Kyoto and the park with a pervert

The typhoon missed Kyoto. By evening the sky had cleared and the rain stopped. I got out of the guesthouse with two Brazilians to grab some pizza, and in the morning I set off to walk around the city. Had breakfast at the city market, picking up tasty treats from each stall that caught my eye. Shrimp cutlet, squid shashlik. Then through the side streets, residential areas and main streets with boutiques I went to see the Golden Pavilion.

I don't know if I've written about this, but a bicycle is perfect for feeling the atmosphere of a city. It's fast enough to ride through the whole city, and slow enough not to miss a single detail. A crying girl in a courtyard, kids playing ball, and a group of women in business suits will tell you more about the city than yet another temple, but the pavilion was beautiful. The reflection of the wooden walls painted with gold paint in the smooth surface of the pond really looks spectacular.

I left Kyoto late, around three o'clock. With the overcast weather it got dark quickly. Had to look for a place to sleep in one of the parks. Never slept in a park before. But it must be the same as sleeping at a temple or in a field. I rode into the park and sat on a bench with a book, waiting for complete darkness so I wouldn't attract attention with my tent. On the other side was a hill with a gazebo — the perfect spot.

It got dark. I rode to the other side and climbed up to the gazebo. Then I saw how someone below in a beige jacket and glasses left his bicycle and started climbing in my direction. Spotting me, the guy stopped. He looked decent, was well dressed. I took out my phone to pass the time while waiting for him to leave. The guy reached the gazebo, then went back down, stood under a tree facing me and started pulling his shirt out of his pants. I lowered my head to my phone, continuing to watch what was happening with my eyes. Having pulled out his shirt, he started stroking his nipples with circular hand movements.

I should say that I'm pretty relaxed about all sorts of manifestations of human perversions, and what I was observing now made me smile. I buried my face in my phone, continuing to glance from time to time at what was happening three meters away from me. The guy tucked his shirt back into his pants and headed in my direction. He went behind a rock, so I stopped seeing him. Meanwhile, I checked my email, got a positive response from Osaka: need to show up at the bar on the third to start work. For those who aren't subscribed to blog updates on social media — a CS host offered me work at his bar in exchange for accommodation, duties include chatting with customers and washing dishes.

I looked at the rock again and shuddered. In the darkness I made out half a face and glasses peeking out from the right side of the rock. He was watching me. "Everything okay?" — I directed my phone screen at his face. The guy nodded and came out from behind the rock. I peered at his face and posture, trying to guess what he intended to do. He kept standing and staring. It would be redundant to say that I got creeped out. He was close enough for me to make out the expression on his face. His eyes were wide open, thick lips slightly puckered in a kiss. I put away my phone and took a couple steps toward the path down. He followed me. "What do you want?!" — the guy stopped, then turned his body back, then toward me again and, going around me, took a spot on the path down under the same tree. I walked through the grass a meter away from him, got on my bike and left. This was at nine in the evening. On my way out of the park I saw another guy who had secluded himself in the darkness.

This incident brought my fragile confidence during forced overnight stays in such places down to zero. Set up my tent on a tennis court by the river.