Last week, nosotros took our offset Japanese route trip to the historic metropolis of Kyoto, which served every bit Japan's uppercase until 1868. This metropolis has thus much history, dating dorsum thousands of years, as well as due to its historic significance, was non targeted for air raids during WWII. Consequently, in that place are SO many temples as well as monuments to see. I absolutely loved our fourth dimension hither as well as cannot hold off to return.
Driving inwards Nihon is non cheap. There are toll roads to instruct almost everywhere. The roundtrip toll cost for this vi lx minutes crusade was over $250! We were able to rent a van from the base, which covered toll costs, as well as inwards illustration of a intermission down, they volition fifty-fifty come upward instruct you. Considering the toll costs, nosotros came out simply nearly fifty-fifty as well as the van was awesome!
Tenryu-ji Temple
Our offset halt on twenty-four hours i was to Tenryuji Temple, also our offset of 4 UNESCO World Heritage sites for the day. This temple was genuinely inwards a neighboring town called Arashiyama. The grounds of these temples are ever spectacular. You gotta honey a koi pond!
This human being was genuinely sweeping the moss amongst a broom as well as a giant dust pan. I justice this is why everything is ever pristine!
Taking a intermission at the temple.
I am genuinely falling inwards honey amongst Japanese architecture. This roll some mode porch was amazing!
We wandered through the lush grounds to instruct to the fifty-fifty to a greater extent than spectacular, bamboo forest, that was simply beyond the temple grounds.
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Just beyond the dorsum gate of the temple was the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. There are no words for how amazing this was, as well as the pictures for certain don't create it justice!
We enjoyed walking through the thick woods as well as watching the trees gently sway inwards the breeze.
Arashiyama was a sleepy trivial mount town, compared to Kyoto. We enjoyed wandering some the town a chip earlier the side past times side stop.
On our crusade to the side past times side temple, nosotros saw all these scarecrows inwards a rice field, as well as I simply had to instruct a closer human face (notice Olaf, from Frozen, on the far left). Apparently, scarecrows (kakashi) go dorsum to the eighth century inwards Japanese culture. There are fifty-fifty scarecrow festivals inwards unlike parts of the country, I would honey to run across that! They compete on scarecrow inventiveness inwards many unlike categories.
They were all different, as well as thus creative!
It was also neat for the girls as well as I to run across rice plants, closed up. This is non something yous run across everyday inwards the west!
Kinkaku-ji Temple
On to the side past times side temple, the keen Kinkaku-ji, or Golden Pavilion. This temple is also a UNESCO World Heritage site as well as may last i of the most beautiful buildings I get got ever seen! The exceed 2 floors are completely covered inwards aureate leafing, which shape the most beautiful reflection inwards the pond.
This construction was originally built every bit a retirement retreat for Shogun Yoshimitsu inwards 1408, but has burned downward as well as been rebuilt numerous times throughout history. The most recent existence inwards 1950, when a disgruntled monk burned it to the ground. Ooops!
Sorry, for thus many pictures, but it was simply thus beautiful!
We as well as then weaved our agency through the grounds. Here is Ella trying to throw a money into the bowl. I'm sure this has some important for skillful luck, but to Ella it was competition.
One of my favorite signs. Haha.
This is my form of vending machine!
Ryoanji Temple
Off to our tertiary Unesco site of the day! This was the Ryoanji Temple, which boasts an internationally famous Zen rock garden created some 1500.
This is the garden. I justice yous could say, I was expecting something more? I'm sure I don't fully sympathise the greatness, it simply didn't seem to alive upward to the hype, to me.
The temple was beautiful as well as peaceful though. As Matt said, "Those aristocrats had things figured out!" I loved the tatami mats as well as screens inwards this room.
We rested on this peaceful porch for a while. Matt fifty-fifty took a brusque nap.
H5N1 pocket-size replica of the garden. It is made upward of xv rocks as well as from whatsoever advantage point, at to the lowest degree i of the rocks is hidden. I justice that's the claim to greatness.
Nijo Castle
Our final UNESCO site for the day, whew! We walked from our hotel to the Nijo Castle, which is form of correct inwards the pump of downtown Kyoto. This castle was the master copy residence of the rattling of import Shogun, Ieyasu Tokugawa.
This is the moat surrounding the perimeter.
The rattling ornate entry gates.
We were non allowed to get got pictures within the castle, but I was especially intrigued amongst the "nightingale floors." The wood floors were designed to squeak to alarm the guards of intruders. They made a wonderful chirping sound.
And a lovely garden, of course.
This was the gorgeous stance of the complex, from the exceed of the moat wall.
The subway was featuring an authentic Peruvian band?
After walking the streets of Kyoto for awhile, trying to uncovering a youngster friendly eatery that was non packed, nosotros ended upward at this i (can't fifty-fifty cry upward the name). The nutrient on the sign out forepart looked decent, but after walking into the restaurant they kept leading us down to a greater extent than as well as to a greater extent than flights of stairs until nosotros ended upward inwards what literally looked similar a dungeon or cellar. To brand matters worse, they were playing a techno vocal on repeat during the entire dinner. It was HORRIBLE, but i of those memorable opor-garai moments! I think it has been mentioned to a greater extent than than anything else on the trip.
To add together insult to injury, most Kyoto restaurants (even downtown Tokyo, for that matter) accuse a embrace accuse to swallow there. We did non run across this on the card anywhere, thus it terms us an extra $12 simply to sit down down. Anyone who knows Matt volition know how he liked this! Haha! However, it is also non customary to tip inwards Japanese restaurants, thus perchance it all evens out somehow.
But, all inwards all, a keen offset day! More to come....
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