日本旅記- 京都 I

We went to Kyoto from Osaka this day.  Because our hotel was booked in Osaka for 5 consecutive nights, therefore we only had day trips to other regions of Kansai.

From Day7_Kyoto: Mum and me in the morning

We travel to Kyoto via Shinkansen in the morning, took a picture with my mummy. I just woke up so my face is all puffed up!

From Day7_Kyoto: Kyoto station

From Day7_Kyoto: Kyoto station

This is a the new Kyoto train station. Very nicely designed.

This is one of the days that I look forward the most, coz I got to meet up with Yuki! We became friends when she came to Australia for a 3 month exchange.  A very generous, friendly, cute and childish (haha) lady, I love her so much ;)  We signed up for a day-tour that day to visit three different temples in Kyoto. My cousin came too but he was late and almost missed the tour bus!!! The tour guide was being very kind to let us wait for him.

From Day7_Kyoto: The buddist temple Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto

This is the first temple we visited. 清水寺 (Kiyomizu-dera), a buddist temple in eastern kyoto. This is the front gate of the temple (most Buddist temple in Japan has orange front gates, to protect what's inside it).

From Day7_Kyoto: Inside Kiyomizu-dera

And in here I saw my first bloomed (half) sakura tree!!

From Day7_Kyoto: Our travel company

A picture with all of us.

From Day7_Kyoto: A traditional japanese shrine for good relationship

What I like about Japan is that you don't really need to know japanese as long as you know chinese haha, at least, for me I can guess half half lar. This little shrine prays for good relationships 良緣祈願.

From Day7_Kyoto: Inside Kiyomizu-dera

The buildings we saw was constructed in 1633, by ancient construction method (no nails are needed! -info from wikipedia) Amazing!

From Day7_Kyoto: Mum washing her hands in Kiyomizu-dera

My cute mummy washed her hands first time in a japanese temple *v*

From Day7_Kyoto: Wooden tablets for praying

I guess these wooden wishing tablets are not new to anyone. You write down your wishes on a piece of wood, tie it up in that sign board and pray. With the mercy of spirits and budda (whatever you believe in) your wishes will come true :D

From Day7_Kyoto: Other parts of the Kiyomizu-dera temple

OK, to fully appreciate this photo you need some sense of imagination. Please image you walk along this staircase with sakura blooming and petals falling with the wind blowing softly? Got it? yeah!

From Day7_Kyoto: Monk in Kiyomizu-dera

A monk in the temple praying (化緣).

From Day7_Kyoto

From Day7_Kyoto: Yuki and Me in Kiyomizu-dera

Yuki and Me :D:D

From Day7_Kyoto: Maiko in Kyoto

After visiting 清水寺 we headed back down the hill. The road is full of shops selling traditional japanese soveniours! I LOVE everyone of them!!! And we saw a couple of maiko (舞妓) too, so lucky!

From Day7_Kyoto: My japanese style lunch

This is my lunch for the day. Have I told you all that I LOVE SOBA noodles? They are so addictive! The bento set I ordered is cold soba noodles with tofu-egg rice. I LOVEEEEE SOBAAAAAaa!!!

From Day7_Kyoto: Fabric shops in Kyoto

This is one of the typical japanese shops selling handkerchief and japanese umbrella. So beautiful, if I have extra cash to spare, I would have gotten myself these wonderful art piece!

From Day7_Kyoto: 渡月橋

This is the second attraction we went to, 渡月橋, in Arashiyama.  I love this name coz it has a "moon" in it hahaha. Yuki said there're sayings that you are not suppose to look back while crossing this bridge, otherwise you will lost your happiness. I think it is a nice analogue to life-philosophy, you can't always look back to the past, head straight and live your life and be happy, as much as you can now.

From Day7_Kyoto: Bikes in Arashimaya

In HK, the man taking charge of these bikes are usually old man. But in Kyoto, most of them are young and handsome guys!!

From Day7_Kyoto: Samuri Doggie

In front of a second temple we saw this cute little dog! Way to go samuri doggie!! It is sooo cute~ and its owner is so kind to let us take a photo of him (you cannot touch his head though)

From Day7_Kyoto

Yummy foood....and I just can't get enough of these cute japanese decor.

From Day7_Kyoto: Rice crackers

Yuki bought us some snacks before going to the bus. Rice crackers, this one is ume flavour (I am a huge fan of ume), but unfortunately, to me this ume cracker (?!) is a bit too sweet for my taste, I prefer a more savoury flavour.

From Day7_Kyoto: Kinkakuji in Kyoto

The next destination was another buddist temple, 金閣寺 (Kinkakuji), built at 1397. There was a fire that destroy most part of the temple in 1950, and was re-build after 1955.

(information provided from http://www.e-japannavi.com/syuyu/kyo_sai_knkaku.shtml)

From Day7_Kyoto

Apart from visit the architecture of buildings, I love japanese shrines gardens as well.

From Day7_Kyoto: A guy tossing a coin to the wishing budda

Popular coin throwing spot. There's a bowl in the middle of that set of buddas and if you get your coin in, your wishes will come true! (and that men had it in!! Mine didn't -_-)

From Day7_Kyoto: Mosses everywhere

Martin likes mosses so I have been capturing different types of small plantations during my trip. He said mosses gives him a soft and relaxing feel.

From Day7_Kyoto

When we came across this Yuki asked me to sit on the bench and took a photo of me :) Later then I found out this is a seat for wealthy ladies (貴人) back in the olden days. Thanks yuki!!

From Day7_Kyoto: The tea house inside Kinkakuji temple

As I walk through the garden they have this little tea shop. It is sooo beautiful, the green of the bushes matches so well with the bright red umbrellas. Can imagine the people in the olden days enjoying their cup of tea with their love ones (*dreaming*)

After Kinkakuji we went to visit the third temple 平安神宮 (Heianjingu), built in 1895.

From Day7_Kyoto: Sake offerings at the door of Heianjingu

This is a display of all the barrels of sake offerings. I am a lover of japanese sake so was so excited when I saw this :P

From Day7_Kyoto: Inside Heianjingu

This temple's color theme is red and white. Very outstanding.

From Day7_Kyoto: Garden inside Heianjingu

Again, I didn't do much praying but rather spend my time visiting their backyard. The time was late afternoon so the sun gave its last shine into the garden for the day.

From Day7_Kyoto

Came across a couple of japanese ladies wearing kimono. They were so friendly and introduced me and yuki to different sakura trees.

From Day7_Kyoto: Sakura bloomed inside Heianjingu

Eventhough the weather was not warm enough to see full blooms of sakuras, this one bloomed beautifully.

From Day7_Kyoto: MacDonalds in Kyoto

I have noticed that the MacDonald signs in Kyoto regions is brown. I asked yuki why and she said because Kyoto (and Nara as well!) wants the city to have a calm and traditional feel, so bright color signs were replaced with darker ones so that they can blend with the entire city structure better. It really gives out a retro feel!

From Day7_Kyoto: Waffles in Kyoto cafe

Before we leave Kyoto to go back to our hotel in Osaka, we had a late afternoon tea with Yuki. I had waffle with red beans. I think the dessert is ok, but the service was horrible! Even Yuki was so surprise that the waitress in the shops were so snobby!

Afterwards we headed back to Osaka and after a long day walking, we all slept like a PIGGGgggg....