After lunch, the first place I went to is called Sanjusangen-do.  This place is most famous for the 1001 statues of Buddha, and the 28 guardian statues of various deities.  Each statue apparently has a different face, and people like to try to find the one that most resembles them.  I didn't find one that looked like me, for some reason...

On my way to Sanjusangen-do, I met a guy who was going the same way as me.  After Sanjusangen-do, he brought me to Chisaku-in, a smallish place with a gallery of sliding-door paintings, a great rock garden, and a nice koi pond.  Really pretty... until it started raining!  While waiting for the rain, we each bought a fortune... mine was "best luck!"  And then the lady at the gate gave me an umbrella.

After we gave up on the rain ever stopping, we went on to Kiyomizu-dera.  This place is huge!  You get there by walking up a huge hill, lined with shops that sell pottery, geisha gear, and other great things.  The temple itself is big, with a stage for Noh theatre productions.  It took a good hour to circle the grounds, but it was really nice- the rain made the hills misty.  It was really beautiful!

After Kiyomizu-dera, we walked back towards the station to our respective hotels.  Along the way, since it was now night, was a craft fair- lots of people selling pottery, craft-work, lots of different kinds of food...  it I hadn't been so wet and tired, I would have spent more time there.  Then I found my hotel, had dinner, and fell asleep.

On Tuesday, I got up fairly early, had breakfast, and set out again.  My first stop was at Kinkaku-ji, or the "Golden Pavilion".  Wow!!!  The place was stunning.  The temple is covered in gold leaf, and it sits at the side if a huge pond.  You can circle the grounds, and see it from different angles... I took tons of pictures. 

Next, I went to Ryoan-ji.  This place is famous for it's rock garden...  I guess my mind isn't Zen enough, because I couldn't figure it out.  The grounds are huge, and I had a fabulous time there... it was my favourite place on the trip!  I snapped tons of pictures here, too!

On the bus from Ryoan-ji, I met lots of people...  3 people from Switzerland, a guy from Taiwan, and a girl from Osaka. We chatted on the bus, and all (except the girl) got off at Ginkaku-ji, or the "Silver Pavilion."  It isn't, however, silver...  the guy who tried to build it ran out of money, so it was never finished in silver.  It was still gorgeous, though, and there was another great rock garden that I didn't understand.  The grounds, again, were fabulous.  The walk up to the place involved you taking a path lined with a huge hedge of camellia and bamboo.  I felt as if I was walking through a maze!  Again, it started raining, which was annoying, but at least it cooled things off!

After Ginkaku-ji, I headed back to the station, had a quick lunch, and hopped back on the shinkansen for the ride home.  Thankfully, it was not busy, so I actually got a seat!  :)

Check out my pictures here.