#21-24

 

#9-19

 

There is no Journal #6

Journal #7 ... The Shrine of the 1000 Statues... Sanjusangen-do

Here we found our first cherry trees in bloom!  Glorious.  So many are in bud but there hasn't been enough warm weather for blossoms.  All the places here are full of these trees and I can imagine how glorious it is when they all are in bloom.  I love seeing them with the evergreen pines among them.  The Japanese trim the pines so beautifully.  It gives that bonsai-Asian feeling.

As soon as we saw the first tree in bloom there we ran over for pictures...maybe good ones for next year's Christmas letter!

This place is quite amazing!  There were absolutely NO pictures allowed in the shrine....they would inspect your camera if they thought you cheated and of course I did not!  I did get the pamphlet and will take photos from it to send.  These Buddha statues  are called "Kannon".    There are 1000 life size statues and one enormous one.    They are made of Japanese cypress. Among the statues 124 were made in the 12th century when the temple was founded and the rest were made in the 13th century.  There are also some big hunk'in Buddha statues....all grimacing and mean looking.  I never could figure how this religion could be so sweet and forgiving with all those mean deities.  Please google Sanjusangen-do to see the place and contents.  It is quite amazing and impossible to describe. Think Chinese warriors  with many many hands holding stuff all looking at you.  That is my best shot!

 

 

I am sending pictures of us in the garden next. Carol took one of me while I was looking at Michael and didn't know I was being photographed.

Now go look up this place and find out what we saw. You don't even have to take your shoes off and be quiet like we did.

Later,    Grove and the other two

 

Journal #8 ... Kiyomizu-dera Temple

Our next stop was at the Kiyomizzj-dera Temple.  This one involved walking up a long road of shops to the temples.  They were beautiful and there were many. Many young girls and their boyfriends or with girlfriends strolling along in beautiful colorful kimonos.  They encourage wearing these in Kyoto and you can actually rent them.  Once we got to the end of the road I could see that there were many steps up and that I would have a hurt back and no air so I stayed behind and sent  the other two up to climb.  I enjoyed taking pictures of the people in Kimora and checking out all things made of green tea...nothing of which tasted worth a darn.  

 

 

When they came back we looked at the shops a bit and then found a nice restaurant upstairs.  I had cold grilled duck breast. Michael had tempura and ramen set and Carol chose sushi  since she found out we were not fans and it might be her best chance. 

 

 

When we finished eating we started down the road.  M and C stopped to let me look more at shops and started visiting with a Japanese fireman.  I came back up by them and was stopped by three darling middle school students who politely asked if they could speak with me a moment. They needed to practice their English and had questions for me.  Of course I loved it.  One gave me a map of where they live and I read it with them and made comments until they were all laughing. One gave me the paper and I will photograph it and then I asked if we could exchange some photos,.  The driver who brought them was laughing and enjoying our conversation although the English part was mostly mine.  We hugged and took this photo:

 

 

'Nuff said for now as I still need to get ready...M and C have gone for coffee while I had some time to write.  There is so much to write about and I have at least 5 entrees left before we went to bed last night!  I know.....too wordy but that is how I  fly!

 

Love,    Grove and gang

 

 

 Journal #9 ... Dragon Parade and Taxi Adventure

Now it was time for us to go down and catch a taxi, but WAIT!  Now we found out that it was a special dragon festival and the dragon would be coming down the street.  Before we went far we could hear the conch horn, the banging of drums and voi la! here it came. 

 

 

They maneuvered down and back up to the temple and then we were ready to catch the taxi to the NEXT adventure.  Boy did we get a ringer!  The roads are super narrow, barely room for the width of a car and we had to turn the corner and he motioned for people to move. No kidding he immediately stepped hard on the gas and went zipping down the road with people flying in all directions.  I was in the back and I could feel Carol suck all the air out of the car as she wailed in Japanese to "wait a minute".  He started talking in Japanese and laughing and I'm pretty sure he was telling us how many points he got for each.  He was laughing and talking Japanese with an English word stuck in here in there...mostly the word "small".  It was something like " hi ee ganda My Ee small". Giggle giggle!  We all started laughing too. Mostly from the uncomfortable feeling that any minute we'll crash or as in one case run over a guy on his motorcycle!  That only made our driver laugh and talk the gibberish more,". Ha ha mishie MoMo small".  When trying to remember an English word he let go of the steering wheel to grab his phrase book and gave Carol his book to read out loud which ended up being just names of jobs.......engineer, fireman, worker, etc.  she read the names and he laughed.  At the stop sign she gave him a handkerchief to read that had English and Japanese translation!  That only made him laugh and talk more Japanese Small! Having to wait a long time at a light all of a sudden he wheeled in the opposite guy's lane. Before we crashed he whipped in the little alley and driving like a mad man he maneuvered from side to side so as not to hit the poles on each side or the oblivious man walking toward us.  I thought he was going to jump the creek but turned quickly to the left and then to the right and to my amazement his wild shortcut took us right to the place we were going.  He actually got us there early and safe!  Ah me of little faith!  Well at least he scared me enough to buckle my seatbelt!  I will never forget that taxi ride.  As we got out, Carol asked him if he got his driver's license and that made him laugh more although I am sure he never understood her.  Carol says she was glad she said  " wait a minute " instead of "hurry up" in Japanese!

But our taxi ride was not the adventure Carol had planned for us.  That one comes with our next journal entry!

For now,   Grove and group

 

 

Journal #10 ... The Silver Pavilion

This was a masterpiece of garden design. Here was where the shogun had his mountain retreat. He planned to have it silver guided...as a twin to his Golden Pavilion but with costly wars to fight, those plans were squashed. However, this pavilion is much more beautiful with its soft patina. The grounds were lovely! Since pictures can say it all,  I'll let them!

