Japan 2007: Kyoto
Slept well last night. The skyline was very cloudy and foggy, so we figured it would be another chilly day. For breakfast we went to Mister Donut and people watched at the main Kyoto Station entryway. Herr needed a jacket so the lady directed us to Avanti. However, it had warmed up enough by the time we left that Herr didn’t really need a jacket.
To get to Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, we decided to take the train halfway, so we returned to the hotel room to grab our Kansai Area Pass vouchers. It took Sagano Linesome time to get our actual passes, but we only have to show them to the gate guard to get through.
To get closer to the temple, we rode the Sanjo-in line up to Emmachi station. The train itself was orange and green. A station before our stop a British family boarded as well. I found them amusing. It was lunch time when we got off, so we pulled into the nearest grocery store. Herr grabbed some sushi and I some small rice balls.
It turned into a very nice day but a lot of walking. The road seemed to go on forever. Sidewalks are split using white brick to separate out a lane for cyclists. Because traffic patterns are reversed, so are the walking patterns. People walk on the left side with cyclists close to the road.
We finally happened upon a temple where we could sit to eat. With such compact spaces, we didn’t see many garbage cans or suitable places to just sit. The sidewalks are very clean despite there not being any receptacles.
We eventually made it to the Golden Pavilion after almost two miles. It is set at the base of the mountains with a starfish shaped monument towering over it. We paid 400 yen each to enter; the ground was covered with moss and cherry blossoms not quite in bloom. The Pavilion was not far with a lake and lake path. Koi were abundant. After spending some time looking at the gold building we took a trail up part of the mountain. Men were sweeping the dirt, I imagine to keep the ground clean? Probably for the moss, but I still found it a little funny.
At the top of the trail was a shrine and gift shop with many people. We continued down the stairs and purchased some soft-serve green tea ice cream before heading towards the Imperial Palace. The Palace gardens took us over two and a half miles to reach, after the gated areas closed for the day. The open gardens have wide gravel pathways that Japanese seem to take their pets for good walks.
We saw some of our first blooming cherry trees so took many pictures like the rest of the people. We walked through to the south side and turned east for the Handicraft Center about three quarters a mile away. We were both decently sore by this time, but I still wanted to shop. I had only purchased a small ornament as is now tradition while at the Golden Pavilion. Herr ended up spending a lot of money instead. He bought himself a kimono for forty two hundred yen, and a scroll with art for about seventy five hundred yen. He won a set of chopsticks as we left — they gave me a postcard.
We were both hungry and sore as we walked half a mile south to a local commuter rail station. Overall, we walked about eight miles. Herr chose the first restaurant we saw at the Kyoto station. I had a pilaf with plum that tasted good, and Herr ordered spaghetti — not tomato based though. Unfortunately, many people were smoking in this small restaurant which did not improve my state at all.
When we finally made it back to the room we took our shoes off as fast as we could. I drew up a bath — the tubs are quite deep here — and we just soaked for a while. I passed out very shortly thereafter.