A Mountain of Orange

The Fushimi Inari shrine is probably one of the most photographed shrines in all of Japan. And by looking below, it's easy to see why. At times, it was hard not to look at it through my lens. But after hiking about half way up the mountain, I just sat for a while overlooking Kyoto. This was probably one of the most peaceful moments I have had since starting my travels, and a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of the city below. I hiked up at the end of the day, as to avoid the crowds and to catch the sunset from the top. Good move on my part! My only wish was that I had packed bug repellent, but that's neither here nor there. 

A pleasant little surprise were all the kittens running around different parts of the shrine. Some of them were a bit skittish, but these two guys below hung out for a while; guarding their portion of the shrine, I suppose.

The last little bit of the hike was my favorite. The sun started to go down and it lit up the shrine perfectly. Definitely one of the best sunsets I have seen since being in Japan. 

This picture reminded me ever so slightly of the view from Sacre-Coeur 

After getting back into Kyoto, I took a brief detour and hung out around Kyoto Station. Upon exiting, you have prime viewing of Kyoto Tower, which is best seen at night.

Tonight, I am in Tokyo for one final night and then it is off to Seoul tomorrow!

Get the Look: Shirt, James Perse // Shorts, J Crew // Scarf, Anthropologie // Purse, Marc by Marc Jacobs

The Heart of Kyoto

Today was predicted to be hot, so I stuck with light, airy fabrics and some of my favorite accessories from Pinkyotto. I'm loving their new Fall designs, so definitely check out their new collection!

My first stop of the day was to Kiyomizu-Dera, which is a Buddhist Temple towards the outskirts of Kyoto. I took the City Bus to Gojozaka, and from there it is about a 15 minute uphill trek to the temple. I chose to go up the direction of the cemetery, which is the road less traveled, so to speak. I recommend going that way to start and then going down the main path to pick up a quick snack before your next stop. Once at the top, there were several different buildings, including the bell tower, three storied pagoda, and my favorite, the Kaizan-do Hall.

Deva Gate at the entrance of the temple.

Bell Tower 

Kaizan-do Hall

As I was walking to my next destination, I just quickly looked to the right and manged to capture a glimpse of the Yasaka Pagoda. This brief moment of luck is just a testament to the fact that history is around every corner in Kyoto. When you first arrive, there is the temptation to be discouraged because you are surrounded by modern architecture and neon signs, but once you do a little exploring, Kyoto's rich history starts to slowly reveal itself. 

The Yasaka Shrine, which is a Shinto shrine in the Gion district of Kyoto, was the next stop. This is definitely one of the more popular shrines in the city. The air was full of sounds of the bells ringing after many people paid their respects by making an offering (saisen) to the kami. 

The lanterns over the stage are the names of those who sponsor the festival every New Year.

Tonight is my last night in Kyoto and then it is back to the Conrad Hotel in Tokyo for one final night in Japan before I head off to Seoul.

Gt the Look: Necklace, Pinkyotto // Tank, Forever 21 // Cropped Pants, Pinkyotto // Belt, Pinkyotto // Shoes, Via Spiga

Don't Fail to Prepare: Part 3

Tomorrow is the big day. I will be hopping on my first international flight of my three month long Asia adventure. So, instead of playing tourist in California today, I am wrapping up some last minute details. Here are the last few steps in order to finalize your preparations for your big trip:

Grab any last minute necessities. After a few days in California, I noticed a few things I was missing: socks, converters for my electronics, and I also needed to pick up an exchange order for a Japanese Rail Pass. First stop, I snagged some climatecool socks from Adidas that are odor resistant; they will be perfect for those hot days hiking around Thailand and Vietnam, and Bali. Next, I went to RadioShack where I picked up a pack of travel adapters that hopefully work in every country I am going to over in Asia. Fingers crossed that I have them all covered. The Japanese Rail Pass exchange order is very important. As a U.S. Citizen you cannot purchase an exchange order overseas, so it must be procured in the U.S. I bought mine on http://www.jrpass.com. They deliver it Priority Overnight via FedEx, so you get it quick and easy.

Make copies. One of the next things to do is to make copies of your passport photo page and all of your visas. Obviously, you aren't planning on losing your passport, but storing copies of your passport and visas through your luggage is helpful just in case. I also left a copy with my friend Malcolm. It is also important to take digital copies on your phone, and keep them on your computer as well. The more places you have them, and the more people who have access to them, the better off you are.

Call your cell provider. If you're like me, you'll want to make sure you can stay connected to friends and family to check in on the road. In addition to my dummy phone that I can insert different SIM cards into, I am bringing my iPhone. Even though you have a phone that works internationally, you still need to call your provider to tell them to activate your international antenna. Without doing so, you could be disconnected a little longer than you would like. Try to do this three days in advance of your trip.

Purchase Travel Insurance. Even if you are perfectly healthy and in good physical shape, travel insurance is a necessity. It's important to note that travel insurance is far beyond just medical coverage, it also covers cancellations, lost or stolen goods, legal expenses, and emergencies beyond medical emergencies, such as military conflict in the country you are in. The insurance provider I chose to go with is World Nomads. The great thing about World Nomads is that you can purchase your policy online in less than 5 minutes. Seriously! My 3-month coverage plan only cost me $187, and that covers up to $100,000 in medical expenses. Trust me when I say, this will be the best money you have spent on your trip. You never know what can happen, and it's always better to be prepared for the worst case scenario.

Can't wait to start posting abroad soon.
See you on the flip side, xoxo.

La La Land

Last night, I met up with my friend Jeremy, one of my former classmates from Northeastern, and we ended up going out to a club in Hollywood. One of his friends is a dead ringer for Macklemore, and somehow, he managed to get all of us in for free and landed us a table behind the DJ booth with 5 free bottles. Only in LA, right? Needless to say, it was good brunch conversation the next morning. We ended up putting ourselves on the wait list at Blu Jam and hopped over to The Parlor and Dark Room for a few drinks while catching up on another exciting weekend of football. Once we finally sat down at Blu Jam, we were starving. So much so, that we ended up ordering their famous Crunchy French Toast to share between the three of us on top of our meals. 

The rest of the day was composed of strolling down Melrose, checking out Hollywood Blvd, and finishing the day at Santa Monica Pier before heading home to crash. It was definitely the best way to send me off before I head to the Far East on Tuesday.

Awesome graffiti on Stanley Ave. LA is chock-full of incredible street art. 

The Walk of Fame was surprisingly run down and underwhelming, but I found charm in some of the old theatre signs.

Top: H&M

Shorts: BCBG Max Azria

Sunglasses: Ray Ban

Bag: Kate Spade

Watch: Michael Kors

Shoes: TOMS

Jewlery: Vintage

Sunrise City

Last night I decided to leave the shades open in hopes of the sunrise waking me up. Unfortunately, the sun was no match for my jet lag, but good news is, Malcolm was there to wake me up! We headed across the street from out hotel, to Stern's Wharf, and walked the foot path while reading the paper. I managed to capture some great shots with the sun peaking over the horizon. We munched on some yummy breakfast at this quaint little place right next to our hotel and then hopped in the car for a few more early morning views.

First, we headed to Santa Barbara City College stadium. At the top of the stairs you get some of the best views! Considering running stairs here tomorrow morning... Then we headed to the County Courthouse where we climbed up to the top of the tower and took in the scenery.

Pants: Sanctuary

Shirt: H&M

Shoes: TOMS

Sunglasses: Fendi

Necklaces: Vintage