Kyoto is a city of temples, greenery, hushed alleyways, and refinement. A holy-feeling city all mixed in with everyday modern life in pockets. It has the air of an old capital. In the spirit of not overdoing it, I actually didn’t see a ton of the city. I didn’t research every temple or shrine. I just tried to pick off a few things and enjoy the experience of being there rather than of knowing it all.
Some highlights:
- Nazen-ji temple and walking the Path of Philosophy in Northern Higashiyama
- Walking Pontocho Alley and the streets of Gion
- Nishiki Market and checking out their wares
- Walking through miles of vermillion torii shrine gates in Fushimi-Inari Taisha
- Gyoza, kobe beef, and other delicious foods (going by instinct rather than Yelp)
My one complaint about Kyoto is that there is a certain stodginess that seems to accompany this adherence to tradition. And it made me want to rebel. For example, I wanted to go to one of Kyoto’s famed kaiseki restaurants. I asked the concierge at the Westin to make a reservation for me for the following night, and this was a major issue. It wasn’t enough advance notice. She also couldn’t make a reservation for me on a night when I wasn’t going to stay in the hotel (I was checking out the next day). These restaurants probably won’t accept single diners. I needed to tell her how much I wanted to spend. They needed a credit card. Sigh. I’m good with street food…thanks. None of my half-hearted attempts to convince worked on her. In an act of immature revenge, I then went to the Club lounge in flip flops and shorts and cleared them out of food…to their horror, taking it all to go.