5 Gaijin: Day 6: Kyoto

This morning Bruce had to take a train down to Kobe and back (5 hr trip) to pick up our wireless router so we can have internet access as we travel - which we found out is kind of helpful for bus, train and subway schedules! However, the rest of us enjoyed a sleep-in and had some time to relax and plan out our day. First things first, we needed some groceries. So Sarah and I headed down the alley and discovered this amazing local market. Everything was packaged so beautifully, I couldn't help but snap a few pictures!

There are more kinds of mushrooms here than I have ever seen before -
and they all looked delicious!

Super large daikon radishes

Octopus tentacles make yummy takoyaki

$20 cantaloupe anyone?

Or if you prefer a $40 melon?

Or maybe you prefer the $30 grapes??

Once Bruce returned we packed up and headed out to our first Kyoto temple - Ginkaku-ji. The grounds here were meticulously manicured and groomed. I was in awe of the simplicity and beauty that surrounded us.

Sneaking a shot of women in their traditional kimono

2 storied Kannon-den (main temple)

Zen sand garden with mound representing Mt. Fuji

Hiking up the mountainside

Scenic views of Kyoto

After walking around the gardens in the drizzling rain, we headed down the street to Sarah's favorite takoyaki shop. Takoyaki are balls of batter with pieces of octopus with green onion in the center and topped with shaving of dashi and mayonnaise. It may not sound amazing, but it is actually very delicious! Katie was hesitant and went for the battered cheese balls instead, but she ended up liking the takoyaki better after trying some of Trevor's! The owners cooked the food right in front of us. They were a brother and a sister who had been making takoyaki for 15 years. The man was also an artist and he had his delicate paper cutouts hanging around the small restaurant. The best part though was the moving octopus on the front of the building waving all of his tentacles around! After we finished eating, we asked them which temples were illuminated at night as we only got one temple in before everything closed today at 4:30pm. We found out that there were 3 temples we could go see tonight that were illuminated - so off we went! They were so sweet and helpful. Arigato goze mas!

The octopus was made by the owner's brother out of AC ducting

Finished product - 6 takoyaki!

We arrived at Eikando (which translates into View of Eternity Hall) temple around 5:20 and waited in a long line for the grounds to open up at 5:30pm. The temple grounds were purchased by a Buddhist monk in 853 from a wealthy landowner and then turned into a Buddhist temple when Kyoto was the capital of Japan. Tonight the entire temple and garden were lit up and it was absolutely stunning!! This temple is named after a famous Buddhist priest Eikan. One day as Eikan was walking through the main hall the main statue of Buddha turned its head and spoke to him supposedly telling him to slow down and enjoy. So now this temple is famous for its side facing statue of the Amida Buddha! Eikando is also famous for the Tahoto Pagoda situated up on the hillside with beautiful views of Kyoto. Another beautiful spot in the garden is the Hojo Pond with a bridge spanning its width. Here the reflection of the lit garden was breathtaking. We tried to capture its beauty the best we could on film - Enjoy!

Main hall of the temple

Dragon sculpted as a water faucet (where you wash your hands before entering the shrine)

Pagoda at Eikando - unfortunately it was closed to the public after dark due to the danger of climbing the stairs in the dark, but we got a peak of the top of it rising behind the main hall.

Reflection pond and bridge

Next we took the bus down to Kiyumizadera (Pure Water Temple). This temple was founded in the year 798 next to the Otawa waterfall - the source of the pure water! This temple was built without the use of a single nail. The main hall (which is pictured below) has a large veranda which juts out over the edge of the mountain. The views here are spectacular of the city below.