A day (in) around Kyoto

Kyoto is only a stone‘s throw from Osaka. However, I was not in the mood to cycle again through the centre of a major city. Also, because you cannot simply lock your bike wherever you want in a big Japanese city. You have to park your bike at a designated area and pay for it. The problem is that my bike with its panniers is too big for the bicycle stands (While I was writing this update at the river of Kyoto, a kind security guard asked me to park my bike somewhere else. Right at that moment, there appeared a small truck. Two guys threw all bikes into the truck that were not parked at designated bicycle stands. Fun fact, there were no bicycle stands nearby and there was not even a sign that bicycle parking is prohibited). Things like that are tiring.
So, I spent my time mostly outside of the city. I hiked up to Mount Inari where dozens of shrines and temples are located. I was a bit late in the morning and the crowds had already made their way there.
What’s more, leaving Japan without visiting a real bamboo forest is a no-go. Japan‘s most popular one Arashiyama Bamboo Forest is right next to Kyoto. A real experience!Read more