Day 2 Pictures
Today started with a half day tour of Kyoto with a local guide. We started at 08:30 and a short mini bus ride to Nijo Castle.
The tour group was only 14 people which made for a much more cosy intimate style of trip.
At Nijo we toured the main buildings where the Shogun lived and received guests. The gardens were particularly impressive and the season of the cherry blossom was very much evidenced at this stop.
Next up was a trip to Ryoanji temple with a glorious garden and the most famed of the zen rock gardens in the world. There is also a wonderful moss garden off to the side of the rock garden. Our guide informed us that unlike the West moss is actually quite a revered plant in Japan and not the weed that most Westerners think it is.
After this excursion a short bus ride and we were deposited at Kinkakuji temple, also known as the Golden Temple. This temple was quite beautiful and had been covered in Gold leaf which was set off wonderfully against the lavish gardens and pond setting.
At this temple we also saw a 600 year old bonsai tree that was formed to represent the shape of a sailing vessel.
At the shrine on the temple grounds we were able to spend a 100 yen and get our fortune dispensed from a vending machine. The collecting of fortunes from the various shrines in Japan is quite common. Sometimes it is done by using the joss sticks to reveal your fortune, other times it is simple the will of the vending machine. If you like your fortune you take the paper with you. If you don’t like it you tie it to a tree branch or other apparatus provided by the shrine. Seems like good deal to me as you can keep trying until you get a fortune that you like.
After the Golden Pavilion we headed for the usual tourist drop off point of the Kyoto handicrafts centre.
After a brief whiz through this place a few of us decided to catch cabs to the Silver Pavilion or Ginkakuji temple.
Taxis in Japan are easy to use, all very clean and have antimacassars on the seat head rests. The left side rear door is operated by the driver so as you approach the door opens for you and the driver will also close it once you are safely inside. The taxi prices in Kyoto were quite reasonable and made it an efficient way of getting about, if you could share with someone.
We stopped off at a noodle bar for the first of many noodle lunches on this trip. The lack of Japanese skills on our part and English skills on the staff made the old point and shoot method a necessity at this establishment. Almost every restaurant we saw in Japan had the infamous plastic images of the meals on offer in the window. You often see people in restaurants all traipsing outside with the wait staff in tow in order to point at the desired meal.
After strolling around the wonderful gardens at the Ginkakuji temple we opted for a walk along the so called Philosophers trail. This trail meanders along a river through Kyoto.
At this point numb nut here discovered he had left his spare camera battery at the hotel and of course this was the day the battery in the camera decided to die.
We visited the Hoen-in shrine on route and finished up at the Nikakuji temple with its wonderful temple gates that we were able to climb to the top of to enjoy some fabulous views over Kyoto.
We then made our way to the Westin Miyako Hotel and caught the courtesy bus to Kyoto station and back to our hotel. Our guide took us to a local Kyoto style restaurant to have dinner this evening with most people opting for a bento style dinner box.
It was after dinner we discovered that we were on tour with a cake fiend and we were encouraged to join her and her husband at the Granvia hotel for coffee and cake. The first of many I might add!
After coffee (for me) and coffee / tea and cake for others it was time to head back to our hotel for some sleep.
Day 2 Pictures