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Published: April 16th 2024
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Today was a day of beautiful scenes. Set off early to find a cafe for breakfast but the one we were thinking of was closed so we decided to head to the bus stop to go to Kiyomizu-dera. We ended up buying some food from a convenience store and ate some waiting at the bus stop. We got to the Sannenzaka area around 9:50 and the walk up the steep hill to the temple complex was interesting in itself, with the path lined with shops. We stopped at a great coffee and donut place for coffee and donuts of course. Then some shopping for gifts before finally reaching the temple complex at about 10:40.
Kiyomizudera is a temple perched on a hill, offering panoramic views of the city. The complex is in a beautiful setting full of Japanese maple trees and we followed a designate route. There was an option to visit the Seikanji Temple which was aother 1km round trip, so I went off on my own while the others continued on to the Koyasunoto Pagoda. It was only a small temple and when I walked back to catch the others, Daisy called out to me from a restaurant
inside the temple area and we had a noodle soup lunch.
After lunch we continued out with a detour to the neighbouring Ninenzaka area which is another shopping area with the shops in old traditional style buildings. It was now around 14:15 and Daisy and Oscar had had enough walking for the day plus Krissy was still keen on exploring the shopping area from yesterday, so it was decided that they would continue their shopping and I would go onto visiting some places that we didn't get to do on the first day.
We left from the same bus stop and mine took me about a 15 minute walk from the Nanzen-ji Temple complex, although it seemed longer. Arriving there around 15:00, it was well worth the visit, again set amongst beautiful gardens and even having a historic aqueduct beside it, which is still in use today. There was a giant gateway where you paid $6 if you wanted to climb to the top, which of course I elected to do. Fantastic views from the top of the temple complex and surrounding area. Then it was another $6 entry fee into the temple itself which use to be
the Emperor Kameyama's residence before he abdicated and donated the buildings and grounds to Zen Buddhists in 1297. There was video explaining more about the beautiful paintings and other artwork decorating the rooms.
I then walked to the start of the Philosopher's Walk around 16:00 which runs along a canal and is decorated with cherry blossom trees and other types of trees. There weren't as many blossoms out as I expected so it is probably a bit late in the season. It also wasn't that busy and at its peak the walk is usually very crowded.
I reached the Ginkakuji Temple. also known as the Silver Pavilion, around 16:45 and a man was holding up a sign saying that 5pm was the last entry time and it closed at 5:20pm, so I just made it in time. You followed a designated route again but the area was relatively small compared to the larger ones I saw earlier today. The pavilion itself was already closed, so it was really just a matter of walking around the garden and seeing the outside of the pavilion. Very nice but I wouldn't say it was a necessity to see. I finished around
17:10 and contacted the others who were just about finished as well, so we decided to meet for dinner at a place near our hotel.
My bus took me to the north side of Kyoto Station. Google Maps was saying it was a 10 minute walk and I thought that was strange, but when i got there , it was like a totally different place to what I knew. the north side it a gigantic newer building with restaurants and a hotel. i had to go up about three floors of escalators and then across and back down again to the south side to our dinner location. After dinner, Krissy and Daisy went to the Don Kiyote shop to get ice creams while I looked after Oscar having his bath.
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