π
2015-06-10 01:01
in Japan, Japan2015, Ntrips, Trips
|
We started out day in Kyoto with a breakfast of champions like Jennifer would say :)
We then started the day by taking a cab to Kinkakuji, the golden pavillion. Bikes didn't really work for my dad, and public transport kind of sucks and required lots of walking, so we just took cabs to make things easier.
Next we went to Ryoan-ji, which I had carefully avoided so far since in my opinion it's an overhyped temple with 15 stones in some sand :) but I figured for my 3rd visit, I could have a look. The Zen garden is not worth the visit, it's no more special than the plenty of others you see in many temples, some totally free and without crowds, but the grounds were still nice and worth a few pictures:
Next, we went to the much better Ninna-ji, which is still in renovations likes last time I went, but still quite worth the visit:
Since we were on foot, we did a longish walk to myoshin-ji, a huge collection of temples. The main temple in the middle has a very nice dragon on its ceiling, but it'll cost you 40mn to see 2mn worth (20mn to wait for the next tour, required to get in), and then 20mn to listen to a lot of Japanese you won't understand and wonder how much longer before you can leave. The dragon is nice, but not worth the travel, effort and wait in my opinion:
While I was there, I went to the nearby Taizo-in (in the same complex):
By then, my dad was tired of all the walking we had to do due to lack of bikes, and he went back to our hotel to rest. I used the opportunity to see some B temples I hadn't seen before. I started with Imamiya Shrine, and its very nice garden. Honestly, I think it was a first rate temple deserving of more visitors:
From there, I went to Heian Shrine and its nice gardens. It was also super nice and deserving of more visitors:
Next, I went back north to Shimogamo Shrine:
And then back down to Kurodani Temple which wasn't supposed to close, so I did it last. From there, I walked back up to Shinyo-do temple by going through some small paths and cemetaries, and when I was done found myself in some small streets kind of screwed when I had to find a taxi back :)
After walking quite a bit until I reached a main street where I was finally able to hail a cab, I went to Kyoto tower to get views from the top before and after sunset. To be fair the view is actually not so great, but I had never been up it, so now it's done :)
many taxis waiting by Kyoto station. they should have been in the streets where I needed them :)
I then went to meet my dad for dinner in Potoncho, a street full of restaurants:
|
