Kyoto December 2013

Going to Kyoto from Osaka is very easy. 

Just take the JR Line bound to Kyoto and you're there in 15 minutes ~awesome! 

For a one way trip, you just need to pay 450 yen. Pretty reasonable right?

Our schedule was very hectic since we're only staying in Kyoto for a whole day =/

If you ought to visit this ancient city in the future, I suggest you spend at least 3 days so you could roam around and visit a lot of temples and shrines.

Our first stop, was Fushimi Inari Shrine.

I highly recommend going here for its Torii gates!

Whenever you enter a shrine, it's mandatory to "purify" yourself.

To do so, use the wooden ladle to scoop out water and pour some on your left hand then your right.

Next, rinse your mouth (don't drink!) and finally pour the remaining water on the handle to clean the ladle.

Offering hall

To do some offering, throw a coin in the offering box, clap your hands twice then ring the gong by pulling the cloth.

Bow and pray.

Mini torii gates for offering.

I think this was 200 yen (?)

You write your name, address, your hopes and wishes.

Omikuji (fortune telling paper)

Tying the Omikuji around the tree branch will make your good fortune come true and ward off  the bad one.

The torii gateway tunnels <3

We went on a Saturday thus too many people.

I couldn't get a picture without any photobombers lol

Walking under the pathways was truly magical!

#selfie

After Fushimi, we headed to our Kimono appointment yay!

Taking pics wasn't allowed but managed to snap this pic at the hair-make area.

Kimono rental was 2500 yen

While my hair make was 5000 yen.

You could get a cheaper hair make style for 1050-3000 yen but they said the style I chose was the "Old Japanese style" and it was special so it was a bit expensive =/

Sigh, the disadvantage of being a tourist. They didn't even explain that before they let me choose.

But it's ok, charge to experience! It looks good anyway :)

Hair ornaments: 300-700 yen

Other styles could cost up to 10,000 yen! o_O

walking around Kyoto in your Kimono was totally normal lol

Selfie with le gorgeous car bwahaha

This garden was just perfect for a quick photo-op!

at the entrance of Kiyomizu-dera Temple

I don't know them but we're all wearing kimonos so yea hahaha

The perfect Kiyomizu shot <3

Can't get enough. 

We are so lucky to see this red foliage at this time.

Up close.

It's so unreal!

You could also buy some lucky charms in the temple.

Outside the temple, there's a shopping street where you could purchase some souvenirs, traditional food and other interesting stuff.

Yatsuhashi

I wish I bought these! :(

I've read on some blog sites, that this is a must-eat in Kiyomizu.

Hmmmm, I think otherwise =/

For 400 yen each, I think it's overpriced.

I'm addicted to green tea and the green tea cream of this puff is good. But the pastry was just cold, a bit hard and flavorless. Disappointing =/

Cucumbers on a stick anyone? ;)

1500 yen??? Wow

You could buy similar ones here in ph for P50 or 100 yen! LOL

There are also a lot of Kakigori shops here

Be sure not to miss this out!

Too bad, our schedule was so busy we couldn't spare time to eat this huhuhu

So many ice cream shops along the street

NOM!

Overwhelming flavors to choose from!

Next stop was at Kinkakuji Golden Pavillion

The Golden Temple ~so beautiful! o_O

Ever wondered how many kilo bars of gold were used to make this temple? :)

Well I got curious and learned that they used 20 kilos or about 86 million yen worth of gold!

Selfie at the temple!

It was already 4:30 pm when we arrived at Tenryū-ji Temple 

(FYI: Temples and Shrines close at 5 pm) and it was already getting dark so we decided to just head straight to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest.

And well what do you know...we were lucky to see Maikos!!!!

haha just kidding. They're tourists dressed up as Maikos =P

But it's ok, they could pass off as legit ones anyway so we took lots of photos!!hahahaha

They said it took them an hour to prepare and look like this

Maybe they're Korean or Chinese? 

They could understand Japanese a bit :)

Last stop was the traditional Tea Ceremony.

You could choose from 2 options: 

1. Whole ceremony (2625 yen) - includes preparation of the tea and drinking it

2. Just drinking the tea (1200-1500 yen)

I highly recommend this when you go to Kyoto or any part of Japan!

I never knew tea preparation was so tedious. From entering the tea room to drinking the tea itself!

  

Before you drink the tea, you eat sweets ~YUM!

Kareshi mixing the the powdered tea and hot water <3

mmmmm delicious! haha

To express gratitude and politeness to your host, you should create a loud slurping sound as you finish your drink ;)

Family portrait lol

Back at Kyoto station where you could easily spot Kyoto tower in front.

Like Osaka station, Kyoto station is very big and crowded.

For a more tourist-y feel, take the escalator up to the rooftop to have a view of the city or....

...this gigantic Christmas tree!

Perfect view <3