Day Trip to Kyoto

On Saturday we had a day trip to Kyoto which our Japanese hosts organized for us. It was extremely fun and really really really well organized on their part which was great.  Kyoto was quite different from Nishinomiya where we're staying - for one, there were foreigners in Kyoto which seems to be less common here.  First we went to the Kinkaku-ji temple where we walked around the gardens.  The place was packed with people holding umbrellas stabbing each other with the metal part....lucky for me, being vertically challenged means I get to avoid being stabbed and instead I get to do the accidental stabbing ;D.

Afterwards we had lunch at a restaurant (I had Udon with tempora) and we walked past theYasaka shrine.  Once we got there we had to purify ourselves by dipping a wooden spoon in water and using it to wash our hands by transferring the water from one hand to the other.  We then had to put water in our hands and transfer it to our mouths where we rinsed our mouths before washing the wooden spoon and placing it back in the trough.  Then we went to a gong and rang it to awaken the Spirits.  Afterwards we put a donation in the box, bowed twice, clapped twice, said our prayer on the second clap, and bowed twice again.  Complicated?  Yep....

Then we headed to the Kiyomizu - dera temple up a mountain.  On the way up there were tons of vendors and markets (obviously made for tourists) where we bought a ton of souvenirs and delish matcha ice cream.  At the temple some people got their fortunes told, and then we went to drink in the fountain of wisdom, love and longevity.  Finally, we went for dinner at a burger joint before heading back to our residence.  All in all, it was an awesome day and it was nice to do some touristy stuff after a week of studying and working on projects!  

-M