Kyoto 2015

My first weekend in Korea, July 3 - 5, I took Alan to Kyoto, Japan.  This is one of my favorite places on the earth and Alan had never been to Japan before.  So I cashed in some Korean Air frequent flyer miles and off we went.  We visited a whole slew of UNESCO world heritage sites in our three days there.  I walked until I thought I would drop dead, rested, and then walked more.  We had a great time!

Fushimi Inari

Here is a breakdown of the places we visited.

Fushimi Inari

A Shinto shrine on the east side of Kyoto. This was our one and only stop on the afternoon of the first day.

Shimogamo Shrine

Another important Shinto shrine in northern Kyoto

Kamigamo Shrine

Yet another Shinto shrine located a mile or so away from Shimogamo.

Kinkauji Temple

A Buddhist temple and home of the famous Golden Pavilion.  In western Kyoto.

Ryoanji

Buddhist temple near Kinkakuji and home of the famous rock garden.

Ninnaji

Third Buddhist temple in the same area in western Kyoto.

Nishi Honganji

Home of the Jodo Shinshu school of Pure Land Buddhism.  Located in central Kyoto, not far from the train station.

Sanjusangendo

A very long hall at a Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto, home of 1001 statues of the Bodhisattva Kannon.  No photos allowed inside the hall :-(

Heian Shrine

A Shinto shrine the commemorates the original capital city at Kyoto, Heiankyo.

We also spent a couple of hours shopping at the Kyoto Handicraft Center.  I have shopped here almost every time I've been to the city, starting in 1983.  In 1998 my son, Evan, won a shopping spree here!

We also had a great meal two nights in a row at an excellent donburi shop called Nakau.  And we had a pretty good Indian food lunch at a place near Kinkakuji literally right where we got off the bus from Kamigamo.  The best was the street food seafood pancake just down the street from the Kyoto Handicraft Center, though!

Gyudon at Nakau

Donburi and Chicken at Nakau 

Yummy noodles and pancake thingy

Our best meal in Kyoto