Finding Stillness in the City

Stillness in the city

I've always been of the opinion that if you are a true 'traveller' weather shouldn't matter when you are exploring new places. This belief was put to the test when I awoke on Easter weekend from my surprisingly comfy tatami mat slumber in a guesthouse in west Kyoto to angry grey skies and torrential rain. With only 48 hours in what is known as the city of ten thousand shrines this was not the time to get cold feet (unfortunately due to poor footwear choice, that came later!)

A military-esque planning meeting with the guesthouse owner a lot of tea later I had a route for the day, starting at Kiyomizu-dera, a Buddhist temple encompassing several other shrines gardens and waterfalls.

As I ambled up the steep densely packed street lined with souvenir shops and noodle houses and filled with tourists dressed as geishas (now they really must have had cold feet-and wet for that matter!) I couldn't see anything other than umbrellas all around me and puddles below me, so far not the 'zen' experience I had been expecting! As the road opened out at the top of the incline the temple came in to view, the tall imposing entrance of green Orange and gold and below in the waterfall with water believed to have wish granting properties (so of course I stopped for a sip!)

On getting to the main hall verandah the view was truly worth the walk. The mist and clouds softening the mountains around and the city below, shades of muted greens and greys pierced with the pastel beauty of the spring blossom Japan is known for. In the distance a harsh splash of vibrant orange, another temple across the valley. The stillness and peace experienced was unlike any I've experienced before. My awareness shifted from the hoards of people I had climbed up with to the breathtaking vision in front of me, completely alone for those few moments I realised I had found what I had come to Kyoto for.