I'm going to start off this third and final post about Kyoto with the north side. We visited two of the three main temples in that area - Kinkakuji Temple and Ryoanji Temple.
Kinkakuji Temple, also known as the Golden Temple, is a pretty magnificent sight. Sitting at the edge of a little pond, the gilded edifice provided a great photo op and the grounds nearby very cool to walk through. Only down side was that visitors are not allowed very close the temple itself.
Ryoanji Temple is known for it's carefully laid out rock garden. I think a lot of the deeper meaning was lost in translation but you could tell it's all very naturalistic and zen-like. There was a row of people just sitting in front of the rocks seen below, taking it all in, very much in the moment.
Our hotel was near the Kyoto City Hall, a building that really sticks out on the streets of Kyoto. The large brown brick hall, complete with clock tower, really draws the attention of casual passers-by.
Also nearby was a rather large covered shopping complex with rows of little food shops and kitschy boutiques selling stationary and clothes and souvenirs. Many an hour was spent walking through the place when it was either too hot or too rainy to go traipsing about outside.
Walking along the Kamo River was also a highlight of the city. There were a lot people who had stopped to spend a few minutes just relaxing by the river with friends. One thing that really stuck out in this area for me was the architecture. The buildings seemed very Victorian in construction and it almost seemed like we had been transported to small town Europe.
Kinkakuji Temple, also known as the Golden Temple, is a pretty magnificent sight. Sitting at the edge of a little pond, the gilded edifice provided a great photo op and the grounds nearby very cool to walk through. Only down side was that visitors are not allowed very close the temple itself.
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| A bit of target practice, people were trying to toss coins into the little cup in front of the carved image of Buddha. |
Ryoanji Temple is known for it's carefully laid out rock garden. I think a lot of the deeper meaning was lost in translation but you could tell it's all very naturalistic and zen-like. There was a row of people just sitting in front of the rocks seen below, taking it all in, very much in the moment.
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| Mom illustrating how to wash up before praying at the temple. |
Our hotel was near the Kyoto City Hall, a building that really sticks out on the streets of Kyoto. The large brown brick hall, complete with clock tower, really draws the attention of casual passers-by.
Also nearby was a rather large covered shopping complex with rows of little food shops and kitschy boutiques selling stationary and clothes and souvenirs. Many an hour was spent walking through the place when it was either too hot or too rainy to go traipsing about outside.
Walking along the Kamo River was also a highlight of the city. There were a lot people who had stopped to spend a few minutes just relaxing by the river with friends. One thing that really stuck out in this area for me was the architecture. The buildings seemed very Victorian in construction and it almost seemed like we had been transported to small town Europe.
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| All the restaurants along the river had terrace seating. Very cool. |
Well that's it for Kyoto city. The information in these three measly blog posts are not nearly comprehensive, but I think it's decent compilation of some of the highlights. Visiting Kyoto is definitely recommended if you are planning a trip to Japan anytime soon!!
I'll upload a post next week about Fushimi Inari Shrine, the shrine of a thousand torii gates that is just outside of the main city of Kyoto. It definitely has provided enough great pictures to warrant a post of it's own. Until next week - cheers!
I'll upload a post next week about Fushimi Inari Shrine, the shrine of a thousand torii gates that is just outside of the main city of Kyoto. It definitely has provided enough great pictures to warrant a post of it's own. Until next week - cheers!
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