Anticipating a day full of shrine-seeing and absorbing traditional Japanese culture, I was surprised when my friend suggested we visit Arashiyama, an area of Kyoto that has an ever-popular monkey mountain! For only 500 yen (approx $5), you are a mere hike away from furry primate paradise!
The sinuous and steep terrain through the mountainside led us directly to an enclave of Japanese macaques that are more than used to the curious human visitor. Unprepared for a hike, the weight of my backpack, my lack of water and my sandals were no help. Nonetheless, that looming vision of me and monkey, as one, propelled me up the hill and on into a matted fur fairyland.
And there they were, just as promising as the pictures portrayed. At first glance, I felt an eerie stillness, and at any moment, my hike to monkey heaven would turn into Hitchcock's sequel to
The Birds: The Monkeys. They perched on a rusted shanty rooftop and the rest remained staggered around a dusty courtyard, motionless for the most part. And then, for a brief moment, I looked beyond the swell of our primitive counterparts and took in the view. A gorgeously framed Kyoto situated in a basin encircled by bounteous green hillsides. It now seemed like such a peaceful place.
On the cusp of spring, we had the pleasure of finding babies clinging to their mother's and also feeding.
One of them looked at me!
We have learned much from our mammalian dopplegangers. For example, the photo below best resembles the earliest form of dentistry. I later saw a sign advertising for "oral implantology". With a botched effort to describe some sort or orthodontics, we may not have come far from this primitive point.
Why walk when you can slide! The cherry on top of a wonderfully fulfilling encounter with my newfound macaques friends was the slide you could take down the mountain to begin the descending hike back to a human-only populated zone.
And with a smile, I slid back down to see some shrines. I knew, no matter how spectacular, Monkey Mountain would always provide the most memorable Kyoto. At least until my next visit.
Anticipating a day full of shrine-seeing and absorbing traditional Japanese culture, I was surprised when my friend suggested we visit Arashiyama, an area of Kyoto that has an ever-popular monkey mountain! For only 500 yen (approx $5), you are a mere hike away from furry primate paradise!
The sinuous and steep terrain through the mountainside led us directly to an enclave of Japanese macaques that are more than used to the curious human visitor. Unprepared for a hike, the weight of my backpack, my lack of water and my sandals were no help. Nonetheless, that looming vision of me and monkey, as one, propelled me up the hill and on into a matted fur fairyland. 
And there they were, just as promising as the pictures portrayed. At first glance, I felt an eerie stillness, and at any moment, my hike to monkey heaven would turn into Hitchcock's sequel to The Birds: The Monkeys. They perched on a rusted shanty rooftop and the rest remained staggered around a dusty courtyard, motionless for the most part. And then, for a brief moment, I looked beyond the swell of our primitive counterparts and took in the view. A gorgeously framed Kyoto situated in a basin encircled by bounteous green hillsides. It now seemed like such a peaceful place. 
On the cusp of spring, we had the pleasure of finding babies clinging to their mother's and also feeding. 
One of them looked at me! 
We have learned much from our mammalian dopplegangers. For example, the photo below best resembles the earliest form of dentistry. I later saw a sign advertising for "oral implantology". With a botched effort to describe some sort or orthodontics, we may not have come far from this primitive point. 
Why walk when you can slide! The cherry on top of a wonderfully fulfilling encounter with my newfound macaques friends was the slide you could take down the mountain to begin the descending hike back to a human-only populated zone. 
And with a smile, I slid back down to see some shrines. I knew, no matter how spectacular, Monkey Mountain would always provide the most memorable Kyoto. At least until my next visit.
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