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Orange N Red, Temples N Shrines, Ancient N New
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HeyHeyanda Big G'Day toya,
Kyoto, within and around can be found something like 2000 Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. But wait there's more...there are several palaces, many perfect gardens and more beautiful girls you can hope to find in the one city. Oh yeah, the little bridges and ancient architecture are also worth checking out...ha ha! Within the modern city you can find all of the above. Out side of the modern cross ancient city you can find more of the above.
It really is one of the world's most beautiful cities I'm sure!
Did you know that Kyoto was one of the cities that America was going to drop the Big Boy on?
Supposedly this is true. But they didn't because the day it was supposed to happen the weather was crap and Hiroshima copped it instead.
WOW, what a loss to the world that would have been.
Today is my last day here in Kyoto. I'm leaving this paradise of a city and shall head down to what is supposed to be a very special little city. It's called Nara and has hundreds of tame yet wild dear funning around its parks and gardens. I am actually very sad to be leaving but I don't want what happened in Yangshuo to happen again.
Too long in the one place means seeing less other beautiful places.
My time here has been so wonderful and I have seen so many awesome things and met so many special people. I do believe that I will return here on my way back to Tokyo to catch my plane to Korea so I'm really not that worried about leaving.
Yesterday I spent most of the day in the Botanical Gardens.
The Kyoto Botanical Gardens and the most beautiful gardens I have ever been too. It was like walking in a beautiful dream for most of the day. Over the past few days I have done so much walking. I leave the hostel in the morning and enter the white world outside. Yes each day it has been snowing. Not bit snow but light fluffy snow that pretty much melts as soon as it hits you and you don't end up wet like with light rain.
I think I've found out how I like to travel and explore new cities.
I've noticed that I simply walk everywhere and don't bother with public transport. By doing this and talking to people back at the hostel later in the evening I've found that I have been seeing so much more of everything than anyone else. It does tire me out but I just see so much between that beautiful Shrine and that awesome Temple.
So from now one, each night I will try to pin point a few things I want to see and go see them. If I reach them it will be cool, if I don't then I have seen many other beautiful things in between.
So over the past few days I have walk most of the city and gone to see many beautiful Temples and Shrines and parks and gardens. Most I have no idea what their names were as I simply 'stumbled across them' and dropped in to have a look. Strangely most of these ones didn't have an entrance fee!
The ones I have used as markers and found to be beautiful are the Kiyomizu Dera. This is an awesome Buddhist temple built on huge pillars so that its windows can offer the monks a tree top view of the city. The Heian Jingu is a beautiful red and orange Shinto Shrine.
Love the colouring!
It's so peaceful and happy!
The Towa No Taki waterfall and Pagoda was just as beautiful but I loved the Ginkakuji Zen Temple (built in 1482) as its gardens were not only bliss but they included a Zen Stone Garden. The Shimogamo Shinto Temple was awesome dressed in its glorious red and orange. The Gojo Temple had some awesome doors and like the Kiyomizu Dera it was elevated to offer beautiful views.
What else...oh yeah, I even visited the Shogun Temple!
Really I did.
The Shogun Temple even has floor security. When you walk on it it sounds like birds chirping. No matter how softly you try to walk those birds continue chirping!
So that's it really, it's too hard to put into words how I'm feeling.
Confidence in myself is rising each time I board another train and find and explore a new city by myself. I'm beginning to forget what work was like. Honestly, getting up by alarm and actually 'having' to go to work or lose my job. At work you spend each day doing things that you would really rather not do if you didn't get paid to do it. Each day I rise and rush out and spend my day doing 'everything I want to do'.
It may sound strange but it actually does take time to get used to living this way.
Why?
Because it takes time to fully understand that it won't go away tomorrow or next week.
It's only just now beginning to sink in that this is the way it will be for some time to come.
Beers N Cheers toya...shane
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The soundtrack to this entry was by Soul Asylum
The album 'Insomniacs Dream'!
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| 47. | Orange N Red, Temples N Shrines, Ancient N New - Kyoto, Japan Feb 18, 2000 (  44 ) |
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