Kyoto is full of shrines, temples and tourists, even in midwinter. According to Hannah, Japanese people come here with the express intention of visiting as many shrines and temples as possible before shrine-fatigue sets in. It's an ancient city and there are pieces of history everywhere from small shrines on downtown corners to the many World Heritage sites in the area.
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Raked gravel garden at the Silver Pavillion. |
We set off for the Silver Pavillion, a Zen temple at the base of the foothills that surround the city. To get there, we followed the Philosopher's Path, a narrow canal-side walkway tucked away in Kyoto's backstreets. After the first 15 minutes or so, it became obvious this walk was probably best done in spring when the cherry trees that lined the path were in bloom. Even so, there were welcoming tea or noodle shops on nearly every corner. Every now and then we encountered a shop full of cat-related art or floating glass baubles. At the end of the path was a man selling what I can still only describe as 'hot food items'. Each looked tasty yet was utterly unidentifiable. I bought a sort of dark brown rectangular prism, which turned out to be a warm baked brick full of sweet potato, and was delicious.
The Silver Pavillion is an ancient Buddhist temple set in gardens of the type every sister-city Japanese garden in New Zealand is trying to imitate. Even in the middle of winter they are beautiful. I especially loved the glowing green moss gardens, which have been carefully cultivated by the resident monks for more than a thousand years. Every now and then you noticed a monk gathering fallen leaves with a bamboo rake or tending to one of the winterised trees, using the same techniques that have been used for centuries.
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Admiring the multi-level moss gardens at the Silver Pavillion. |
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