Japan day 2

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Day 2 Japan
It is 12am tuesday morning am I am in the middle of an Ashtanga primary series. The first question may be why? Well I need a stretch. Ten hours of walking can make you quite stiff. It was a fabulous day, my camera and I spent the greater part of the day strolling through various temples and their respective gardens. April is cherry blossom time in Japan. They are stunning, they are everywhere. I will forever think of Japan and cherry blossoms. The gardens are spectacular, I am especially fond of the Zen rock gardens. Everyone seems to be a gardener in Kyoto and even if they don't have a plot of dirt, there are always pots to plant.The temples were very simple, different from the ones in China and Malaysia. Where those ones were quite ornate, these ones here were simple and quiet. The gardens on the other hand were overflowing with a cacophony of brilliant colours.Kyoto city is a mixture of old and new, different styles of architecture all jumbled together, residential areas twining around commercial areas. Within the urban jumble, I found the streets to be quiet. It wasn't like the organized chaos of a street in China, where cars and people are coming from all directions and they seem to be heading for the exact same point in space and time. In Kyoto the streets were calm, except for a few tourist and some locals- there is an overall stillness. I am surprised because with such a high population density I was expecting madness. Even at rush hour the streets were not crazy busy. The train station was another story. It is fantastic, 100s of people all converging upon you. I wish there were benches, I would grab a cold coffee from the coffee boss, sit and watch people go by, imagining that they are on thee way to a very important rendezvous with a lover, friend, or colleague. Maybe all three. All the gift shops, food stores, restaurant - a city within a city. I really like the train station.I found that everyone has been very nice, lots of smiles, especially from the shop keepers. Found a great tea shop, very traditional, the some teas were stored in clay pots. The owner was dressed in some kind of male kimono. I had the best green tea, both at the shop and at the temple tea house. To die for. On the streets everyone was polite, everyone waited their turn, men let women through doors first. People are reserved, no one will come up and start a casual conversation, even the taxi drivers are not pushy to get your business. No one really looks at each other. But I think it is a city thing. Everyone kind of walks around in their own bubble. Kind of like Toronto. It is 2am, my body no longer has any concept of real time. I slept from 6pm to 12am. I think I will try to catch a nap before heading out for day 3.Ciao

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