That weekend Justin and I woke up early enough to take a shower, a light breakfast and be on time at Takanohara station, it was around ten minutes before the hour when we were waiting for Chiho, she didn’t show up until five minutes after we agreed. We took the train and switch in Saidaiji station because we were going to Osaka to take the train. On the platform our dear guide started a long, long conversation with my roommate, result? We missed the train, she had to call our friends to go ahead and buy the tickets for us and wait for us at the platform, after that she made us change the train 4 stations before the last one just to find out that there was no faster train. We ran at Osaka station until we found Emanuel and Kazuko already flipping out. Chiho is a lot of fun.
At the train station of Kouyasan the fun doesn’t end, you still have to take a ride up hill in one of those carts that I don’t remember the name but that are on a rail (like a train but tilted). Once we were on top we found our hotel (which gave us the bad surprise of being highly expensive), it was also a temple and we chose that because you could pray with the monks in the morning. It was a Ryokan style inn, girls were in one room boys in the next (sorry is not one of those stories), we left our bags and started our journey through the temples.
Kouyasan is known for being some sort of school for monks, also a place for meditation and the prelude for pilgrims before going to Shikoku. A couple of weeks before, the girls decided to show us a little of the other side of Japan, the meditative and calm, this came as nice contrast after having spent a weekend in Tokyo and a few other days in Osaka. Despite the fact that a typhoon was coming we decided to take our chances and visit Kouyasan’s many temples, shrines and of course the style of living of the monks which included celibacy and a rigorous diet of no meat of any kind, including fish and chicken, needless to say Kouyasan is also famous for its Tofu.
The typhoon was over our heads when we entered the first temple, we went thru a mesh of alleys, tatami rooms and people dressed in traditional costumes until we found it. One of the biggest stone gardens in Japan is located in this temple, it describes two figures of dragons and is just breathtaking, the typhoon was still announcing its coming so the rain wasn’t really heavy so we could see the garden pretty decently, after the garden on our way back Kazuko and I found a monk on one of the alleys of course I didn’t waste my time and ask him for a picture, he made me put my hands together in sign of praying. I look ridiculous in that picture.
After that we found a big room that looked like design for a conference or a mass, we had tea and of course our company, we enjoyed a nice chat, took pictures and then the monk that I found on the alleys came forth and gave us a speech, Chiho and Kazuko did a great job of translating what the monk was trying to tell us, it was a very nice time although my bd memory forbids me from remembering the whole talk. Once again at the end we took pictures again with the monk, it was a lot of fun and he turned out to be younger than me and probably even younger than Justin who was 23.
The next set of buildings was very special too however the rain started to pour harder and harder, we had to enter the shrine and leave a few spots on the floor. However the view that was presented to us was fascinating 5 big statues of Buda were in front of us all of them carved in a metal that made them look like gold, Chiho again came to the rescue and explained to me what each statue meant, also the paintings on the pillars and frames on the walls had meaning and all of them was nicely narrated to me by my dear friend.
After that the guys got way ahead of us and visited another shrine, Chiho and I had a hard time trying to find them and unfortunately we were out when the typhoon started to give the best of its strength. My tiny little umbrella didn’t hold the pressure and broke two of its bones. The guys laughed at me either by how ridiculous I looked with my broken umbrella or because I was almost completely wet, thankfully Emanuel came to the rescue with an umbrella beach-size, that lasted for a couple of minutes until we felt akward of having to hug each other while walking.
One museum was to be visited before going for dinner (and of course we had lunch before starting our tour) and it was simply amazing. You could never bee prepared for the amount of beauty human hands can create, I have been to a good amount of museums in my life and this although it was very small it was also shocking in the quality of its pieces. The one I remember the most was a god that was to protect from evil spirits and therefore its image gave you an impression of fear and strength, Elephant fangs on its feet, skulls as necklace a fierce look and muscles all over its body, but the best part is when you turned to your right and you fell almost instantly hypnotic by the calm view of Buda, standing below a low light with its eyes closed its monk attire and its hands in symbol of prayer. Aside from the view of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul I have never been so surprised of mankind work. Another set of beautiful deities were in different rooms, gods and onis (demons) riding dragons or stepping on the heads of defeated lions, small but a museum worthy of anyone’s itinerary if you ever go to Japan.
Back at the Ryokan our meal was getting ready, but the guys and I decided to take a bath before and fortunately we had our own public mini-onsen in the temple, we took a quick bath and got back to our room, while getting dress we all fell asleep (remember we had a party the morning before and woke up pretty early). Our meal consisted of even stranger dishes made of Tofu and seaweed our friend saw our faces of disgust and felt bad that we couldn’t enjoy the meal, of course this wasn’t their fault and I actually did enjoy what I had, granted I ate mostly Gohan and Miso-soup (I miss that so much). Wine and beers completed the night and we all went to our beds.
The morning after Emanuel didn’t wake up and missed the praying of the monks, it was actually quite nice we get to see the actual place were the ritual is celebrated, a pile of wooden grave stones were there for those whose families never claimed and didn’t have a proper burial, for our luck we could see a famous Samurai’s stone, it was amazing.
One of the most famous attractions of Kouyasan is its graveyard it lead the way to another of its famous temples, in the alley you can see many graves from famous Samurais or rulers if you are lucky enough of being able to read Japanese or like us have great friends that will translate for you. At the end of the graveyard and before entering the temple there are a set of deities which people come and throw water at once again needless to say I did likewise this time I didnt feel without respect. Unfortunately the temple doesn’t allow cameras and I have no proof of its beauty and I will let to your mind what I found there.
The last shrine we visited (by the way don’t even think of asking me the difference between a temple and a shrine, not even Japanese could tell me what it was) was in a hill, we had to hike for a good 30 minutes before we could get there, oh! Disappointment the shrine was as small as any of those you can find on the street however once again it was fun. On the way back we found a row of red gates that would lead us to another shrine this too was a disappointment but the feeling of passing through the gates made it fun enough.
We picked up our bags at the temple and we paid the exorbitant price of 10,000 Yen which is pretty expensive considering you sleep on the floor. Our ride back home was uneventful however the whole trip was worthwhile, we went to Kazuko’s place and her mom prepared a meal for us which amazingly was our first home made food, again no need to say it was delicious. Kazuko, Chiho and Justin dressed in Yukata for the festival of fireworks we were going in Kizu-cho, but that’s another story and I will have to tell you another day.
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