Its all go in Kyoto.

So finally I arrive via the ShinKansen to Kyoto. This is the sightseeing mecca of Japan with some 2000 or so temples/gardens to check out.

I was staying at K`s Hostel Kyoto which was really nice and met some sound people there. (Hey to Elgon and Richard).

After a bit of a slow start (I got drunk on Saki the night before) we got ourselves up to Kinkaku-ji which is gilded in gold and pretty spectacular (definately the best temple I`d seen so far). This temple build by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu for his retirement home, its was torched in 1950 by an unhappy monk and was rebuilt in 1987.

Next we visted Daitoku-ji which is a series of temples and zen gardens, unfortunately you couldn`t take any photos in the zen garden here but there are some photos from another temple we visited. Each of the gardens has a story behind it and represents a classic Chinese landscape painting.

Anyway the next day I didnt repeat my drunkness and was up early to phone my g/f and sort out accomodation when I returned I joined a big posse who were going up to Gion.

Here we saw some more temples (I havent got the information to tell you what they were called)　but they were beautiful and can be seen pictured here.