Tori gates at Fushimi Inari Taisha

Photos © Wolfgang Kaehler, phototours.us

By Michelle Alten

This was the last day of our tour, so we got an early start to see more of Kyoto’s stunning sights.  At the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, we beat the crowds, arriving to find the temple grounds very peaceful.  As we walked through the famous chain of orange tori gates, the scent of incense wafted through the air and the chanting of a Shinto priest, robed in white, praying at a shrine, broke the silence.  We followed the gated passageway through an evergreen forest listening to a cacophony of birds.  The tori, so often photographed, represent the contributions of donors, whose names are noted on each gate.

Tori gates at Fushimi Inari Taisha

Fushimi Inari Taisha1

Leaving behind the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, we headed for Nara, the site of Japan’s first permanent capital, about one hour from Kyoto.  We arrived at the park, home to over 1,000 Sika deer, traditionally seen as the messengers of the gods. A woman from the park staff played a horn, and suddenly dozens of deer came galloping out of the forest.  We busily shot photos as she fed the deer.  Afterwards we made our way to the Great Hall of the Todai-Ji Temple, the largest wooden building in the world, which contains a 50 foot bronze cosmic Buddha. Just outside, a statue of Pindola, a disciple of Buddha, visitors put a coin in a box to rub the statue in hopes of being cured of ailments.  I had to test it out—so I’ll see how my back is tomorrow!  We ended our visit with an amazing lunch of duck and fish, followed by a caramel cheesecake or a mille feuille with chestnuts at the Main Dining at Nara Park.

Cherie has fun feeding the deer in Nara

The Todai-Ji Temple in Nara, Japan

The the world’s largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana,known in Japanese simply as Daibutsu in the Todai-Ji Temple (UNESCO World Heritage Site) in Nara, Japan.

Delighted with our morning and our lunch, we headed back to Kyoto to squeeze in one more sight, the Kiyomizu Temple.  The multi-tiered pagoda was impressive, but we had to make our way along the streets and temple grounds through throngs of visitors.  Today is a Chinese and Korean holiday; so many people are here on vacation.    Many of the Chinese women and girls had dressed up in traditional kimonos, rented from shops near the temples.

The Kiyomizu-deraTemple (UNESCO World Heritage Site) in Kyoto, Japan.

The Kiyomizu-dera Temple (UNESCO World Heritage Site) in Kyoto, Japan.

A pagoda in the Kiyomizu-deraTemple (UNESCO World Heritage Site) in Kyoto, Japan.

The Kiyomizu-deraTemple (UNESCO World Heritage Site) in Kyoto, Japan.

Tired from such a full day, we came back to the hotel and gathered for a last dinner.  It is sad to say farewell to this amazing, congenial group of Wolfie travelers.  We agreed that we laughed more on this trip than on any other tour!  From chasing after snow monkeys to retrieve Mary Rosa’s stolen t-shirt, to admiring Kyoto’s Golden Pavilion, it seems that we went from the ridiculous to the sublime.  We will remember the time we spent photographing Japanese cranes, Ezo owls and foxes of Hokaido, and soaking in a number of hot springs, and we will look forward to seeing everyone in 2017 in Iceland to photograph the puffins!

Run with the Wolfies – See the world from a different angle!
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