 

 

Whaddaya think?  Does that do it for you?

Grove and all

 

 Journal #11 ... The Parade of Floats - The Screen Presentation

So tired from the huge amount of walking, we caught a taxi to the Gion area.  It is the hopping part and there are lanterns hanging all along the busy street.  As we started walking we saw the Chamber of commerce had a whole show about the special parade down that street every year.  Huge floats decorated to depict Japanese fables are rolled down the street by special pullers and riders.  Some of the smaller ones don't have wheels and are extremely heavy.  It takes many men to carry and steer these floats.  The explanation and photos from the parade are projected on a long Japanese screen.  I am going to include the shots I took of the show. 

 

  

 

 Journal #12 ... About The Miniatures

After watching the wonderful parade on the screen that they showed us on the screen, I looked around the building?  They had one of the floats before they finish decorating it to look like the ones in the parade.  I tried to take a picture but it was too big.  As I was looking around I saw they had the miniatures in the window so took those pictures.  Here they are:

 

 

Done,     Grove and the gang

 

 

 Journal #13 ... The Famous Rock Garden

Today we were up early and on the road by taxi to be at the Ryoan-Ji Temple before the crowds.  Founded in 1450 and its claim to fame is the rock garden, 15 stones surrounded by patterns of raked gravel. We took our shoes off and put on the leather slip ons,  walked out to the covered patio and sat down to contemplate. I mostly gave thanks for a happy life a wonderful family and many fine friends. Being in such a beautiful garden I gave thought of our amazing world and the wonder of nature.  That made me worry  about the disgusting way we trash it, put our trash in the sea and pollute our rivers and sky.

Later we walked around the large pond and great gardens with lovely huge rocks and hundreds of cherry blossom trees ( I say that. Japan has cherry trees but I don't mean fruit trees.........rather cherry blossom.  The mossy rocks and trees along the pass look nice but the blossoms hadn't popped yet.  )

The thing I loved is the way they cared for the old trees and many looked ancient.  When branches needed help they build crutches for them. When trunks of trees were damaged they were wrapped with rice straw for protection.   I wish we could  have saved our old cherry tree at home with some first aid.  

 

pictures# 62-

 

 

From here  we taxied to the Golden Pavilion.  Before you go you will need to wait and enjoy the quiet time for meditation of the rocks and a quiet walk .  It is the real Zen Buddhist experience.

 

Love,

  The enlightened trio

 Journal #14 ... The Golden Pavilion

Now it is time to see the shining pavilion built for the Shogun in the 1300's.  Surrounded by a lovely garden and pond, it can take your breath away.  It is the gold opposed to the silver we just saw...but remember the silver was a lovely natural colors because of the Shogun's pocketbook.  I guess he, like Trump didn't realize that an army is quite expensive!!

The Golden Pavilion has three levels whereas the Silver has two.  Each of the levels is a different architecture.  The path around the pond gives you a different look of the pavilion but all are beautiful.  Which is your favorite?  There is one I just love and will have to frame.  I hope it is the same one you love.

As you go along the path you will find little shops selling green tea, little blessings and souvenirs of the pavilion. 

By the time we finished our walk around we were pavilion'ed out for the day!  We grabbed a taxi and boogied to the textile district.  The building/store Carol had planned for us was wonderful.  We got there a little late due to traffic and caught only the last few minutes of the kimono fashion show.  Michael did take a picture at the end of the show with all the ladies in their kimonos.  Of course I wanted a  kimono as the one Ikuko gave me is way too small, and  the one  the Hahns  gave me I wore to death.  As I went over to the cotton kimono section (can't afford or up-keep silk) one pattern caught my eye and I had to have it.  I won't bore you with modeling it for you, but I did take a picture of it on the bed.

 

 

By then we were starving for lunch so thought we would go to the NISHIKI Market.  Aka: Kyoto's kitchen,  here the locals and top chefs shop for everything from what we would say soup to nuts, but it was more like from urchin to sparrow.  Carol was craving ramen but of all things that was not found anywhere.  We ended up going to Mc Donald's as last time one of the people she met on her last trip, a local, claimed it was the best burger in Kyoto.  We each had a Big Mac as there were many different kinds...even some with a fried egg in it.  We were under whelmed!  It was much like the ones in Gridley.   By then, however I was so hungry I would have consumed a p, b and j sandwich with the same fervor!.....oh and the fries were tasty too.

Tired from the sightseeing we went back to the hotel for some R and R.  That night we changed clothes...ok I put on a different coat, and grabbed another cab for our Indian dinner. The place had been recommended by a local friend and Carol had gone there on her most recent trip to Japan.  The ambience was fine and if you walked toward the bathroom you could watch the chef cook his special dishes in the huge tandoori oven.  We had tandoori chicken that was delicious but hard to eat politely.  We finally gave up no picked up the bone and ate the meat we couldn't cut off.  It is not like those in the restaurant will be seeing us again.  Of course I spilled some of the spicy shrimp 🍤 curry on my new top and stained it.  I guess you can't take me anywhere without dropping something on this shelf of mine!  The food was delicious if you like Indian food and Ok if you would prefer Italian or Thai food!  I say " Way better than urchin or sparrow!!"

We still had some time to brave the cold ...and boy was it.  I had about every layer I could find and was still cold. Once we started walking , however , it was fine.  We saw the pretty orange shrine.....that was beautifully lit with Japanese lanterns, at the end of the Gion district called Yasaka Shrine.  This shrine oversees the religious rites of the city's main festivals.  The street is alighted with lanterns...all electric kind.   The street was busy with the late night party-ers and shoppers checking out the many shops that line this street.

Time to wobble home and get ready for another busy day tomorrow!

See you then... in Hiroshima!

Love from The Travelers Three