Temples and shrines on my bucket list for Japan! I love the architecture and gardens that surround these places, so I was very excited to go to the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji)!

Our house is really close to Kyoto station, so we were able to take the 205 bus all the way to the top of the city where the temple is. The ride was really pleasant and people were friendly as we tried organizing our 7 people group around them. My friend Sean and I made friends with this one kid sitting with us who was collecting acorns with his family. I got to practice my limited Japanese and I think the kid was impressed by Sean's size (he's a big guy)! When they got off, the dad told him to say goodbye and it was really nice seeing them all wave as a family.

The buses in Kyoto make a lot of sense, and I think they're really foreigner friendly! (Here's an awesome map we used to get around!)

Kinkakuji

When we got to our stop (it's called Kinkakuji so it's really easy to spot), there was a small souvenir shop. I grabbed some stuff for my parents and then we went up to the temple.

One thing I didn't realize was that you had to pay to get in. Nevertheless, it was a smal lfee that I was happy to pay! The ticket looks really neat.

The grounds were well kept, with enough space for everyone to take their photos. The building's on a lake, but you can still get pretty close! It's a popular site for both foreign and Japanese tourists.

There were also numerous shrines and stalls to buy charms! I didn't light any incense or pray, mostly because I believe spirituality shouldn't be a tourist-y thing but it was also really busy. Perhaps I'll try it later in the trip as an experience, but I don't want to offend anyone. Kinkakuji is a Buddhist site I think, but they even had a small Shinto shrine near the exit. There are also washrooms and a cute cafe on-site. Gage bought me a really delicious shaved ice, while he had the black sesame ice cream (delicious)!! There are also several of the common vending machines.

The place isn't very wheelchair friendly. You could probably get up to see the building, but all the stalls and other features of the site are only accessible by stairs. Just something to keepin mind!

After Kinkakuji, the group set off for a small shop that sells bento. It was in a really trendy part of town that had a giant outdoor mall that went on the whole street basically. As the sun went down, people really started to look fashionable! There was also a cool arcade that had a ton of cool games, and Purikura.

Ramen

We ate at a ramen bar called Sen no Kaze (1000 Winds) and was very delicious! Gage and I sat at the bar since the table didn't fit us, which suited me just fine since we had the cozy seats by the cooks. I love food so much and the prices have all been super reasonable!

And then we went home!  I'm excited to do more amazing things tomorrow!