As an amateur photographer I live for the right combination of subject, light, and background. With that said I've never had more of the perfect mixture of all three than over the past few days. This weekend in Kyoto has proven to be one of the most enjoyable landscape photography opportunities that I've ever had and I managed to come away with a few shots that I absolutely love.
The temples where absolutely beautiful and immaculately kept, as I expected. The grounds are exactly as they were centuries ago, or so I was told and believed. Making my way through the various temples and their grounds made me appreciate them more than simply seeing them in a picture. Also I had a very strong appreciation of how sacred these sites are to the Japanese. They're not just tourist traps where the locals try to shake you down for your coin. These sites are still very functional and I felt like I would be voted off the island if I mistakenly touched something that I wasn't suppose to.
There are many shrines and templates in Kyoto and just as many ways to see them all. You can go as fast or as slow as you like. I had a little more than two days to get in as much sightseeing as I could and felt rushed, like I could spend 3 more days and still not see everything. Many people who visit either walk around to the shrines, take the bus, or use a combination of both. Considering I wanted to see as many of the sites as I could I opted to cab it from one temple to another when walking was out of the question. This limited my time spent waiting on the bus and made for some very interesting cab driver conversations. Many of the drivers used the opportunity to practice their English, just like in NYC.
It's hard to pick a favorite of all the templates, so I wouldn't. However, if you do visit Kyoto and have limited time I recommend going with the major templates. If you have time to spear then walking from one shrine to the other is by far the most enjoyable way to experience them. I absolutely plan on coming back to the city to take in more of what it has to offer. For now though I'll have to settle for two days, my photos, and my memories.
