Kyoto, city of...

Evil roads
The roads here are evil, especially in the district I was staying at last night. Built in the days before cars and fat people, they are very historic, or very frustrating, depending on whether you actually want to get to a specific place or not.
Let me illustrate: yesterday I wanted to get to the main office of the guesthouse to extend my stay by one night.
It is about 300m away. On the way there, I get lost. Then, having forgot my wallet, I go back to get it. On the way back, I get lost. Once I am reunited with my wallet, I just have to go back to the office again and pay the bill. I get lost.
Finally, exhausted from all this getting lost in streets I now wanted to demolish with a bulldozer, I attempt to make my way back to the hotel to get some sleep. I get lost. This time, I just give up and go down the street, and do not return for another 12 hours, hoping that by then the streets will magicalyl become easier to navigate. They do not.

Pain
By the time I return you will notice two different things about me. Firstly, I will have legs the size of tree trunks. Secondly, the skin on my feet will be thicker than leather, and twice as tough. I spend at least 3 hours a day walking, and the kilometres certainly do add up. Sometimes by plan, other times by spontaneity, I end up walking large distances to get somewhere, occasionally carrying my gigantic pack up and down temple staircases because I walked past the entrance and just HAD to check it out. My feet are still blistered from walking in the rain, but I think I heard somewhere that walking excessive distances cures blisters.

Freedom
Having finally become truly independent, truly free to do whatever I want, I became rather depressed last night on a train leading out of the city. It is about 9 30pm, and having had a very long day, I am seeking a hot spring to soak myself in. Unfortunately, the directions I am given lead to a highly authentic, mountain onsen a million miles away. As I watch Kyoto Tower fade into the distance, and the dark mountains loom aheadm I am suddenly gripped with something between fear and sadness. I don`t want to leave, I can`t leave, I want to be in my hotel, I want to be at the pub with my new friends...I want to be home again. After soaking my feet in what turns out to be a warm puddle (producing much frustration toward the directions-giver), I go back towards the city, and instantly feel relieved.

I realize that my freedom has finally caught up with me. For the last week I have moved to a different location just about every night, zooming away from any friends I make, and any familiar places. I have no attachments whatsoever, nothing to hold onto at all. I have never had a situation like this before, I have always stayed at least in the same place, or with the same people. I feel lonely.

I know it is all part of the experience however. As the moon is replaced by the sun in the morning, so too is the loneliness is replaced by the familiar thrill of adventure.

On the road again...