Kyoto Day 3- part 4- Fushimi Inari

I'll be honest: when people shout that any destination as a "Must-visit!" or "Must-see!" it seems a little pretentious to me. Travel, in my humble estimation, is the accumulation of your own uniquely crafted experiences and being told what to do tends to motivate my inner rebellious teenager into a conniption. Who are they to tell me what to do?! Don't tell me how to live my life! Every time you travel you're going to carve out your own personal story of the location and the experience, and how dare anyone tell me how to shape my personal adventure! Huff. 

That all being said, I have to admit I'm really quite happy that I made the time to take a trek out to Fushimi Inari. This is one of those spots that earns such prodigious accolades, often ranking pretty high on lists telling you what you absolutely must do while visiting Kyoto.

Well, rest assured that I'm not here to tell you what you must absolutely do. No, I recognize your own independent role as creator of your destiny...However, I would like to suggest that perhaps, if you so happen to find the time, you might like to make your way to Fushimi Inari. 

There are reasons why this location, among a few other top spots, is considered such a veritable symbol of any trip to Kyoto. Among being an absolutely beautiful collection of architecture, offering some unique views of Kyoto from above, it's also one of the singular most photogenic places I have ever set foot. Even with my novice photography skills, it's impossible to leave a trip here without at least a few stunning shots. I look forward to the next time I may set foot here, someday, as I'd like to think my photography will have improved and rendered my results even better than these... however, that time has yet to come, so for now, please enjoy my attempts to capture the serenity and stunning views I encountered during my mostly solitary sojourn up the mountain. Arriving rather late in the day as I did, most shops and little restaurants or snack stalls were closed for the evening, and the trail up the mountain was desolate aside from the abundant cawing of crows. 

Hong Kong Day 5- The Peak

Hong Kong is famous for a lot of things, but one of the most notable is the amazing views of the city's world class architecture. Whether you're viewing Victoria Harbor from Tsim Sha Tsui in Mongkok, the square in Wan Chai on the Hong Kong side, or from atop the highest peak in the city- named, unironically, The Peak, it's a beautiful city and exquisite evening light show spectacle to feast your eyes upon. 

Typically, for those eager to reach the Peak and view the city from on high, the cable cars are the option du jour. This also means that the line for the cable cars is extremely long and not everyone is guaranteed to make it to their destination prior to the light show. Being the impatient lout I am, I bypassed this method of gaining altitude in favor of taking a city bus. Not only was the bus much cheaper, but the experience of winding alongside the narrow mountain roads in a rickety old passenger van (seriously, it seemed like a basic cargo van converted to hold seats instead of equipment) that careens around corners precariously was something to be had. Not an experience I'd necessarily recommend for those with weaker stomachs, but I managed to survive the experience well enough despite having eaten ample of the culinary goodies available throughout the area. My stomach is a brute, to be fair, and I've stuffed some questionable things down my gullet to no ill effect. But I digress.  

Once you actually arrive to the mountain's summit, you'll find a large... mall. Typically I'm not especially enthused by shopping, especially in a mall environment, unless it's some grand outdoor market or something with cultural value (I mean, sorry to say but a mall is a mall is a mall, as far as I'm concerned, whether it be in Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, L.A., Seoul, or Vegas...). Sure, there have been some outliers like the time Antho and I happened upon the Sherman Oaks Galleria, aka the mall where scenes from Terminator were filmed in L.A., but we didn't go shopping. Is it weird that as a female I don't find clothes shopping an especially thrilling activity? Perhaps because I'm tall and have a hard time finding attire that fits me well (either due to weight fluctuations or my broad shoulders & broad hips/big bum) shopping for clothes has always been riddled with difficulties and challenges to me sense of self. Leggings and tunics have been a life saver (as has Uniglo while living in Asia). So, suffice to say, I didn't spend an exorbitant amount of time perusing the shops prior to the light show. After the show, however, I did stumble upon a rose blush pleated skirt that I really loved and ended up taking home with me. I found a surprisingly large amount of clothes in Hong Kong that fit me well, perhaps because of their long time as an international hub and catering to giant westerners such as myself. 

There were also some anime exhibits around the mall that were fun to see, and a lovely tea shop that I popped into. Many souvenir shops were scattered about, naturally, given the tourist destination nature of the locale.  

More photos after the cut!

Hong Kong: Day 3- Tian Tan Buddha

Hong Kong itself is an island, surrounded by several smaller islands, while connected to Mainland China is Mongkok (also part of Hong Kong) which is where I stayed during my visit. There's not a lot of land available so the signature skyscraper apartments sprung up everywhere, winding up mountain sides and glistening in the sun. Given the density of populace, Mongkok and Hong Kong can be almost incomprehensibly crowded at times. For a bit of respite my single serving friend from the previous night's adventures and I agreed to meet on Tung Chung, the nearest train station to the Tian Tan Buddha of Lantau island. At 112 feet (34 meters) tall, he's a majestic thing to behold, perched peacefully atop a beautiful forested mountain. Climbing up 268 steps enshrouded with mist the looming figure slowly reveals himself...and all this, of course, is after you take a glass-bottomed cable car from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping, soaring over crystalline waters and lush landscapes. Believe it or not, this was not my first encounter with a big Buddha. My very first was in Kamakura, Japan...still, I greatly enjoy visiting these statues and was quite excited to see one in Hong Kong!

 

Once you disembark from the cable cars, you walk through an ornate gateway only to be greeted by the 12 Generals of the Chinese zodiac and several small shops.  If you have the time, there are other things to see- pink dolphins, or the Po Lin monastery, for instance. This trip was focused upon seeing the large bronze figure who weighs over 250 metric tons (280 short tons), one of the largest of his kind. The weather was cool and grey, a thick fog proliferating the high altitude area where the Buddha rests. This did not stop the flow of tourists and locals ascending the stairs, eager to catch a glimpse of the big Buddha himself. Once you reach the peak where he perches, you have the option of paying a small fee to gain entrance to the interior of the statue. We both agreed and took in the sights, only to be given an ice cream cone at the end! It was a surreal experience, to be sure. As we were walking back towards the cable cars, a lone cow came lazily meandering up the street towards us, paying no mind to the humans in their midst. They had important bovine business to attend to, surely.

More photos after the jump!

Union Station: Cali-trip 2015

Union Station, a central point for travel in L.A. 

After our adventures in Santa Monica, we made our way to Union Station. This was my first time in the area and it was wonderful to see such a historic landmark. Personally, I'm a fan of the juxtaposition of seeing normally bustling areas when they're deserted, which you may have noticed with my photos of Namdaemun market at night. The area around Union Station was no different, with normally vibrant tourist areas quite and empty during the evening.