I mean, technically the area is Futaminoura but that’s a bit more of a handful to write.
Since I was coming to Ise I brought the Japanese mythology deck, it sounded fitting enough. Today’s reading advises to defend the victories I’ve achieved.
The day didn’t start early or snappy or anything like that, I had to drag my ass out of bed at like 3 almost 4 PM.
It’s 3 almost 4 hours to where I was going and since I didn’t have to take a flight or anything I figuired there was no need to rush things.
Now, this ain’t my first rodeo going to Ise, in fact this is roughly the fourth time I’ve gone to Ise so I knew the route: Go top Namba and take the Kintetsu.
I did miss the Ise Shima Liner which would take me most of the way there fast, so I had to make a route with a single transfer but no big deal.
I started listening to an Audiobook of the first Hyperion Cantos book and I’m HOOKED, train ride flew by hearing tales about deranged sexless immortal humanoids.
I made it to Toba station and just like last time I was in this chunk of Ise specifically, after 7PM everything is DESOLATE. I had to take a train to Futaminoura and it wasn’t really a train so much as it was effectively a bus formatted like a train.
Maybe it’s just an old model, but you gotta pay the fare like in a bus and you gotta press a button to open the doors. I’ve actually seen that “press to open” button in regular trains but this is the second time I encounter a train where I HAVE to press it.
First time was in Aomori last year, around the time I started the blog, incidentally.
You know a trip is gonna go well when I get out of the station and I let out an “Ooooohohoho…” laugh from the bottom of my stomach.
Honestly, I don’t mind that Ise is Dead after 6PM, I LOVE night photos so if anything I kinda like it that way… when I have how to walk around, that is.
I dropped my stuff in my hotel and made a conbini run. However, by the time I returned I realized I wasn’t that sleepy (how could I be considering I woke up almost at 4PM). So I dressed up Luna and decided to see the dang rocks I came to see.
I was shocked at how close the rocks are to the coast, In think the size of the torii on top of the left rock makes me think it’s a bigger rock and it’s further away.
I decided to take the chance and put some offerings and pay my respects while I walked around. I love that this is one of those temples that’s open 24 hours. An yes, that’s a small torii inside of the offering area, it’s great.
I might or might not have prayed to get a girlfriend while I was there. I tend to have a very clear head whenever I viit temples in the sense that I pay my respects and thank for what I have instead of asking for things… but I’m in the gosh darn “wedded rocks” so hey.
I stopped to take pics with Luna when I was on the way back,. I was trying the 8-pointed star filter and I love the effect it gave to the whole thing, Luna looks out of a late Showa idol concert video.
I made a pit stop back at the hotel and chilled for a couple of hours to see if sleep claimed me… it did not. Huperion went from Deep Africa Thriller tribute to Action Man Fucks and while I was still engrossed in the damn thing I decided to wind down with some random youtrube videos.
It was clear that sleep wasn’t anywhere near the vicinity, however, so I made a plan: Wait for sunrise, catch the sunrise, and take pics with Sol.
I took my sweet time to get back while the sun came out, I also decided to try different angles because E’s photos reminded like “oh right, trying out alternate angles is cool, it doesn’t all have to be head on”.
I love the results, especially because I was running different possible poses in my head and yet the moment I pull her out of the bag it was like “absolutely perfect, no notes”.
Deciding Sol should wear glasses has to be one of my best decisions this year.
I especially like the latter two shots because they cauight a very specific angle of Sol I hadn’t caught since January 2023.
Also, as the shots might make you suspect, the mission of “waiting for sunrise” was dampened by “it’s fucking cloudy”.
Oh well…
Part of me feels tempted to push ahead and go to Ise Jingu but I don’t wanna risk it THAT much, especially when there’s a bit of a train ride and walk involved.
I might, I wanna, I wanna take a video of walking through it and also buy cool rocks again… but not today, I’ll just chill in my room until I get sleepy.
OH before I forget though, so there’s a house with some really cool statues made out of scrap metal on the road between this hotel and the station. Now this is fine, but imagine that you’re walking at night and see THIS.
It didn’t jumpscare me, but holy shit it shook me still.