Yes, I know that title was cheesy, but it rhymed, so what can I say? Anyway, I figured that in honor of summer 2018 almost being here, I'd tell you about summer 2017. Last summer, my family and I visited Kyoto, Japan, for the first time. The entire trip was super fun, but there were a few things that I enjoyed the most, so I'll share those with you.
This photo was taken from a bridge over the Kamo River. Along the river and in the main city of Kyoto, there are tons of shops and restaurants to explore. Also, as you can tell from the photo, the scenery is really beautiful!
Above is Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kyoto's most important Shinto shrine. The shrine was built in 711, but was then relocated in 816. The red gates run all the way up to the top of Inari Mountain, which is 764 feet above sea level. The entire trail takes about two hours to climb, and the entire path is steps. However, if you appreciate a good view and a feeling of accomplishment, then the climb is definitely worth it. Foxes(kitsune in japanese), are considered to be messengers of the gods, which is why many fox statues line the shrines and the path to the top of Inari.
This is the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. There's really not much to say about it, except that it's very beautiful. Walking down the path in the morning is a bit eery, but worth is all the same as seeing all the magnificent bamboo stalks above you is really cool.
The last thing I'm going to write about is Ginkaku-ji Temple, which is different from Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Temple. This one is called the Silver Pavilion. If you don't like walking around just to see flowers and sculptures, then this probably isn't the place for you, but I found it really nice. The sand gardens make the whole area look very peaceful, and there's an abundance of different types of flowers to look at. Different paths lead you to separate areas of the temple, where you can look at different ponds, sand sculptures and gardens, and the city of Kyoto from above.
That's about it for exciting things to see in Kyoto. Of course, there are a lot more sights in the city, but most of them are other shrines and temples and I didn't want to bore you with a bunch of similar things. However, if you'd like to see more photos, check out my gallery!
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