My trip to Kyoto with Anne... one month later

so i should've posted these photos almost a month ago now. sorry.

Basic explanation: had a three day weekend in the middle of the week (...just accept it) and met my aunt Anne in Kyoto for two days of sightseeing.

Starters: my first time in a sleeping car, which I was so taken by that I actually took this picture of. Surprsingly comfortable rest. The swaying motion of the train rocked me to sleep, just like the earthquakes do, but without the internal struggle over whether I should find safety or chance the structural stability of my house and get those extra few minutes of sleep.


First temple was Ryoan-ji: a very famous rock garden that was designed and constructed something like 500 years ago. nobody has moved these rocks since.

The fact that these rocks have stayed put for five hundrend years without being moved awakened my inner seven-year old... "just a half a foot to the right... that'll mess with EVERYone..."

Anne at Ryoan-ji:

The gardens of Ryoan-ji:






Zuiho-in rock garden at Daitokuji:







This is a picture of moss:






The Imperial Villa and gardens at Shukagin:


ridiculously old tea-room with correspondingly ridiculously old sliding-door art:











The tiny discovery of Sekizan-en






THIS place was cool. Called Kurama, meaning "Saddle-Horse" it's an area of temples and shrines hidden waaaay up in the mountains. half of the areas arae only accesible by a footpath that runs over the mountain between the two main temples.

The front gate. After this it was a bit of a hike up well-paved stone path up the mountain to the main temple:


Stuff we saw on the way up:







This is, I believe, the main temple. It's up there, and has a great view.


I NEED TO GO FOR A RUN:


followed the path behind the main temple over the mountain towards the next temple. saw lots of little shrines along the way, including this one:


I wish i could remember the anems of these places. From now on, I take pictures of kanji to remind myself.