Kyoto, The Lovely Ancient Capital

It cost around 500-600 Yen and half hour from Osaka to Kyoto Station. As a city that famous for their traditional Japanese culture, Kyoto Station was like the most modern train and bus station I've ever seen. Buses are the main transportation in this place, since there's only 2 lines for subway (the simple north-south line and east-west line). I don't know if there's a standard speaking tone for bus driver, but somehow every time they speak on the microphone, in their monotone voice, I feel like hearing someone screaming about how boring is their daily job... ==;

By the way, if you visit Kyoto, I suggest to buy Kyoto Unlimited pass, whether for bus only, or for both bus and subway. We bought 1 day pass for bus only and 1 day pass for bus and subway. At our first day in Kyoto we only use bus, and the second day we use bus and subway. Bus is actually enough as the main transportation in this city. But subway is faster for cutting the route as sometimes bus don't arrive as punctual as train.

This city is less crowded than Osaka. The sky and clouds were very beautiful in this city. Here, a lot of people wear kimono. I don't know if it there was special occasion in late October or if they're always using it when they go to certain places. But compared with Tokyo or Osaka, I feel as if Kimono is a daily clothing in Kyoto. (Or maybe it is?) Late October also seems to be the time for study tour. There are lots of students in group visiting shrines, temples, and other tourist spots.

Prices for food are quite expensive in Kyoto. But our best food experiences also happened here. I could never forget the heavenly anago sushi I had tasted in Kyoto, the soy flavour ice cream, and the delicious macha. I miss them already...

Fushimi Inari Shrine
Our adventure in Kyoto started with Fushimi Inari Temple. From our inn we need to get back to Kyoto Station and took bus 南5. Stop at Fushimi Inari Bus stop, then just follow where the crowd go. xD;

Fushimi Inari is really famous for it's hundreds (or maybe thousands...?) red torii gates lined all over it's trail. The shrine worship Inari, God of rice. Foxes are the God's familiar, which is why there's also lots of fox statues all over the place.

I didn't notice all the torii gates trail are actually a hiking trail for Mount Inari until I reach the highest shrine. Talk about the point of no return... +_+; The trail isn't really difficult, but exhausting as we walked those stone stairs up and down and up again.

The good point is, there are less people the higher you go so you might have a better chance for photograph with only you and red gates scenery. But if you didn't plan to hike until reach the top or if you want to visit Fushimi Inari and the red torii in casual way, I suggest you just stop and go back down when you reach intersection with food stalls and nice Kyoto city viewing spot.

The food stalls sell some snacks and drinks like soy flavour ice cream, amazake, hiyashiame, macha, inarisushi, also main course like udon and soba. The soy flavour ice cream is a must try, it's the most delicious ice cream I've ever had since I was born.

Buy the ice cream here~

The road around Fushimi Inari to the bus stop also full of food stalls, restaurants, and souvenir shops. My brother was really curious with the grilled bird in that place (we don't know what kind of bird, though) but it's sold out so he ate the cold grilled duck instead. I think the cold was intentional since it's really a delicious dish.

Kiyomizu Dera Temple
From Kyoto Station we took Bus 206 and stopped at Gojozaka. Then we walk to Kiyomizu Dera through it's shopping alley. There might be closer bus stop to this temple, though. The admission is 300 Yen per person.

Thanks to my obliviousness with the hiking path at Fushimi Inari, it's already evening when we reach Kiyomizudera Temple. Lucky for us we're still able to get in just before they're closed for anymore visitor. But it's dark already to have a better look for the temple surrounding. It's a pity since I guess the scenery in the day is really beautiful.

We also manage drank one of the three small waterfall that called Otowa Waterfall. I don't know which waterfall for which kind of wish. Whatever it is, I just hope for the best in our lives.

Tenryuji Temple

Tenryuji Temple

Tenryuji Temple is located in Arashiyama area. Since our inn was around Gojozaka and I think it's pretty far by bus, we use subway to the East as far as the subway train could bring us, then we took a bus from there. We're supposed to stop at Tenryuji-mae, but the scenery of the river was so pretty and we decided to get out from the bus one stop before Tenryuji-mae. It's said there's monkey forest across the river.

