[TRIP JAPAN | ep.6] The natural forest of bamboo 🎋🎍, Kyoto 🎎

Tuesday 30th April: the program of the day is a relaxing walk through the natural forest of bamboo 🎋🎍 We can't say that the weather's good for us, but we can't win every time 😅

Located in Arashiyama (嵐山), northwest of Kyoto 🎎, a very popular destination during the Heian Period (794-1185), this place has a lot of charm, starting by the bridge Togetsukyō and its view on the slopes (especially in autumn for the wonderful colors of the trees) or the one on the cherry blossoms in hanami (花見).

But there's also the Katsura River (桂川) and its boat tours through luxuriant vegetation where long bamboo poles are used for steering. Several boat tours are available, one of which is about 15 km long and is very popular during the cherry blossom season.

And all those tourists dressed for the occasion in traditional clothing, Whether it's in Yukata (浴衣) or Kimono (着物). The shops for renting traditional clothes, shoes, umbrellas are not what is lacking in Kyoto. In despite of everything you are invited to go there the day before if you do not want to have the bad surprise that everything is already reserved there.

Despite the gloomy weather the tourists are here, much more than when I was here 11 years ago. Fortunately, this did not stop us from enjoying a very pleasant moment.

Meeting on our road 2 geisha in a Jinrikisha (人力車), may be tourists but it's pretty surprising. One thing is for sure, those "good-looking kids" or "ikemen" are really brave and athletic because it's going up there!

Here we are, the entrance is in front of us and it will only take a few moments for us to find ourselves with the first bamboo on each side.

As usual, we succumb to the beauty of the Japanese flora and never cease to be amazed every 5 steps we take.

And this atmosphere, this smell that makes you travel far away from your worries, all we needed was the little temple in the forest for the experience to be ultimate, too bad we weren't the only ones looking for it 😂