stopped off to meet his friends at the Opera Bar. They had scored great seats with a perfect view of the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and the live acoustic band. The music was incredible and the atmosphere was bubbling. Not only that, but someone ordered onion rings and chips and dip for the table. Oh nom nom, yes!

The night ended too soon as I headed back to the cave. The Aussie was a perfect gentleman and didn’t put any moves on me. We left it at that. I thought I’d made a firm friendship but he wanted more. We planned on going to the cinema but he made it clear that he really liked me and I panicked. I didn’t want to lead him on and I didn’t want to be with him just because I knew he liked me. I wanted to be sure first.

After a couple of days thinking I got my answer. The Aussie came into work to surprise me and rather than feel all a-flutter I felt a weird jolting feeling in my stomach. It wasn’t a nice feeling. I decided to text him and let him know how I felt. I wasn’t expecting anything back but a couple of days later he text me to say just-friends is fine.

Four cancelled plans later (two cancellations each), we were doomed and haven't met since.

I have no regrets. As brilliant as the night was, I didn’t get that spark and that’s what counts. I’m only in Australia temporarily and I came here with no intentions of starting something up with someone. If that were to happen it would, not only spoil my future travel plans, but negate all the reasons behind my trip. I’m choosing to be selfish and pick me and my trip over guys. I want a year full of adventure not boy drama!

Kyoto Is Growing On Me

The last few days have been a bit of a blur. I've gone from temple to shrine to castle to temple to...you get the picture. There is plenty to do in Kyoto and with only a few days, I wanted to make sure I saw as much as possible. It has been a struggle, what with my brain becoming completely frazzled by the bus system. I may know which number bus I need to be on but deciding which side of the road to be on and finding the right stop (why mark 3 or 4 bus stops with the same name? Are you trying to drive me insane?) has proved quite a challenge. I also lost my day bus pass very early on yesterday but rather than sit and cry - that was so day 1 - I decided to just buy another one and get on with things.

After nursing my bruises from the day before, I ventured out to Nijo Castle.

A photo of someone taking a photo of someone outside Nijo Castle. This guy charged for his work.

The castle is well worth a visit. I managed to tag along with an English speaking tour. I can't remember anything of what she said (come on! I've slept since then!) but it was interesting. It was quite funny walking inside as the floorboards were squeaky. This was a defence mechanism used to protect the occupants from assassins. Stealthy.

There was a tranquil garden

A great view too

The first signs of autumn

After Nijo Castle I went to Sanjusangen-do Temple which stands as Japan's longest wooden structure. 

Omikuji - paper fortunes

Like a lot of temples that I have visited, photographs indoors are prohibited. It's such a shame as I then have to describe it to you rather than show you a photo. I'm running out of synonyms for beautiful and picturesque. By the end of my stay I'll just categorise things as amazing or meh.

The Sanjusangen-do Temple houses 1001 statues of kannon, the goddess of mercy. I wonder whether the building has to be long because of the number of statues or if the number of statues were put there to fill up the space. Similar to the chicken or the egg dilemma...

It was an overwhelming sight. The intricacies that form each of the temples' treasures and displays are staggering. There is so much detail to each design from the tile work to the wall paintings and shrines inside.

After picking up my jaw off the floor, I needed feeding. I went to Kyoto station to relax and to do some night photography.

This meal was a bargain and was very tasty. Tempura in scrambled egg on top of sticky rice then hot soba noodles. I'm getting better at using chopsticks now. I had to learn quick or I'd starve!

So on to Kyoto Station photos...

View from about halfway up

I needed somewhere to sit and rest off the noodles. I tried to get a photo of me and the view...didn't really work. I'm getting used to heights now. Fuji-San, Tokyo Tower, Kyoto Station...'s'all good.

It suddenly started to get dark and I walked outside and found this. So pretty.

Never-ending escalator

Kyoto has a tower too

Starting to get a bit arty with shapes and patterns

Lonely Planet has this shot in their Japan guide but it was taken very early in the morning. I think  there's more to the night shot.

*****

Yesterday I decided to challenge myself and embarked on a walking tour I saw in Lonely Planet. The challenge being that there'd just be me and a map to guide me to each place. Oh dear. I bought a bus pass (which, as mentioned before, I subsequently lost). Things got off to a shaky start as, again, it took me a while to figure out which bus I needed to get on. Well actually I knew which bus I needed, I just couldn't find the right stop. Lots of back-and-forth walking later, I finally arrived at the starting point. I was sweating buckets already. I managed to navigate my way up the right hill and saw something I had to share with you...