The admission for this temple garden is 500 Yen. At first we thought it's pretty expensive for pretty garden. But the first scenery we get left us jaw-dropped as it is the most beautiful pond garden I've ever seen. It feels different when you look at it with your own eyes even though you've seen the photograph before. And I can see the great effort and great aesthetic sense to take care such garden, so it's like 'shut up and take my money' moment. The garden is also bigger than what I initially thought it would be.

Tenryuji Temple

Arashiyama Bamboo Groove
Tenryuji temple garden has two place for entrance-exit area. We took the entrance near the pond and exit on the other one. This exit leads to Arashiyama Bamboo Groove, a walking path (sometimes car use this road too) with green bamboos everywhere in the left and right. It felt beautifully surreal, but the scenery is real enough for lots of tourist to walk around the path. ^^

From Arashiyama, we walked our way to Tenryujimae Bus Stop and took bus 11. Then we transfer to Bus 59 at Yamagoe Nakacho terminal. Bus 59 stop at Ryoanji Temple and Kinkakuji Temple, our next destinations~

Ryoanji Temple
Ryoanji Temple is famous for it's rock garden. It's perhaps kinda hard to be captured well in photograph. But the moment you go in and see the rock garden, there's a flush of spacious and peaceful atmosphere that makes you want to just relax for a while and enjoy the zen moment. Admission for the rock garden is 500 Yen per person. There's also a big beautiful pond with ducks playing in the water, decorated with trees around it.

Kinkakuji Temple
The famous and glorious golden pavilion makes it one of the mandatory places to be visited in Kyoto area. Admission to enter the place is 400 Yen per person. The sparkling golden color of the pavilion reflected in the pond and makes a wonderful scenery for the eyes. Kinkakuji Temple was pretty crowded when we were there. Everyone wants to take a picture with the scenery.

Ginkakuji Temple
Before we go to Ginkakuji Temple, just in Ginkakuji-mae station there's a restaurant with delicious dashi smell and we're quite hungry so we ate some gyudon and tempura soba there. The food are delicious, that if I can go back to Kyoto, I think I will eat there again. Xd

Ginkakuji reminds me of Kiyomizudera in the term of there's small shopping alley before the temple. The pavilion might not as grand as Kinkakuji, and it doesn't even silver colored. But it has big beautiful park area with several ponds combined with rock gardens in the front area. There's also moss garden when we walked further inside and a higher trail to see the pavilion from upper terrain. The atmosphere is nice and serene but still exciting to walk around.

In Kinkakuji and Ginkakuji Temple, at the exit of the garden, there are tea house for sit down to drink macha and sweets while enjoying the scenery. It cost another 500 Yen per person. They're delicious! Although it's kinda small portion for the price... I wonder if macha is actually expensive... ^^;

Nijo-jo Castle
To get to Nijo-jo Castle, we use subway and exit from Nijo-jo Mae Station. Unfortunately we didn't fast enough to get to this place since it's already closed at 4pm. So we just strolling and took pictures around the gate and moat.

Gion
People said your visit in Kyoto isn't complete if you didn't visit Gion. But I really had no idea about this area and we didn't know if we are in the right place to look around or not. We walked into some alley that looks more like traditional Japan, and the food around there are absolutely expensive... ^^;

Most of them are shabu-shabu, yakiniku, and kaiseki dinner. I wanted to eat sushi, but I couldn't find any around this area. So we go the the road with more modern buildings and finally found some sushi restaurants. I guess the price is always pretty high around this area, but here is the place where I tasted the best anago sushi I've mentioned before. :d

Gion bus stop not really far from Kyomizu Dera temple. There's famous Yasaka Shrine in this area, but we didn't go inside since it's already dark. Gion is crowded with tourist from all over the world who might want to catch a glimpse of Geisha and Maiko. But sadly we didn't see any of them when we're there. I wonder if we're strolling in the wrong place. :S

As much as we want to stay another night in Kyoto, our time is limited. So after all the Kyoto adventures, we go back to Kyoto Station and searched for the hachijoguchi exit, then wait for our overnight bus. It's really cold that night and we might look like a hobo while we're anxiously waiting.

Finally around 11pm, the Fujikyu bus arrived and took us for the ride. We slept one night in the bus, waiting for the morning when we arrived safely at Kawaguchiko Station. For now, bye bye Kyoto~ Until we meet again~