Kamogawa River-Bike Tour-Torii Gates

On 5/18 we took a 4-hour bike tour of North Kyoto with our guide, Satsuki. Along with two other couples (from Cork/Dublin and Montreal), he took us along the Kawogama River, which goes for miles. We also visited a shrine and learned how to purify ourselves prior to making a prayer/wish.

We learned that the difference between a shrine and a temple is religion. Shrines are for Shintoism and temples are for Buddhism. The way to distinguish them is that Torii gates are always in front of shrines. No Torii gate? It's a temple.

A delicious red bean snack was part of the package. We ended the bike tour in the Gion area where the Geisha train and work, but we weren't there at a time of day when they are visible. Gary and I finished up by enjoying lunch at one of the restaurants or guide recommended.

We had a little siesta in the middle of the afternoon, then decided to brave the popular Fushimi Inari Taisha Sembon Torii Gates. As expected, there were multitudes, but they're always clustered near the entry points. As you climb higher up the mountain, the hordes thin out substantially. Gary's knees weren't happy, so he decided to stop midway. I felt the need to reach the top and kept going around every turn and up every stair that presented itself. I came across a sign that warned against monkeys and boars after dark. As it was late in the day, I rushed myself, especially given that I thought the sign said bears haha. In the end, the view wasn't fantastic, but the gates upon gates were a sight to behold, plus it was a great workout, and I now have the bragging rights.Read more