Torii, temples and tight places.

Today almost didn't happen as Mr Joshie took a bit of a nose-dive health-wise overnight. Jen was on the verge of staying at the apartment with him and sending me out into the dizzying confusion of train platforms and timetables that is Kyoto. Josh wouldn't hear of it. He declared himself fit to travel, and so we planned a day of carting him about the countryside.

On the way out, he tried on the traditional wooden shoes (called geta) that are left for use at the apartment. He doesn't call them geta however, not even slippers - he calls them awesome shoes!

Awesome Shoes!

Our first stop was Fushimi, home of the Fushimi Inari Shrine. Not a recent addition, the Inari Shrine predates the time when Kyoto was the capital (around 794 or so). Inari is the Shinto god of rice, so not surprisingly is quite the popular deity - both in Shintoism and Buddhism. Inari's messengers are pairs of kitsune (foxes) who for some reason sport red bibs - and are often located either side of the main gates.

The Main Gate - flanked by a pair of kitsune.

A secondary haiden (hall of worship) - where you can ring bells.
Clearly this appealed to the Martin children.
See what I did there? Peal - bell? Genius.

A fork in the path of the Thousand Torii.

While carrying Josh on the way back down the hill to Inari Station, he fell asleep (I was able to determine this by the lolling of his head, and the drool I could detect on my shoulder). He continued to do so until we reached Nara (about an hour away) - which saw him progressively improve in energy and demeanour for the rest of the day (huzzah!).

Nara is lovely. Despite the famous Todai-ji Temple (temple=buddhist, shrine=shinto... a tip for new players), being located a couple of kilometres away, it was a pleasant walk past speciality shops and into Nara Park - festooned with autumnal leaves and Sika deer alike. The deer are tame, but can get a little forward in their hunt for deer snacks (purchased from street vendors for the bargain price of 150 yen a bundle).

Able to withstand the attentions of all 3 Martin children - impressive.

While they were no Mickey Mouse, Josh was very taken by the deer.

Their interest in us picked up when they detected deer snacks.

An unfortunate gent getting swarmed by ravenous deer
- he was never seen again (notice the one on the right giving him a head-butt for good measure).

We started getting a sense of the scale of the Temple as we approached the Main Gate. This timber structure would dwarf most Temples proper.

If you look reeeeally closely,
there are some Novocastrians sitting on the steps to the right.

We eventually reached Daibutsuden (the Great Buddha Hall), which was the world's largest timber structure until 1998 - when some kid went crazy with paddle pop sticks for a school project. 

A previous incarnation of this thing used to be 30% bigger. True story.

Inside we came face-to-face (well, face-to-foot) with Daibutsu (the Great Buddha) some 14.9 metres tall and weighing around 500 tonnes (apparently, it used up nearly all of Japan's available bronze at the time and virtually bankrupted the place).  

If I backed up any further I'd fall down the front steps.

While taking piccies of various enormous statues and structural details, I managed to bowl over a small (teeny) Japanese kiddie. I was mortified - based on his size, both he and his mum should only just be checking out of the maternity ward - yet here he was, traipsing about a giant bronze Buddha. His Mother and I both commenced bowing profusely, stammering out a half dozen gomennasai's apiece. Once I was assured he was fine, I tip-toed my way out of the vicinity.

Rejoining the rest of the family, I spotted the column I'd read about in a couple of travel guides. The story goes that should you be able to squeeze through the hole at the bottom of this particular column, you guarantee yourself eventual enlightenment.

Lily sizing up her chances of success.

All three Martin children made it through without having to embarrassingly resort to power-tools to extricate them. The reason for the importance of fitting through this particular opening is that it is the exact size of one of the Great Buddha's nostrils (not that ferreting about in an over-sized nasal cavity would be all that enlightening).

You can almost see a couple of legs hanging out of its nose now - can't you?

For what was expected to be a miserable day (what with Josh looking sketchy at best) - it was one of the highlights of the trip. Tomorrow we must take leave of our fantastic apartment in Gion (I'd recommend it to anyone staying here more than a couple of days), and jump on the train to Okayama.

