Kiyomizudera Temple

It's my last day in Kyoto so I wanted to visit Kiyomizudera Temple before the day ends. Thankfully, I was on the right bus and was at Nara train station in  no time. I was starving so I dropped by a supermarket there. I was trying to catch the train that leaves in 5 minutes so I just bought the first bento meal that I could get my hands on. Okay, so I know that it's a no no to eat while walking in Japan. I also know it's considered  rude to eat while on the train. But I was sooooooo hungry like I've never felt so hungry in my life. I sat down on the train and there was an old lady in front of me. It was a toss between me dying of hunger and try and be polite while my stomach growls. Sorry grannie, but it was really hard to be polite at this time. I threw politeness to the wind and started surreptitiously eating each piece of sushi. I guess it was delicious but I can hardly taste it due to embarrassment. The old lady was looking at me nonchalantly but I know she couldn't believe what was happening in front of her. I'm pretty sure she'd be telling her husband when she gets home about the crazy woman on the train who has no manners. Ahh, I still get embarrassed and apologetic thinking about it now. But I had to do what I had to do. It was around 2 pm then and my last meal was around 6-ish earlier?

Anyway, I survived and arrived at Kyoto train station a couple of hours later. I wanted to get on the bus that passes by Kiyomizudera however, I got out of the wrong exit! I only realized it a few minutes later when I couldn't find the bus terminal. I realized just how huge the station is when I literally had to go around it while looking at the Kyoto Tower as my guide. 😭I had to pass through a small tunnel with graffiti on the wall, I think it was like the seediest part of Japan that I've seen so far but it was alright. My feet was ready to fall off by the way, I must have walked for more than 30 minutes. Not to mention the whole day that I spent walking around Nara too. In retrospect, I think it was better that it happened. I got to the temple right before the sun set so the overall atmosphere was surreal.

I ran out of battery just when the sun sank in the horizon. A few days after I got back home, I picked up a book about the most beautiful walks in Japan and it mentioned the two streets Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka that I missed because I took a different route going back to my hostel. Bummer. However, I did end up seeing it 2 years later.

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