Day 18: A Gathering Storm
Well today didn't quitego as expected! Originally, we planned to head out into the city pretty early before it got too hot. However, I woke to several messages and notifications about an approaching typhoon!
This prompted us to change our plans, as our Shinkansen for tomorrow had been suspended. We decided to travel today, in an attempt to beat the typhoon to Hakone!
In an effort to salvage sightseeing from the day, once we'd exchanged our train tickets, we headed over to the Fushimi Inari shrine.
When most people think of Kyoto, they think of the pathway of Tori gates leading up the mountain, and it was amazing to see it! Top tip - keep going a bit further up the mountain, and you'll quickly find yourself alone amongst the gates.
We went a little way up, before working our way back down the path and going back to the hotel. Frantic packing then ensued, and before we knew it, we were heading back out towards the station. Throughout the trip, we'd used luggage forwarding services to send our suitcases between stops. However, we were nervous our bags wouldn't make it through the typhoon in time, so we were taking them on the train ourselves for the first time!
The station (unsurprisingly!) was packed, and we'd even had to upgrade to first class (or the green car) to get seats! However, the manic dash to get on the train became worth it when we sailed past Mount Fuji a couple of hours later!
Overall, a change of plan, but a good day nonetheless.
Grinding to a halt,
You batten down the hatches:
The typhoon approaches.