A saturday of sightseeing

So, I went to Fushimi Inari shrine at 10:08 just intime I thought to meet my class for the field trip. Unfortunatley I think they must have been at the other trainstation at that time. I never met them, so I headed up the mountain on my own. I called Kazu, sick unfortunatley. So I kept heading up the mountain, ah so many torii. Torii mark a sacred space, so thousands lined up to make a tunnel is a little like showing The Way I suppose, it is pretty, but it leads a little to much I think. The jinjas are nice though. I've got to say, praying at jinjas and temples is just not the same without sensei's educating lectures every 25 minutes making sure I am tip top shape on spiritual guidence. I cant help feeling not necessarily wanted as I enter a shrine or temple, but that dosnt stop me on the res either. Gotta pay respects to the mountain gods you know. I never pay money either. I think that I dont have to to be honest. I dont make any money in Japan so I dont need to pay spiritual taxes. Just respect. Usually, after going to a jinja I do find something interesting immidiately. Maybe it is just the time taken to rest. After I went to the top of the mountain I walked around back and followed an old couple into the woods. Although this sounds stupid, really I had read about this hiking trail before hand (I came down the mountain in the rain, stopped at a shrine for shelter, was met by a gruff old woman, and then trodded through many big bamboo forests, that were very beautiful... eventually I found my way back to Kyoto, with time to go a small temple with famous thatched roof, watch Nichiren chanting, creep away, get a dango (mochi) eat it on the bridge, and take the train deep into the city.
At the stop on Keihan right before Demachiyanagi there is the famous Heian Jingu which is like the Japanese version of the arch de triumph I think. It is triumphant, although intended to be an exact replica of the Heian period palace from a thousand years ago. I then wandered into the Kyoto art gallery fair. Full of nice booths and nice artwork. I felt like saying, "do you know Ikuta Atsuo Sensei?" and then chuckling when I say, "I do, hahahahhah!"
I then made it back to the homestay to talk about seasonal food and different kinds of snow over a delicious pot of homegrown vegetables in the host grandparents house.