Kaiyukan and curry.

Jen negotiated with the local Post Office this morning, as we need to send some accumulated souvenirs home prior to moving on from Kyoto (space in our backpacks is as sought after as Tokyo real estate). The lovely lady at the Post Office initially wanted a complete financial breakdown of each and every item (there are dozens of things), but Jen managed to persuade her (she looked horrified, the poor thing) to accept an approximation of a few groups of objects.

This off-loading of loot meant we set off for the Osaka Aquarium (called the Kaiyukan) a little later in the day. Invariably, we encountered School kids in uniform out and about in groups. Perhaps the reason they go to school on weekends is that they are never in class during the week. They have been a constant presence in Kyoto during our stay here. I guess the place is made for class excursions. One particular group of enterprising youngsters approached us and asked some fairly hard-hitting questions (ie 'Where are you from?' and 'What is it like there?'). Hopefully we made the place sound sufficiently interesting and were at least partially understandable - they wore expressions combining polite-respect and confusion. Lily sprung them taking a sneaky photo of us from across the road after we made our farewells. I'm sure that we were just a chance for them to brush up on their English skills, but find the thought of us ending up as a class poster report somewhat hilarious/terrifying. 

We took the JR line to Osaka, and then on to Bentencho (sounding suspiciously like a kids cartoon), from there taking the Subway to the Aquarium. 

Kaiyukan is located near what was the worlds largest Ferris Wheel for a time, as well as Japan's lowest mountain (I don't even know what that means). I managed to control my anguish over not having enough time to go up in a over-sized tin can on a giant wheel - over 100 metres into the air. Besides, it was another windy Osakan day.

Martins (right) with obligatory school kids out of class.

Kaiyukan is one of Japan's largest aquariums, and is really well set out. It displays discrete sections of the Pacific Rim in their own tanks, and circles around the very large central display tank. How large? Large enough to fit a whale shark amongst other things. You start at the top of a five-storey building and gradually walk down a 600-700 metre ramp in the process. 

A Sea-otter (mutant-green
thanks to the lighting).

What seems to a a fairly contented
Sea Lion

Green Iguana
 - not looking particularly green
(perhaps he should borrow the otters lighting).

Whale Shark and friends

The second half of said Whale Shark

Moray Eel - always look a bit grumpy, don't they?

Part of the way through Kaiyukan, we called into an in-house cafe for a bite to eat. The two bigger kids opted for ice-cream, while the rest of us took on a pancake in the shape of a fish (cute right?). The thing labelled a 'pancake' was reminiscent of sodden bread-crust, covering a bean-paste centre. An acquired taste.

Go with the Ice-cream.
Trust me.

Kawai Clown Fish

Turtles were a hit with Joshie

Purdy-looking harbingers of fiery pain.

Obligatory gaping maw group shot.

A final photo of the star attraction.

The over-crammed bus on the way back to our apartment reminded me strongly of the sardines at Kaiyukan in Osaka. The apparently distressed bus driver kept beeping a buzzer to announce his frustration prior to closing the rear door (where you enter the bus) - narrowly avoiding bisecting a number of commuters on each occasion.

We picked up some Indian for dinner this evening (much to the delight of the owner and the dismay of our children). Their Rogan Josh had some serious heat.

Josh fared much better today - and is back to his boisterous self (hooray). Tomorrow sees us take a peek at the ancient capital of Nara - and perhaps a deer or two.

Bamboo forests, Monkey Mountain and last-minute hikes.

In all our wanderings yesterday, we realised we had neglected to visit the Tainai-meguri - recommended by the Lonely Planet as a 'must do'. The entrance is located in an easily-overlooked shrine, and involves you descending a staircase into total darkness - where you must then guide yourself along by a beaded rope. Essentially, this process is symbolically entering the womb of a female bodhisattva (an enlightened soul). After a while you are entirely disoriented and then notice a large stone sphere (carved with symbols) lit by the faintest glimmer of light from above. You are able to make a wish as you spin it either left or right, and then make your way out into the light - reborn, if you will. It was a very different experience to the usual temple viewing, and the kids loved it. I am thrilled they did not ask what a womb was.

