Part of a shrine
Shrine in Gion
Hitachi Shrine
Streets of Kyoto
Yet another shrine..
Nearing Kiyomizu Temple
View
Standing at Kiyomizu Temple
Japan is so pretty
This temple is very famous
Def one of my favorite temples.
If you wash your hands with all the different streams of water, it is really good (and I can't seem to quite remember the specific story haha)
Monk praying?
The streets started getting touristy (Why tours are lame...you are stuck with this alllll day)
"Madeline" inspired school girls.
On the way over to Ginkakuji Temple (The Silver Pavilion)
Lovely view, but the actual temple was under construction
Fishies
VIP MOSS lol
What VIP moss looks like?
Bamboo
Crazy tree roots
Would be a lovely view minus the construction...I did my best to cut it out of other pictures
Fall foliage
Shrine near Ginkakuji
Kinkaku, or the Golden Pavilion
I really wanted to see this one. Actual gold on the outside!
Good luck if you get a coin in the bowl...I didn't =(
Everyone took a picture of this, so I did too...no idea what it is though haha
Outdoor tea house
Tea snack.
Indoor tea house
Actual temple at Kinkaku
Good luck charms (I got yelled at for snapping a picture)
This is burned into several hillsides for festivals
Outskirts of Ryoanji Temple...home of a famous zen garden
I found the grounds (which were free) to be way more amazing than the overhyped zen garden (which was 5 bucks)
And this would be the zen garden
I found all these people sitting in silence and staring.
So I sat and stared
and stared
and realized maybe I have a low attention span.
Maybe they were just resting their feet?
This side of the temple was prettier.
Model of the zen garden. You're supposed to stare and figure out what the 5 rocks represent...I saw 5 rocks. Maybe I am just not enlightened though.
Like I said, the grounds were way better
I got soooo excited. I thought I was going to get a huge hamburger...only to be sat down and find it was Japanese style and "Hambagu" which is like a meatloaf =/ (and yes I was looking for Western food in Kyoto, Japan's more ancient city)
Streets of Gion
My hostel was just down the corner...perfect location!
Street markets
Old theater
My bed...more comfy than my actual futon at home.
The shower room for my hostel.
Seriously, my hostel was gorgeous.
People from the hostel/old man Yashi (center-the owner) picked up at the restaurant that he knew.
Shochu on a plate
How the Japanese are supposed to accept their drinks "No no no.....ok."
