Day 24: Disappointment in Arashiyama
I feel that I have been extraordinarily lucky in my adventures here in Japan so far. Everything I have seen and done has exceeded my expectations. I have managed to find so many quiet joys in unexpected places. Today was not one of those days. To say that I had been looking forward to visiting the bamboo forest in Arashiyama for some time now would be accurate, and I think that this anticipation may well have left me unprepared. The entirety of Arashiyama is a very popular destination for sightseeing, and as such the place is inundated with people, and the tourist industry has built up around them. Every sidewalk is packed with people and shops, loudly selling all manners of things to them. Temples are filled with photo snapping tourists posing for the camera. Nothing felt quite right. I stopped in at Tenryu-ji Temple and wandered the grounds, but felt it hard to enjoy having to dodge strollers and selfie sticks every few meters. Even the Goshuin I received felt less valu