Saturday, October 08, 2011

Kyoto Sep 2011

After the trip to Osaka, we went to Kyoto. Our first stop was the famous Kinkakuji (金閣寺). This is a world heritage site. Even on a weekday, there was a big crowd at the shrine. Who can blame them? The beautiful golden building of the shrine is perfectly complemented by the serene garden and pond.


Next stop was Sanjusangendo (三十三間堂). We had the honour of having one of the monks there talk to us about the history of the temple, as well as the 1000 statues of Buddha there. The long corridor is still used for archery competitions today, a yearly event at the temple.


Next stop was the Imperial Palace of Kyoto, known as in 皇居 Japanese. Admission is by appointment only. This was my second visit, but this time I managed to take better pictures.





In Kyoto itself, I managed to spot a maiko hurrying along the streets.


We also visited Kiyomizudera (清水寺), a temple famous for the stage built overhanging a cliff. We were early, so there were few visitors. We even had an unusual visitor at the temple, a grey heron.




And here are some ducks at Kamogawa (鴨川, literally Duck River).


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