The huge KYOTO update - Day Three

Today was our last day in Kyoto (for this trip at least) and I knew I couldn't come to Kyoto and not go to Ryoan-ji or my dad would kill me (it's his favourite place in Japan). Becky and Neil had gone the day before (Becky said they'd gone to some place with some rocks..hahaha!) so they decided to go on a boat tour and Elspeth and I headed to Ryoan-ji (she had never been before). We caught the bus to kinkaku-ji (the golden temple) but decided that since we had both seen it before that we could save it for our autumn trip. We decided to walk to Ryoan-ji rather than wait for the bus since it only takes 15 minutes.




We entered the garden/temple and took the path towards the famous rock garden. We sat at the garden for more than half and hour, taking pictures (I used stitch mode dad!), relaxing and looking for the 15th rock. The zen rock garden in Ryoan-ji is made of 15 rocks surrounded by raked pebbles. The thing is, you can only see 14 of the rocks from any view. Only when you reach spiritual enlightenment will you be able to see all 15. Or, as my brother Christopher pointed out when he was 12, when you fly over the garden in a helicopter.

After trying to see the 15th rock we checked out the moss garden and the famous tea ceremony basin. This basin is a favourite of my dad's and he loves the zen saying that is engraved on it - "I learn only to be contented". I now own a keychain shaped like this basin.....



We took the path less traveled by on the way back through the garden and found the entrance to a garden that one can only enter if they decide to have lunch at the restaurant hidden in the back (how Japanese). Neil's school group had eaten here the day before and he had nothing but good things to say about it. Elspeth and I decided to splurge on the yodufu meal. It is like a hotpot but with tofu cooked in special herbs and spices, which you dip into a sauce. We also got the accompanying pickles, etc. These small dishes included some sesame tofu (eeww) and the dreaded mountain pototo thing that I hate but everything else was very tasty. The best part of the lunch was getting to eat in a beautiful tatami room (which was empty until we were almost done) and look out into gardens that 'normal' folk don't get to see.
[Interesting fact about these water spouts - they were originally designed to make a loud noise when they filled with water to scare away the deer! I didn't know that...hey, Christopher remember when we would time the one at Sherway Gardens??]



We took a bus to Nijo-jo (Nijo Castle), which was built in 1603 to be the official residence of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. It is famous for its uguisu-bari (Nigtingale Floor). The floors in the palace squeak and creak when ever anyone walks on them and it sounds like a nightingale. These floors were specially designed to warn the guards of intruders. I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside due to the paintings but it was interesting to walk along the floors (they really do sound like little birds chirping) and look at the various rooms in the palace. The surrounding garden was nice too...it was just so hot and humid...



[a note about this picture: I have noticed that a lot of boyfriends in Japan carry their girlfriend's purse for them. It's a very sweet thing to do (as I hate carrying a purse sometimes) and I thought this guy was particularly nice since his girlfriend's purse was pink and had a ruffle!)


After walking around the palace, getting some ice cream to cool down and finding the famous Japanese tourist site stamps Elspeth and I headed back to Kyoto station. We met up with Becky and Neil, had dinner at our favourite family izakaya (although avoided the scallop thing) and then got the shinkansen back to Nagoya (only 45 minutes!). I LOVE KYOTO. I can't wait to see it in the autumn (I've decided to go once a season).