kyoto: never enough
we should arrive in kyoto in time to enjoy a stroll around the neighborhood or along the nearby temple path before dinner.
kyoto is famous for its temples, gardens and shrines. you could visit a different temple every day for a year and still not see them all! in fact, just wandering through any neighborhood at all will find you bumping into multiple shrines per block. today is a free day to wander to the beat of your own drum.
read a guide book or two, or visit one of kyoto’s excellent tourist centers for further info: there truly is a garden or temple to fit your interests. there are rock gardens, moss gardens, sand gardens, gardens that have seasonal highlights, gardens with rare birds. there are temples with famous art, with famous vegetarian food, with
famous monks, with famous meditation hours. in between the gardens and the temples you will wander through gorgeous old neighborhoods, hopefully taking the time to stop for snacks and drinks. kyoto is truly a gorgeous, ancient city but also very accessible to the millions of tourists that visit each year. we keep this day completely free to wander as you will, pursuing your own interests and needs.
it may seem like a cliché, but kyoto is one of the only places left with an active geisha community---and if you find yourself at the right place at the right time you too will see them everywhere! the apprentice geisha, known as maiko, like to visit shrines in the late afternoon so you may see them wandering around in their full regalia. there are even businesses that will dress you up and do your makeup and hair and let you loose on the streets! you can tell these “tourist geisha” from a mile away simply by the way they walk: more like western linebackers than willowy and elegant ladies! if this interests you, let us know!
there are optional cultural tours one can sign up that cover every interest imaginable---on foot, by bike or on buses. the concierge at the hotel can assist with this, or we can help you plan in advance if you like something a bit more structured.
my favorite way to see kyoto is to just walk. pick a street and wander. stop to watch an ancient-looking man weave tatami mats or make pickles, follow your nose into a small ramen shop for lunch. take no map, only a business card from the hotel so you can hop in a cab to get back at the end of the day.
or, for those of you who have been to kyoto before and feel like venturing a little farther afield: one hour up into the mountains is the hot spring town of kurama. ancient temple and a one-lane street all lead to an amazingly beautiful onsen. (we may schedule a guided escape to this village on this afternoon. we will let you know details as dates get closer).
links to various kyoto city guides that you may find useful. the hotel has great maps, and a super concierge too!
http://www.kyoto.travel/
http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/
