The One Where Kerk Did A Phenomenal Job Documenting Japan: Part 2

Where were we? Oh yes, Kyoto.

If you actually read museum signage, if the sight of a UNESCO marker makes your heart palpitate with excitement, if your travel partners mime strangulation as you recite pamphlets aloud, you should probably go to Kyoto.

Pagoda at Kiyomizu Temple. See what I mean?

Upon arrival at our hostel, Kyoto Cheapest Inn, we spotted an advertisement in the lobby for something named 'Chicago' and immediately set out to locate it!

Chicago! A funky thrift store the entire top floor of which was packed with used kimonos

Mans ended up buying a gorgeous cream-colored one.

Kyoto is probably most well known for the continuing geisha culture, but I don't think we saw any real geisha-- I get the feeling they don't hang around at tourist attractions. However, there were lots of people, both male and female, who were dressed in traditional clothing which contributed to the whole historic atmosphere.

One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn't belong.


But in case you begin to feel overwhelmed by Japan, there are always some familiar faces to ground you--

Drink something other than Boss coffee and you'll have to answer to Tommy Lee Jones.

Do you think Leo has any idea that he's advertising tires in Japan?


There are a mind blowing number of temples in Kyoto and we were worried about burning out (yes, my life in Asia is so rough. What, ANOTHER gorgeous, awe-inspiring, historically significant place? Didn't we just see one?) So we checked out Kiyomizu on Dani and Peter's recommendation.

 

Zenning out

'Holy Buddha Zen water' as it came to be known for the rest of the trip

The temple graveyard

Kyoto through the temple buildings

Caught in a rain shower on our way back down

Dinner our first night proved my father right once again-- no fancy, schmancy restaurant can compete with a family run hole-in-wall place. Tempura shitake mushrooms and eggplant...

...and kasu jiru, or sake lees soup with salmon. You may know that I fancy myself to be a bit of a soup connoisseur (I love soup. Also, jello and cottage cheese. I should hurry up and be 80 already). And I will say this one now ranks near the top-- we ordered several bowls, much to our server's amusement.


The next day we decided to truly assimilate and rented bikes from the hostel.

'Path of Philosophy,' where monks and scholars used to travel between the temples whilst thinking deep, mystical thoughts. I'm guessing really, I suppose they could have been thinking about lunch.

Ginkakuji Temple, otherwise known as Hagashiyama Jishoji, otherwise known as the Silver Pavilion. There's a Gold Pavilion on the other side of town, I was afraid to ask how many names it has. 

This temple is credited with the birth of Higashiyama (the beginnings of modern Japanese lifestyle) and you can see zen and modern cultures blending here- like how the sand pillar represents Mt. Fuji. Plus there's a phoenix on the roof.

After a lunch of real ramen, (which made me want to put freeze-dried ramen in a time-out to think about what it's done, holy crap I love soup!!) we hoofed it into what can only be described as the 'burbs of Kyoto, looking for Eiga-mura. Our map said several Japanese movies were filmed at this spot and we pictured a gorgeous background setting.

But...but this is Japan. Okay, fine. I can accept that not everything in Japan is picturesque but that does NOT mean I have to like it! We got distracted from pouting a few minutes later when we ran into one of our neighbors from Busan, "Is? Is that Ben? Wait, we're not in Korea right now. No, that's totally Ben!"

Kyoto was my favorite part of Japan, hands down. I should have predicted that, as I enjoy being battered about by history until I can't see straight. We said a fond farewell to the city and caught the bullet train to Tokyo for the last leg of our Japanese journey.

To be continued. Again.