Kyoto

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Kyoto was Japan's capital and the emperor's residence from 794 until 1868. So it is absolutely brimming over today with magnificent cultural heritage and is home to countless temples, shrines and other priceless structures.

We stayed at Bola Bola Guesthouse in Western Kyoto, near the Arashiyama area. This is a really pleasant district though on the outskirts of the city. However it is on the JR line so only 15-20 mins from Kyoto Station. There are a couple of temples in the area and these bamboo groves surround the very residential district. We walked around, but in the lashing rain. In fact it rained practically the entire time that we were in Kyoto!! Kyoto is pretty flat so a good place to rent a bike. Again we got soaked cycling home and Eoghan skidded from his high nelly on some tram tracks!! This happened shortly after I had been splashed by a big van so we were feeling particularly miserable when we arrived back at the guestjhouse. Would have been a good time for an onsen!!Everyone in Japan walked around with an umbrella when we were there in the Autumn and I now know why. You can also buy them in every convenience store and people even have attachments on their handlebars so that they can cycle with their brollies!! It could catch on at home!

You could spend alot of time (and money) in temples in Kyoto but we sort of cruised in and out of many temples and spent time exploring Kiyomizudera ("Pure Water Temple") which is one of the most celebrated temples of Japan. It stands in the wooded hills of eastern Kyoto and there is a nice view over the city from its wooden terrace. Below the terrace, you can taste the sacred water, which gives the temple its name and which is said to have healing power.
We later found out that this temple and all the others are owned privately and in fact the monks who run these establishments are very wealthy business men. Glad we didnt spend too much time soaking up the buddhist culture in Kyoto!!

Kyoto has plenty of leafy suburbs, and we took some respite from the large concentration of temples in the south east. The Walk of Philosophy, here, is a pleasant path beside a canal for about 1km, along which are also some smaller temples and a few restaurants and cafes.

Nishiki Market is a narrow, shopping street, lined by more than one hundred shops. There are various kinds of foods including many Kyoto specialties, such as pickles, Japanese sweets, dried food, sushi, and fresh seafood and vegetables. We looked, we sampled many pickles but we didn't purchase anything....much too expensive

We walked through the Gion district, renowned for seeing Geishas. We hung outside this theatre and as the people were coming out spotted a couple of maiko apprentices and then....a more senior geisha but we weren't quite sure if she was for real or involved in the theatre perfomance. She had this air of confidence about her that seems out of place in the geisha character. As they slipped by suddenly this delicate figure emerged done up in an elaborate kimono and her hair twisted up in fabulous style. Her fragile walk is perfectly orchestrated and she had two men in her company as well as being shielded by a female chaperone. Exactly as I had imagined, white as snow, under her parasol and so demure. The excitement!!! Apparently there are only about 100 in Kyoto and they are very well sheltered in private clubs etc.... so where a lowly backpacker like me would not get a look in! Eoghan cheekily tried to sidetrack her into a photo but her chaperone firmly but politely whisked her out of his reaches......

So once we had ticked that box we could leave Kyoto!!

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