Hello again steempeeps,
On we go! Another must visit spot when in Kyoto is the Fushimi Inari Shrine (伏見稲荷大社, Fushimi Inari Taisha) where you can see thousands of vermilion colored torii gates. Each gate is engraved with names of individuals and corporations that made donations for each gate to be built and along the trail you will encounter many shrines with miniature torii gates, also donated by people and visitors. Maybe you can have a miniature one engraved with your name on it, or a large one if you have extra yen to spare! ;)
A round trip hike can take about 2-3 hours but it really didn’t feel that long when we were trekking it. (Leg day!!) When you are about to reach the top, you get a nice break from all the steps and while you rest you get a really nice view of Kyoto. Be sure to start your trek early to avoid the traffic through these gates. (Could easily be worse than the traffic in LA) Access to the shrine is very easy with JR lines that you can take from the Kyoto Station. Again, google maps is your friend! We also suggest getting the 2-day bus tickets they sell just outside of Kyoto Station which saves you from frantically digging through your pockets for bus fare each time you hop on. (You won’t regret it) Plus, save your change for the vending machines; they are everywhere!
After the hike, check out the street food vendors lined up along the path to the shrine. Our most memorable treat was the fried rice ball wrapped in bacon and topped with kimchi! (Yum!) Chicken karaage was also really tender, juicy and with the perfect amount of crunch!! (Who’s getting hungry? We certainly are!) We were also told to try the mochi as well. The biggest problem we had when traveling in Japan, (and no it wasn’t the language barrier), was not having enough stomach room for all the awesome food! There was just too many things to try, which was why Japan is one of our top destinations that we wouldn’t mind revisiting again. The culture and food just leaves many visitors coming back for more!
Keep wandering!