I am not Ray Mears

Konichiwa minnasan, let me set the scene to this latest tale. I had just visited a temple complex in North East Kyoto, when I read a section of my guide book informing me of a path tucked away behind the temple leading to a shrine up in the forest. Now, at this point I had already been chased around a Zen garden by a large multicoloured buzzing insect, which if it was at home, would have warrented a scream.

As a side note, I continued my apparent knack for wildlife photography with a picture of this chap.

Anyway, having found the path I trecked up a near vertical staircase to see a shrine like any other. Dissapointed and very sweaty, I turned back. However in the corner of my eye I noticed the path continued beyond the shrine and further into the already dense forest.

Why not eh? I walked for a near 30 mins along a thin path, dodging small streams and large spider webs until I heard the worlds most eriee sound. No, not that weird noise foxes make when they fight outside your bedroom window, but nothing. Pure uniterupted silence. All this throughly freaked me out. It was carry on, or go back. I waited for a sign....

Like a bolt out of the blue a massive wasp attacked me and I ran all the way back, through spiderwebs and streams, over fallen trees and dead leaves all the way back. The smell summoned from my armpits after this excursion would be paid for by everyone on the bus on the way back.