Kyoto 京都

Hey people, hope everythings fine and dandy wherever you are. Ever since coming back from NZ I have been flat out working, but I was lucky enough to get a few days off last week to go to Kyoto (one of my must see places in Japan). I'm a bit too lazy to write about everything so I'll let Wikipedia do the talking..........

"Kyoto is considered the cultural center of Japan. During World War II when firebombing was conducted throughout the country, Kyoto and its 1600 Buddhist temples, 400 Shinto shrines, palaces, gardens and architecture were spared, leaving it one of the best preserved cities in Japan. The Kyoto area has some of the most famous temples, shrines, palaces and gardens in Japan, including:
Kiyomizu-dera, a magnificent wooden temple supported by pillars off the slope of a mountain;
Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion;
Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion;
Heian Jingū, a Shinto shrine celebrating the Imperial family (built in 1895);
Ryōan-ji, famous for its rock garden;
Kyoto Imperial Palace, home of the Emperors of Japan for many centuries;
Katsura Imperial Villa, one of Japan's finest architectural treasures;
Shugaku-in Imperial Villa, one of Japan's best Japanese gardens.
Other notable sites in and around Kyoto include Arashiyama and its picturesque lake, the Gion and Pontochō geisha quarters, the Philosopher's Walk, and the canals which line some of the older streets.
The "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto" are listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. These include the Kamo Shrines (Kami and Shimo), Kyō-ō-Gokokuji (Tōji), Kiyomizu-dera, Daigo-ji, Ninna-ji, Saihō-ji (Kokedera), Tenryū-ji, Rokuon-ji (Kinkaku-ji), Jishō-ji (Ginkaku-ji), Ryōan-ji, Hongan-ji, Kōzan-ji and the Nijo Castle. Other sites outside the city are also on the list."

I think I saw almost all of the aforementioned sites in 3 days of sightseeing (and many more!). Being that it is now autumn, the crowds were pretty big in the places that were popular for the autumn colours. A big thanks to Babbu-ko who was kind enough to let us crash at her pad for a few nights!

Ginkaku-ji....yeah, it's not really silver....but check out the silver in the pond that everyone throws away!

Silver Pavilion from the hillside; Eikando-ji (maybe?)

Aki checking out koyo; The longest wooden building in Japan-Sanjusangendo...amazing inside, but unfortunately I couldn't take pics

Doing some heavy thinking on the Philosophers Walk...."hmmmm, I know! I feel like a drink at the narrowest pub in the world!!"

The crowds at Kiyomizu-dera; The famed Kinkaku-ji or Golden Pavilion...yes, this one is real gold!!

Ryoan-ji, famous rock garden (famous for it's simplicity?)

Toji Temple...the tallest pagoda in Japan

Hordes of people swarm for a glimpse of the leaves at Tofuku-ji

Pick a path...but be warned...one path leads to certain death, so be careful little boy!!!The mountain of Fushimi Inari is adorned with hundreds of thousands of torii, all the way to the top of the mountain

Ojisan carves up another torii; Kentucky Fried Sparrow!!! No kidding!!!! (and no, I couldn't bring myself to eat one!)