We survived another run of the Three-year hill as well as the Two-year hill (the steps that will result in either 3 or 2 years bad luck should you stumble on them). I would imagine they would be a lousy place for a Pub Crawl. 

Some shops on the Higashiyama walk
- no grumpy shopkeepers apparent along this stretch.

Front yard - Kyoto-style.

Buddhist statue along the Southern Higashiyama walk

Maruyama Park

Yasaka Shrine (on the south end of the Maruyama Park)

We made a quick stop back at our apartment to load up Joshie with some Panadol (he was starting to feel under the weather), and then caught the 206 Bus to Kyoto Station - our destination was Arashiyama and its famed Bamboo Forest.

Once we arrived, we managed to unintentionally explore most of the township (carrying an out-of-sorts Josh) before Jen decided to ask for directions (clever thing that she is). Inevitably, it was on the other side of the town centre. We weaved our way through the masses, and eventually found the place.

One of Jen's goals of the trip - achieved.

If you were a Panda, you'd be salivating right now.

Leaving the grove of bamboo, we crossed through town and over the Togetsu-kyu Bridge to Arashiyama Monkey Park. Carrying an unwell Josh on my shoulders, I questioned the merits of them locating the observation area at the top of the mountain. It was a humid day, and I grinned through clenched teeth when I noticed this helpful sign:

Thanks for that information - now where's the lift?

Other signs warned against having any food on your person, or looking the monkeys directly in the eyes. Very reassuring. We finally crested the top of the mountain, and noted a caged observation shed. The park officials had cleverly arranged it that the only place people can feed the monkeys is from inside this shed. As a result, the monkeys pretty much ignore you as you approach them, but get very curious about you once you are inside the people-cage. We fed a few monkeys some apple and retained all of our digits (more delicate than some dentists - truth be told).

Lily freaked out (as is her wont) whenever they reasserted the pecking order of the troupe by screeching and baring their teeth at each other. On her way past some of them, one of these choruses of screeches had her cling to me and wail (I kid you not), "Save me from the monkeys!" Jane Goodall she is not.

That can't be comfortable.

The bad news is - you're infested with bugs,
the good news is - I'm really hungry.

On the way back down the mountain was a small and fairly dated playground. There was however a small flying fox which the bigger kids took to with gusto.

Not quite a vine through the rainforest,
but you get the idea.

We eventually made it back down the cobblestone staircase (my knees and ankles reminding me of the additional 13 kilos I was carrying on my shoulders) - and made our way across the Oi River via the Togetsu-kyu Bridge.

Cormorant fishing boats.

Half-way across, Lily spied some enormous River Rat things (I still have no idea what they are) foraging in the reeds below. Fortunately, they seemed more interested in whatever was in the grass than waylaying some weary tourists.

These guys were about the size
of an over-fed cat - a big one.

Josh alternated between Jen's arms and my shoulders on the way back to the JR station, where we took a breather on the way back to Kyoto Station. We sought out some dinner as well as some palatable coffee, then climbed aboard Bus 206 to our apartment.

Kyoto Tower
- you don't see anyone putting a monkey park on top of this.

Josh took a turn for the worse once we were on the move, and we quickly jumped off the packed bus to avoid what he terms 'bommiting' over fellow-passengers. Fortunately, we remained bomit-free, but scored a bonus 2 km hike back to our place with a Joshie-backpack.

The little (but surprisingly heavy) munchkin has medicine on board now and is on the mend after an eventful evening. Tomorrow sees us visit Osaka Aquarium, which is touted as one of the best in the world. I don't know - I've been to the Pet Porpoise Pool in Coffs Harbour, so I won't be easy to impress.

You must be this tall to ride.

We encountered another chatty gent (this time a retiree) on our way to Universal Studios in Osaka. He kept patting Josh on the head and shaking his own in wonderment about our extended break from work (it sounds like they get about a week at best).

I felt fairly smug about my shorts and short-sleeved shirt selection on the train - it was clear skies and an expected 17 degrees. The frosty winds that greeted us at Universal Studios in turn had the rest of my family grinning wryly.

