Up at 9, don't know what I did. Though it's 1 by the time I am leaving the hostel. I'm heading to the Fushimi district, which is just a couple of metro stops away. I'm going to the Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine, but not until a little later, maybe as the sun is setting. So I asked the guys at the hostel where else they would recommend in the area. I get a couple of suggestions and so I'm off to one of those. I get off the train and it's raining outside, just hang back for about 15mins before it stops and so I head out. I have a look at the map and so I aim in the general direction. After walking for about half an hour I'm hungry and non the wiser about where I am. I stop off at a 7/11 and get supplies. After yet more walking in the scorching heat, at my slow pace, and John Wayne motion, I stumble across some shrine gates! Tofukuji Temple, hello. This temple is set in huge grounds and I get to walk about quite a bit enjoying the surroundings. In fact I walk about for so long that I end up being too late to get to one part of the garden that closed at 4. I'm not sure what I missed but aww well.
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I embark on the long trek back towards the station to go to the Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine. I'm disgustingly sweaty at this point so it is a very slow and deliberate pace. I think the cotton boxers that I'm wearing today are worse to wear as although they may dry quicker, they are restrictive and irritate me more. Mental note. When I get to the start it's packed, people everywhere. There are large red torii gates and various shrines where you can make a donation and ring the bell. Plenty of people doing this, bells ringing all over the place. There is a trail that leads up the mountain that is lined by thousands of torii gates. These were all donated by Japanese businesses for good fortune. You wouldn't believe how many there are, gate after gate after gate. The whole way up. The further up the trail I got the less people there were, they start dropping off with the incline. Every so often up the trail you get to see an opening with an number of sub shrines. To be honest these just look like a random mess on stone shrines thrown in to the available space. The usual vending machines and little tea houses fill up the rest of the openings. It takes me about an hour to get to the top and instead of a great view over Kyoto or a spectacular shrine I'm greeted with I large building and another jumble of sub shrines. How disappointing. Luckily a little further down the trail I noticed a good spot, where the view is quite good. I head back down and rest there while the sun goes down. After the sunset it's back down the trail. It takes on a different persona in the dark. There are some lights to the side but they are not really sufficient to illuminate your path. I had to negotiate the steps with care. It was quiet and a bit scary, spiders all out between the gates. I try not to think about it. By the time I make my way down to the bottom there are not too many people about and it's nice to walk round the area that was so crowded earlier.
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Back on the train and to the hostel. I end up talking to a couple of French Swiss guys in the hostel and we end up playing mario kart on the wii all night while having a few beers. I get to bed about 3.