We're back (again)!

Yep, we just got back from Kyoto and a brief visit to Osaka. (Sorry this post is about a week late...like my friend James says, Japan just never stops! We manage to keep things pretty sane, but time keeps marchin' on, as always. And you people are so demanding! The pressure is almost more than I can bear at times. It cripples me.)

We had a great trip to Kyoto with our friend Evonne. We saw an awful lot of shrines (I'm officially "shrined-out"), some palaces, and lots of people. For those of you who know Kyoto, my personal favorites were:

1. Kiyomizu (pure water) Temple: This is one of my favorite photos I've taken so far. The temple and various shrines are on a mountain overlooking the city. Great views all around.

2. And the other favorite: another shrine (I forgot its name), which supposedly involves about 10,000 gates spread out over 2 miles. I think we might have done about 1/8 mile; it was pretty cool.

I also enjoyed the Shogun's palace inside Nijo castle, but there was no photography allowed inside. The exterior was nothing "to write home about," but the interior had so much to say, so much history. The 500 year-old wall paintings were beautiful, the woodwork was very delicate, and it was very spacious inside. The floors even squeeked loudly by design so no ninjas or other assassins could sneak up on anybody! The palace was by far the best Japanese thing I've seen.

I'll leave off with this picture, another one of my all-time favorites.We read there was going to be a Shinto ceremony taking place on the morning we were scheduled to leave, so we headed to this shrine just outside Kyoto to see what all the fuss was about. The ceremony itself was really boring, but it was a rare opportunity to experience the living tradition of Japan. I'm glad we got to see it.

These folks are getting ready to play some musical instruments for the celebration. The music sounded somewhat chaotic and dischordant to my Western ears, but there was a certain eerie quality to it, which seemed effective and very appropriate for the setting. I think they probably did a fantastic job. It's not something I'll be putting on my iPod, but it was indeed interesting.

There are many, many more things to do and see in Kyoto which are not mentioned here. The golden temple (covered w/real gold), the silver temple (which never actually got its silver), Gion (geisha district), Emperor's palace, lots of cherry blossoms, lots of shopping for the ladies, eating local ramen, shopping for swords and ninja stars, etc. There's something for everyone.

So, in summary, Kyoto is indeed a must-visit if one wants to experience Japan. To come to Japan and miss Kyoto is really to miss Japan altogether. It's almost a wasted trip without seeing it.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to check out new pictures by clicking on the link to the right, "Japanese Jubilee." You'll see a lot more Kyoto, and a little Osaka as well.