While we waited in line for the place to open - The Hollywood Dream ride screamed overhead. It was like your traditional rollercoaster (albeit very sleek and shiny), but played in fast-forward (is that still a term in the age of mp3s?). I somehow volunteered to ride this monstrosity with the larger two Martin children as Jen took Josh to spend some time in a place frequented by Elmo, Snoopy and Hello Kitty.

Hamish was tall enough to ride accompanied by a breezy 2cm (which would equate to your typical Year 8 student), and the constant warnings about objects flying from pockets did not reassure me.

We were pinned snuggly to our individually-moulded seats, and could select our own music piped through the head-rest. As I could not find the Funeral March, I opted for Get Back by the Beatles. The initial climb was not that high (I kept telling myself), but the breakneck speed at which the thing plummeted down the other side had me clenching so tightly that I managed to put my calf muscle into spasm. Brave old Lily (who had been casting mocking looks in my direction as we lined up) was blubbering/squealing theatrically. Hamish was loving it. We survived, and I wondered what the particular Hollywood denizen was taking to have inspired that particular Dream.

....okay - aside from the terror and cramping calves, it was fun.

The kids (including the apparently recovered Lily) insisted on dragging Jenny onto The Dream as soon as we rejoined her and Josh. So I braved perhaps the slowest Tea Cup ride in existence. Josh even raised an eyebrow at me mid-ride as if to say, "Is this it?".

We moved on to a fairly snazzy-looking Carousel, and Josh had a ball on a giant blue elephant. The others had returned just in time to meet the one and only Elmo (both boys overcame their mascot phobias sufficiently to high-five him and in Hamish's case, to goose him).

We rode down a water-slide in teeny inflatable rafts, the water soaking our posteriors in a seemingly targeted fashion. It was hard to feel embarrassed in a place where others were wearing Big Bird plushies as hats however.

As we lined for Caramel Popcorn (yes we went there), it was becoming increasingly apparent that we were having a much better time here than at Disneyland. Perhaps it was that the queues for rides were frequently 15 minutes or less, or maybe it was just that the attendants appeared genuinely (rather than scarily) pleased to be there. My thought is that we happened upon Universal Studios on a reasonably quiet day - but it was great. 

Continuing the theme of overly-moist rides, Jen took the bigger two on Jurassic Park - the Ride. The presence of a number of ride-goers in rain-jackets was not reassuring.

It was at about this point that Jen felt it best that she take Josh back to Tiny-tots Town, and I accompany the bigger two. I was busy taking their photo in front of one of the Deloreans from Back to the Future, when a couple of Japanese ladies offered to take a photo of all three of us. I was in geek-heaven. Somewhat bizarrely, they then asked to have their photo taken with the two kids in front of the above-mentioned Delorean (I am thinking 'Delorean with foreign children' trumps without).

I admit it, I was humming the theme song as this photo was taken.

The Back to the Future ride was really fun, combining some overdubbed-cinema and getting thrown about in your seat for good measure. The same can essentially be said of Spiderman - the Ride.

Seasoned-posers.

We all had some afternoon tea in a place accurately called Cafe Pink - it made your teeth ache just by looking at it. We dined on cupcakes and ice-cream (the kids had some blue mint choc-chip, all-natural I imagine), and noticed a Carnivale (a standard fare of Japanese theme parks apparently) assembling outside. 

The kids picked up some headbands, Josh going for his beloved Cookie-monster, Hamish opting for Elmo, and Lily (somewhat appropriately I would venture) for Oscar the Grouch.

We ended up watching the Carnivale - Joshie was hugely impressed that he saw both Cookie Monster and Elmo on the ONE float.

We called into the Hard Rock Cafe on our way out for a ludicrously early dinner - dining amidst the cheerful ambiance of hard rock/thrash metal (Joshie actually bopped his head along at one point). All of us were verging on sleep on the train home.

Tomorrow was going to be Nara - but has turned into another day in Kyoto (just to give us a sleep-in as well as a break from the trains in the morning).