Japan has started selling Halloween stuff. This shop was full of Halloween memorabilia. These masks made me laugh. Scream mask, standard. Skeleton, standard. Weird zombies, standard. Godzilla...diffrent. Horses, because of that Pepsi ad perhaps. Michael Jackson, wooooah. It wasn't even Michael Jackson in Thriller. Just MJ. Can you make out the bottom right two faces? Is that Tiger Woods? The one above is a bit racist...anyway... 

At the top of the hill, I entered Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

This is just the entrance...elaborate.

Three-story pagoda

Tee hee...sorry, got distracted.

Like in Kamakura, people wafted the smoke over themselves before saying their prayers.

Ha, this could be interesting.

I read about the Jishu Shrine here. It holds two stones which, if you can walk from one to the other with your eyes closed, means you will find your true love. Something like that anyway.

Ok, so here are the stones. Should I give it a go? Can't hurt can it? I need all the bloody help I can get...

What the...Well I'm not going to bloody karate chop my way through to the other stone. I guess even the Gods can't help me find love. Sheesh.

I could have written a little love note and attach it to this shrine but by this point I'd had it with love. Stupid poxy stones.

Otowa-no-taki waterfall. Each channel represents wisdom, longevity and matchmaking. The queue to douse yourself and drink from the waterfall was rather long. I already felt doomed from my failed stone-walk mission so I thought I may as well not be wise or live a long life either. Let's leave it to chance instead.

All was not lost though. I entered Zuigudo. Wait, that doesn't sound too good! Zuigudo is a hall named after the mother of Buddha, Daizuigu Bosatsu. The hall is meant to represent the womb of a mother. In complete darkness, I clenched the beaded rail which led me to a dimly lit stone. It is said that if you make a wish and spin the stone in any direction, Bosatsu will grant it. I probably didn't do it correctly but it was worth a shot. I won't tell you what I wished for or it won't come true!

I was greeted by this lovely little fellow on the way down.

This is the point where I got lost. I decided to get the bus instead. But I didn't know which way I was supposed to go. I really didn't feel well. I think it was the love stones that sent me over the edge. All that disappointment left me exhausted. I needed to find shade but there was none to be found. Instead, I decided to get the bus back to Kyoto Station. As this is the hub for all buses, I'd be able to find the right direction from there. This is when I realised that I lost my bus pass. What an arse! I felt unwell and annoyed at myself for losing the pass. I wasn't sure whether to buy another one or pay the flat rate to get back to the hostel. I decided upon the latter. I cooled off, had a drink and checked my emails. I had a think and decided to rest for a bit. As I was doing so I overheard someone asking the receptionist about the moon viewing happening that evening. I completely forgot about this. Instead of heading out to look at more temples, I decided to rest a bit more, head to the station for some food and make my way to Shimogamo Shrine for the viewing.

My dinner - Okonomiyaki and Takoyaki. The former is the pancake dish I had back in Tokyo. Takoyaki is octopus balls. The photo on the right is to prove that it did indeed contain octopus. Mmm tentacle. It was alright. I'm not sure I'd order it again. The okonomiyaki was splendid as predicted. I had Calpis to drink. It's a fizzy sweet milk. Sounds gross but it is very refreshing and tasty.

The moon viewing was incredible. As I didn't have a tripod, I couldn't take any photos. I did try but failed miserably. I had my Joby tripod with me but, unless I could attach it to someone's head in front of me, was no good to me. The ritual consisted of string and wind instrumentals and traditional dancing. The robes of each member were exquisite. Some were brightly coloured and others were dark. I say this because I whacked one of the dark-robed religious folk with my fan as he marched past me. I was too busy being hypnotised by the musical talents of the locals that I failed to notice him walk by me. He looked as shocked as I was, understandably. No amount of bowing and sumimasen-ing could ever make up for my embarrassment. Oops. Overall, it was a great round-up to the day.

This brings us to today. I had another day of busing round Kyoto and managed ok. I found a fool-proof way of protecting my pass from wandering out of my bag. I plan on hiring a bike tomorrow and visiting the bamboo forest and an onsen. Fingers crossed it all goes ok as I have been looking forward to visiting both since I booked the flight! I'll leave it here for now.