Justine and Dylan’s Travel Blog

Have spent the last week or so exploring Kyoto and surrounds. All great stuff and worthy of the “not to be missed” description often given to it (if you’re into guide books).

One observation though: it is very easy to overdose on temples. They are everywhere. Which kind of makes sense when you find out over 2000 of them are in just this city. Apart from the big touristy ones, there are little ones, ones with gardens, ones with other types of gardens, ones with shrines, ones tucked in between shops (think Chadstone style shopping centre, but with a handy temple tucked in between JB Hifi and MYER), ones inside of other seemingly unrelated tourist attractions, ones on hills away from it all, and ones just about everywhere in between. And then there’s the shrines, torii gates, etc. Kiyomizu-dera, Todaiji, Choin-in, Heian-Jingu, Ginkakuji, Kinkakuji, Nanzen-ji, Atago-ji and Fushimi Inari are a couple we seem to have stumbled across while walking around.  And trust me, we have stood literally outside the gates of more than that and decided not to go in because there just wasn’t enough time.

To mix it up a bit (we came prepared), we were also able to throw in a few castles (Himeji-jo, Nijo-jo), a few walks (Daimonjo-yama, Atago-san), gardens (Todaiji, Kokoen), a day trip to Nara and of course some shopping.

Topped off by sampling some of the local cuisine (sushi still rules in my mind, even having now also tried okonomiyaki, ramen, udon noodle varieties, syabu-syabu), it’s been an amazing few days. Do seem to be developing a craving for steak, potatoes, normal cereal and brown bread though.

Off to Takayama, Matsumoto and Tokyo tomorrow for more fun and games. Should be… uhm, different… to say the least (as always).