let's be happy.: February 2010

Hey
So I could just do a time machine post, but meh.
CBF today. Seriously.

Anyway, let's get it started.
When I went to Kyoto, we got up really early to catch a cab, to catch a flight to Osaka. From Osaka, we caught a bus to Kyoto.
On the way there...
I saw this.

Thats right. It says "Nintendo". Why? Because it's the original Nintendo building.
Awesome, right?

After we arrived the first place we went was Kiyomizu Temple (Kiyomizu-dera), which basically means Pure-water Temple.

This is the entrance;

Basically, the main part of the temple, which was built more than 1000 years ago is made entirely from wood, and is beautiful.

I went with my host parents, and host brother.
He was taking the picture so you can't see him, but this is me, with them, and with a backdrop of Kyoto city (his finger is totally in the picture grrr)

Kiyomizu Temple is called so because the water which flows from the mountain here has been running for thousands of years.
At this waterfall, you can line up to drink it.

I didn't want to line up and feel like a tourist, but I did anyway (Mum made me =/)
Then I drank it.
It was really quite nice, it tasted clean and just sorta fresh. It tasted like...happy.

Next we went to see the Golden Pavillion (Kinkaku-ji).
This is a shrine covered in gold leaf, and looks divine.
On the way there, we saw this;

Now, this is the character for "big" (大) and it is burnt into this hill annually. I'm not entirely sure why, something to do with the coming of a certain season (I think summer). Not to be confused with 犬, dog.

As we walked towards the Golden Pavillion, I saw this traditional-looking building.

I thought it looked pretty so I tooked a pick-cha.

Finally, after quite a bit of a walk, I was here, at the Golden Pavillion.
In this photo, I look really cold. That's because it was really bloody cold;

If you wanted to see it without me, here you are;

I think I'm a mighty photographtaker.

For some reason, there was a bush shaped like a snake there;

After that, we went to Ryoanji (The Temple of the Peaceful Dragon). I fell over (grr). It has a fantastic rock garden, and for some reason, a little model of it;