Temple Binge

All my days have merged into one and I'm finding it increasingly difficult to remember what I've done and the order of events. I never know what day it is, which doesn't help. I've decided to start writing a bullet list of the day's events to jog my memory so hopefully my blog  is still intelligible and isn't a complete mess.

On that note, I remembered that I forgot to describe part of my day last Sunday. I visited the Imperial Palace. I probably repressed this memory as it was an arse to get to, I ran into a couple of pervy locals and was greeted by a massive spider while on the toilet. I made a speedy exit. The thing that I have found most difficult about Kyoto is navigating my way from bus stop to bus stop then to temple. It would be so much easier if I had my own personal taxi to ferry me about to each place. I've wasted so much time faffing about and getting lost that I've not done as much as most would assume given the time I have spent here The only minor regret is that I didn't make it to Gion to see the geisha and experience the traditional tea ceremony. It would have been very expensive but a worthwhile expenditure.

If I remember rightly, I left you at Monday where I attempted to do the Lonely Planet walking tour but gave up after sweating profusely and losing my bus pass. The next day I decided to put my pass in a safe place where it wouldn't fall out or blow away...my bra. It bloody worked too so I'm not ashamed to say it. I realised that I couldn't keep a bicycle overnight unless I paid for two days. Instead, I bought a bus pass. I had a rough idea of where I wanted to go and what I wanted to see but didn't fixate too much on that in case I got lost or passed out from heat exhaustion.

My attempt at getting up early failed. This is not the first time and will surely not be the last. I did however manage to make it to Nishi Hongwanji again to see the musical ceremony that was taking place. Although I visited the temple on the Saturday (?) and attended the memorial service, this ceremony was different. It only happens once every 50 years and, as the subject suggests, is more musical. I managed to get more photos this time and stayed behind after the ceremony to take photos of the alter in the Goeido Hall.

Similar procession as the previous ceremony

 These guys were also present at the last ceremony. At this point I began to panic and think that I'd got it wrong and I'm just watching the same ceremony as before!

I like this photo as I manage to get just one guy in focus.

Thankfully it was a different ceremony. I was sat quite near the back so couldn't really see how many people were present. Suddenly a boom of voices echoed in the hall and a series chants emanated around me. The sound was hypnotising. I had a booklet containing song sheets with the words written down for me to sing along but I had no idea which page they were reading from. I decided to sit back and leave it to the professionals. I later found that the capacity of the hall is 3500 so that bellowing sound was justified!

 Side view of the alter

 I managed to fight the crowd and get a little closer

Each of these were beaten during the ceremony. Despite the small stature of these instruments, the sound does reach you wherever you are sat.

 Different kinds of offerings were situated at each side of the shrine.

I tried various angles but couldn't frame the entire front.

I'm obsessed with these lamps. They are so beautiful.

After much gawking and photo taking, I decided to move on. There was plenty more of Kyoto I had yet to see.

Traditional dress in Kyoto was not uncommon

My next destination was Kinkaku-Ji, a golden buddhist temple. I was told this and the silver pavillion were must-sees in Kyoto. The are on opposite sides of Kyoto but I was determined to see each by the end of the day.

It was impossible to take a bad photo of the serene Kinkaku-Ji.

A lovely clear day makes for a great reflection.

One of many I took...

...close up...



...and different angles.

Steps on a hot day, why!? Each temple tests me with their endless steps. It is like a true Rocky moment.

Interesting bug. They like to fly at your face and scare the crap out of you too.

This looked like hard work

I don't know if this is another aspect of Japanese culture or not, but what I love about each place I visit is the calm and peace within. There are no screaming bratty kids demanding ice creams, there are no people yelling "aww myy gawwwd" at the top of their lungs, no rowing couples, no grumpy old people...is there a loud social sector I have missed? It makes my time in Japan all the better for it. The children here are so well behaved too and so far, I have not met one ugly baby. Each baby/toddler/child is absolutely adorable. Coming from someone who hates children, it's rather shocking. They always stare with a curious look with a tinge of disgust, as if to say "what are yooou doing in my country you weird looking creature?" I've not seen that many children have temper tantrams but when they do the parents either stand and wait for them to shut up or ignore them. It works too. Around 30 seconds later the child runs along and laughs as if nothing had happened. It's weird but mesmerising. I can't remember the last time I went this far without wanting to beat a child in public...

I decided to take a slight detour to Ryoan-Ji Temple which contains a famous rock garden. Perhaps I'm not enlightened enough to witness it's true beauty as I was seriously underwhelmed.

I wasn't the only one though. Most people clumped together in the shade and messed around on their phones. I took this opportunity to have a rest and cool down before heading off to Ginkaku-Ji.

On my way to my next stop I saw this:

Well if it's good enough for Leo...

 Grounds leading up to Ginkaku-Ji

A nice view after a steep climb.

I didn't manage to get as good a shot as the gold pavillion.

As I walked down from the temple, I put my camera away and sighed with relief. That's me done for the day, now I need to find a place that has air conditioning and veg out for a bit. Now I have come to find that moments after putting my camera away, I tend to miss a great shot, usually a candid of some kind. I thought this was another one of those times. I saw the cutest little girl in a pink kimono along with her mother, also dressed in the traditional robe. Stay calm. Remove camera and take a photo...now!

I knew the shot I wanted. It was similar to this but better of course. Terrible framing. Not happy.

Before I knew it, the family disappeared into a shop and I felt a bit stalker-ish just hanging around to take a shot from behind. I was about to leave and then changed my mind. Perseverance.

I think the mother twigged that I was following them. I decided to ask them if I could take a picture and got this. It's not a candid but I still like it.

They might not be of a publishable standard but these are some of my favourite shots.

This was a nice round off to the day. I have seen a lot in Kyoto and am happy for that reason. It's just a shame that I haven't met as many people as I did when I was in Tokyo.