Putting the Mizu in Kiyomizudera, or Blame It On the Raaaaain

So I made it to Kyoto, and guess what? It’s raining like crazy. And guess what I left behind in Okazaki? Yes, my rain gear, what there was of it, anyway.

I managed to make it to Kiyomizudera (emphasis on the mizu today, I guess), and I took a bunch of pictures there.

Like any famous tourist spot, even in rain, it’s crowded.

These are ema, wooden plaques you write wishes on.

Here’s the Stage of Kiyomizudera:

A view of the Otowa Waterfall from the Stage: (you drink from one of the three streams for luck with health, love, or money.)

Love Alley, so you can get divine help in finding Mr./Ms. Right, or Good Enough-san:

As you can see, this is a pretty busy part of the temple.

All of these ema are filled with specific prayers for love/marriage.

I wandered around a bit, left Love Alley, and found this view of the Stage from across the way:

Then I headed down to the Otowa Waterfall area. Looking up, I could see the Stage supports:

Here’s the Otowa Waterfall:

Then I was pretty much done. Here’s the tea shop:

And the row of souvenir shops on the way out:

Wet Enough For Ya?

Now I’m trying to figure out what to do next, because trying to see any shrines/temples is madness in this weather. I may end up bagging it today, because it’s a wet nasty mess out there. I’ll try to hit a place or two tomorrow before I head back to Okazaki, and I’ll try to come back here later on in my trip.

So far, Kyoto isn’t one of my favorite places, but it will probably improve with some sunshine.

Getting around here is kind of a pain, but I can safely blame it on the rain.

Most importantly, I enjoyed my soft, fluffy bed.

I’m definitely going to head to Beppu at some point. Even though the shinkansen makes me a little queasy, I think it’s probably worth it to go someplace warm.

I’m still having fun, and taking a lot of photos. Things don’t always go as planned. That’s travel.

The really weird thing… I’m watching “Inside the Actor’s Studio” right now, because it’s in English, and not dubbed. What can I say. Sometimes I really miss English. I’d never watch this if I was back in the U.S.