There is something about travelling alone that makes my brain go a little haywire. I usually reach a point of fatigue after about 3 days in any new city. I get on such a high from being somewhere new that I burn up heaps of energy running around like a headless chicken on the first couple of days. By Day 3 I'm getting a little burnout, my concentration is waning and I start to lose the ability to function properly. Usually at this point Chris would sensibly call for a rest day and we would have a chill out day in a pub or just do a half day activity. But when I'm on my own I keep pushing myself along until sh*t starts to break down mofo. I don't stop for lunch cause I get bored eating alone so I pack a few snacks and push on through and this is when trouble can start.
Except, today, the trouble started first thing in the morning. It began with locking my keys in the hotel room. I heard the door click as I walked towards the lift and I realized with a sinking feeling what I had done. No biggie. I would just go down to reception and get them to let me back in. Except it took a whole lot of miming and hand signals to get my message across. I knew the word for key but do you think I could remember the Japanese for door or locked? The poor guy at the desk was completely confused and didn't speak much English. I'm not sure if it was miming a key turning in the door or my very lifelike door slamming sound effects but we got there in the end.
Key retrieved, I walked to the bus station and purchased my all day ticket. Validated it as I got off the bus and I was on my way to another awesome day of Kyoto tourist hopping.
Next brain freeze came when I was up to my third shrine for the day and I realized I had walked out of the bathroom and back along the temple tatami mats still wearing the toilet slippers. How embarrassing! Lucky I noticed before anyone else spotted my faux pas.
Next up, I attempted to follow Lonely Planet's instructions to Nanzen-ji Oku-no-in. "Follow the path that runs parallel to the aqueduct up into the hills until you reach a waterfall in a beautiful mountain glen." So I found the aqueduct, no problem.
I found the path running parallel, so off I went with my bright orange umbrella in the rain. Walking along, still walking... where is this bloody waterfall? Eventually I reach the end of the path and realize I am at some sort of aqueduct station.
Hmmm... my tired, hungry brain tells me. This doesn't look right. But look if you walk across those skinny metal beams to the other side, there is a path, maybe that leads to this magic waterfall. Sure says my tired, hungry body, let's do what brain says. Ok feet, don't let us fall in there because that would be bad and we would get all wet. At this point, Chris would say, stop talking to yourself, you nutter, let's turn around and go back. Clearly this is not the path to the magic lonely planet waterfall. But I am on my own and I am stubborn. So I forge ahead.
I tiptoe across like a tightrope walker holding my ridiculous orange umbrella, (Reminds me of another brain freeze experience, walking through the catholic section of Northern Ireland with my Australian flag umbrella with its giant Union Jack emblazoned for all to see. But that's another story...) And I walk around the corner to this rather official looking building and a bunch of locked gates.
Finally my brain and my body decide to work together and I hightail it out of there back along the path with my orange umbrella. Screw you waterfall and screw you Lonely Planet.
I make it back to where I started and see a bunch more people headed up the same path I just took. Do I call out to them? Do I warn them with my bad miming and sign language? No I bugger off and keep looking for the damn waterfall path. Why oh why, won't my stubborn brain let it go?
But back here at the very start, I find a path, this could be it!
But what does it lead to? A locked freakin gate!
As tempted as I am to leap over the gate, I restrain myself and make do with a photo of the waterfall on a sign I find back at the bottom of the hill.
Is that the magic waterfall? Was it hiding behind that rather short locked gate? I guess I will never know. By now, I am really tired and really hungry and am totally wanting Mos burger. So I head for the bus stop and join the queue of people heading back to Kyoto station.
My brain tells me to find my bus ticket before I get on the bus. Oh crap, can't find it. Tell me brain, where is it? I pull out the entire contents of my bag while the people in the queue look a bit shocked and start shuffling away from the crazy lady dumping her stuff all over the footpath.
Nope, no sign of bus ticket. And I know I used my last bit of change on the gardens before the aqueduct disaster. No change and no shops in sight. (Kyoto buses don't give change, each ride is 230 yen or 500 yen for a daily bus pass)
I consider using yesterdays daily bus pass. Yes, that's right, I have yesterdays ticket in my bag, but not today's. Murphy's Law or something.
Nope that plan isn't going to work because today is a new month. D'oh. Can't even put my finger over the first part of the date like I used to on the bus in London.
That's cool. I'll just walk back to Kyoto station. 5.4km, 1 hour 5 minutes walk according to Google maps. No problem.
Guess how long that idea lasted? About the 20 minutes it took me to walk past a convenience store, duck inside, buy a sandwich and a bag of donuts and get some change for the bus.
Sweet, making my way down the street, breaking all the rules by eating and walking at the same time. Take that Japan, you have a rule breaker right here. Then I find a bus stop. Winner! I check the change in my pocket...still haven't got the right coins. D'oh! Keep walking.... find a vending machine. Hooray! I have the right change and a sugary drink, life is good again.
I get on the bus, its packed. But everyone is standing around while there are two empty disabled seats. Watch out, here comes the rule breaker again. I push my way through the polite locals and land my butt in the too small chair. Ah sweet relief, I am off my feet and on my way back to the hotel. Time for a brain recharge and a GIANT dinner. Let's hope I survive the next two days without going too loco.
The leaflets and bits of info collected from today's attractions, no wonder I couldn't find my bus ticket!
