keepsakes
Taking a rickshaw might seem like a gimmicky thing, but it's a bit of fun and a way to get another view into what makes Japan unique. It didn't take long before a driver was available to take me back to the station, and with the rain starting to fall he put extra effort into making me snug: wrapped in a blanket and with a hand warmer too!
Rickshaw drivers 車夫 are transporters, maintainers of culture, local guides and entertainers in equal measure, and take pride in delivering a good experience.
The rain and the wind picked up fast, whipping up the surface of the river and sending people scurrying with umbrellas. The driver, undeterred, whisked me through the streets, stopping to snap a few photos of me along the way – the true tourist package. A few heavy bursts of rain later and the bad weather swept past, then subsided almost completely as we neared the station.
crosswinds
A view of sakura 桜 against darkening skies as I contemplated the best way to avoid the incoming showers and get back to the station.
Nearby a solution presented itself: traditional rickshaws 人力車 (literally “person-powered vehicle”).
lunar vista
Down at the Togetsukyo Bridge 渡月橋 the afternoon light was being enjoyed by all, but clouds were rolling in quickly on strengthening winds. In the distance a curtain of rain was approaching.
friendly reminders
“Please keep your face away from the wire net” just seems like good life advice.
I walked down the other side of the mountain, through the thick trees and light pink blooms. On the way I came across a park with what must be the world's most dangerous slippery slide: an alarmingly steep rusty metal thing painted verdigris and featuring, half way, an abrupt plateau that could only have been intentionally designed to cause spinal injuries.
a place to be
And what a view. If you look closely in the lower centre you can see Arashiyama Station 嵐山駅 enveloped in cherry blossoms, while in the distance on the right Kyoto Tower 京都タワー pokes up.