Kyoto

This one is longer than any other post but Kyoto is an exceptional place so cut me some slack.

The hardest thing for me to do is to let my mind go- not think, analyze, and consider but sense and feel. That's one reason I love hiking so much- it allows me that escape. I felt that untetheredness for hours on end in Kyoto- the beauty and aesthetics of my surroundings left me lost in a timeless and peaceful state.

I walked from my traditional "Ryokan" hotel and encountered the striking Heian shrine.

Before entering the shrine most Japanese lave their hands with water- dipping the water from a fieldstone trough with beautiful raw wood dippers. I love this ritual- and performed it (multiple times).

The shrines are hung with votive tablets, wooden slats inscribed with personal hopes and prayers. Considering what to write has a wonderfully cleansing effect- thinking about what is most important makes life seem a lot simpler. My first one was easy. 

I could have spent weeks in the garden surrounding the shrine. I rested in the pagoda and watched tadpoles learning to swim and carp mouthing the surface of the water.

This bridge was one of the loveliest things I've ever seen- I stood spellbound at the lakeside watching a heron stalk across the shore and turtles paddle along the bottom.

I love the culture of wood in Japan- I kept stopping to smell the beautiful cedar beams. A sidepath into the woods led me to this tiny shrine that smelled of fresh cedar and recent sanding.

I walked out of the shrine towards the old imperial palace and ran into the Kumano shrine- a Shinto shrine devoted to marriage and childbirth. My votive tablet was easy for that one too.

I then wandered through the imperial park- acres of beautiful trees, fields, and the imperial palace. One tree looked particularly inviting so I stopped and went through some work emails. Several locals stopped thinking I was a "statue" busking for money and one took this picture.

I woke up early the next day and walked up the street to Nanzenji Temple- home of another beautiful "hujo" garden.

I returned to a 14-item breakfast that included a personal grill for 2 small fish. It was one of the more interesting meals I have ever eaten

My host loaned me a bicycle and off I went.

Kiyomizu-dera was next- it was crowded and this picture came from the internet.

Higashi-hoganji claims to be the largest wooden structure in the world- it and Nishi-Hoganji were impressive.

This small gate was my favorite.

I then biked several miles through the heart of kyoto- whizzing along the wide sidewalks. I chanced upon another half dozen shrines before reaching my destination in the northwestern part of the city.

My touring finished at Kinkakuji- the most spectacular building I visited all day.

What I loved most in Kyoto was the gardens- nature gently sculptured to create a peaceful and serene escape.

It was one of the best 36 hours of my life- I can't wait to go back.