Kyoto

I have been wandering through Kyoto for a couple of days. There are so many amazing sites to see here that a person could spend a lifetime here and still not see it all.

The crowds have been horrendous though. Sometimes they drive me a little crazy because I can hardly move without bumping into someone. Kyoto Station is a complete madhouse to the point where it is almost laughable. It's almost impossible to get where you are trying to go sometimes.

But Kyoto is such an amazing place that it is worth the extra effort it takes to get around. I did make good use of the bus system today though. But I still did quite a bit of walking. I walked to Kiyomizu-dera Temple first. It was extremely crowded but once I started up the steep paths to the pagoda I left the crowds behind. I even found a completely deserted steep pathway down through the gardens rather than fight the crowds back to the street.

Then I caught the bus to the Heian Jingu Shrine and from there walked one of my favorite little pathways. It's called The Path of Philosophy. It wasn't very crowded either and I followed it all the way to Ginkakuji Temple, where all of the crowds were hiding. It was crazy there but the gardens there are some of the most spectacular of any I've seen. Beautiful ponds and so many varieties of trees. They have fascinating gardens of sand there too. It would be such a peaceful place if not for thousands of people sharing it with you!

My favorite spot is Kinkakuji Temple so I grabbed another bus and spent some time there. The last time I was there it was cloudy. But today the gold foil covering the outside of the building just sparkled in the sun. It is a spectacular place to visit.

So many places to see here that I haven't decided where to go tomorrow.