Day 13 (Monday, 18th Oct, 2010)

Today I finally went to a place that I'd been really looking forward to coming to since I first started planning this trip to Japan: Arashiyama.

I decided to cycle there, to save money (not that it's expensive to get there by train) and so that I wouldn't have to deal with public transport. It's on the outskirts of the city, but not too far from where I'm staying; about 10 minutes by train. The ride took about an hour, inclusive of getting lost, and it wasn't uphill at all, which I had thought was the case.

When I got there, I found somewhere to park my bike, and found a directory to orient myself.
I finally figured out why Japanese sign-maps seem to always have North facing a random direction, rather than at the top of the map like is the norm in the west.
Basically, the maps in Japan are always aligned with the direction you're facing while you're looking at them. So if you're facing south while you're looking at the map, south will be at the top of the map. So "up" is always "forward". I like it!

My first stop, and highlight of the day, was the Iwatayama Monkey Park. I bought my ticket, and the ticket-lady also gave me a canvas to put a plastic bag that I had with me inside. She said the monkeys think plastic = food, and will steal my bag!
I climbed up the (fairly steep) path, on the way trying to read some wooden signboards with trivia questions on them. Basically, they have a question on a hinged piece of wood, and the answer is underneath. They're designed for children, but still they were too hard for me to read! I managed to figure out what one of them was asking, though, and even answered it correctly. It was asking "What kind of monkeys are in Iwatayama?" with options between (a) Chimpanzee, (b) Japanese Monkey, and (c) Gorilla, for the answers. Not a hard one!
There was also some funny Engrish to read on the signs. "The monkey park is not only a monkey. The bird and the deer also look for." :)

Near the top, I finally started to see monkeys! They were bigger than I thought they'd be, and very cute. I was guided by an employee into the feeding hut, which is a caged building in which you can buy drinks for yourself and food for the monkeys, who hang on the outside of the cage waiting for food. Of course, I bought a bag of chopped bananas and fed the monkeys. They're quite incredible, and so human in a lot of ways. It's easy to believe in evolution when you're watching these guys eat.

I wandered about the park for a bit; there were a lot of other people there filming/photographing/sketching the monkeys; it was a really lovely atmosphere. I wish I had taken a book and picnic. I could have sat there all day with my brothers.


I had a lot more to see in Arashiyama, though, so I had to leave. First stop: fill my growling stomach. I found a little noodle house, and had my usual kitsune udon. Delicious!
Then I went to the nearby Tenryu-ji temple. It's one of Kyoto's many UNESCO World Heritage sites, but to be honest, I was a bit templed out by now. Also, you had to pay separate fees for the temple itself and for the garden (￥500 and ￥600, respectively) so I only went into the garden. You could actually see a lot of the temple itself from the path through the garden, so I don't know how worth it the temple pass would have been. The garden was big and lovely, as most temple gardens are. There wasn't anything particularly special that set it apart from any other temple garden, though.

I left the temple and took a stroll through the gorgeous Sagano Bamboo Forest, that Arashiyama is perhaps most famous for. Japan is no different from anywhere else, in that often the free things are better than what you pay to see. The forest goes on for a while, and there are a few other temples and gardens along the way that I didn't go into, as well as some nice ponds to admire.
I came out of the forest by some farmland, which really struck me. Only 10 minutes away from a bustling city, is this secluded little rural lifestyle. At the side of the field were some beautiful flowers, and a couple of butterflies who wouldn't let me photograph them.

I didn't really do much else with the day; just enjoyed wondering about this incredible little village.
I was sort of worn out still from the weekend, and feeling a bit mellow, so I went back a bit earlier than I normally would have (I left Arashiyama at about 4.30), and I had an early-ish night.

After I got lost on the way home, of course.