Christmas Journey, there and back again (part two)

The city turned into urban sprawl that slowly dwindled to little towns that eventually drifted to singular buildings and then only trees, mountains, and snow could be seen out the train window. Christmas Eve and Steph and I were making our way to Mt. Koya where we would spend the night at a Buddhist temple. The falling snow outside and the excitement of seeing Kyoto had pulled me out of the lingering shadow of homesickness that had been following me earlier. Our train went as far as the base of the mountain and then we transferred to a cable car in order to reach the top of Koyasan. The view up the tracks:



Snow fell and fell and everything was thick and white. I’d never seen so much snow—especially not on Christmas Eve! Behold the scene:





Steph and I checked into the Daienin Temple and were served a vegetarian-friendly dinner and provided with a warmish room for the night. The monks were shy, but friendly and watched us with bright eyes that shone out from circular glasses below shaved heads. In the spirit of Japan, Steph and I donned the traditional yukata after having a communal bath with the monks (typical Japanese style). Our Christmas Eve ended early since the following morning we were required to get up before 6AM for morning prayers.




Christmas morning came in the dark quiet of the early morning and we headed to the main hall where several monks performed the morning prayers with sweet incense burning. The hall was covered in color and gold with images of Buddha looking out through small cabinet doors. I had never been in such a room before.

The sun rose, the prayers ended, Steph and I ate monk breakfast…tofu and rice among the dishes with no doughnuts or breakfast casserole to mark the day as Christmas like I was use to back home.

For most of the rest of the day, Steph and I explored the surrounding areas where numerous wooden temples stood layered in snow. The highlight of the Koyasan sites was the extensive cemetery that goes along through an old forest where one can become disconnected from time due to the peaceful surroundings. Hundreds or maybe thousands of snow-capped stone haka—graves—fill the cemetery. As the morning light streaked down through the trees, snow melted and fell from the burdened braches in dustings that resembled mini flurries.






Koyasan was made even more special by the arrival of Betsy and Timur—a Christmas miracle! While Betsy and I have planned several meetings before, this chance encounter on Christmas came completely from the miracle bag of Fate.



Evening came, Betsy and Timur returned to their temple, and Steph and I headed down the mountain to ride the train back to Osaka. The only problem was that he and I had no where to stay once we arrived in the bustling metropolis. Osaka, the commercial hub of Japan, would soon greet us with neon lights, quick moving crowds, and several NO VACANCIES…