26) Gion
is a very old area in Kyoto
known for its geishas. We saw three at
dusk while strolling the narrow, ancient streets. I still can't quite believe they were real,
not actors dressed up to impress tourists.
I'm assured they weren't. Where
were they going? What were they talking
about? What did they think about in bed that
night? It's hard to see the human
through so many layers. Maybe that's the
idea.
27) On our second day in Kyoto we walked the
Philosophers' Walk (some of it, anyway) and while in the area visited a living
Buddhist temple called Zenrin-ji. I didn't take any pictures there, apart from
the one of the graveyard below, because I knew I'd
remember the details forever: the musical dripping of water down a well; the
electric chanting of the monks (especially the one out of tune); the ancient
gardens, precise and vital at the same time.
With trees and carpentry inhabiting very much the same space, I felt
that the architecture was stripping layers away rather than getting in the
way. (The sad thing is that I liked this
place best out of all the ones we visited, but I can't write about it without
sounding all New Age-y and sick-making.
Sigh.) I could've stayed there
for hours despite my aching feet. Damn those orthotics and the need to take off my boots!
28) More markets on the
second day. I don't like pickles at all,
but the variety on sale impressed me no end (photo one). I was also pleased to see that even Japan has
Copper Art stalls, albeit much better than the ones back home (photo two). (Does Copper Art even exist any more? One can only hope not. This stuff might actually have been worth
buying.)
29) This particular
market featured (in my mind) examples of two of my recurring interests:
miniature pineapples (for giants, of course; tomatoes included for scale) and a
vast array of colourful lollies. Mmmmm.
30) I could burble on for
hours about how beautiful Kyoto
was, but there are no opportunities for Dr Who references so what's the
point? Apart from temples and shrines and
markets, I also went to some amazing restaurants and shopped in air-conditioned
comfort in places like Platz and the Cube. I drank decaf coffee until it came out my
ears and ate too many cakes.
These last two shots of Kyoto
were taken at night, looking along Pontocho. The bumps on the banks of the river were
couples enjoying romantic moments, spaced perfectly evenly apart because that's
the way things are done here. Or so it
seemed, anyway. Such neatness is to be
admired, from a distance.
(continue)