Daikaku-ji Part II

After walking around inside the temple, we wanted to explore the surroundings outside. It was a beautiful autumn afternoon! Right outside the temple is the Ōsawa Pond  (an artificial lake). We sat on the dock watching the fish and ducks. I loved it! The leaves on the trees were starting to change and it was beautiful! We decided to walk around the pond. I didn't know if we were trespassing but we found a path and followed it.

We saw a lot of vegetable gardens along the path and we stumbled upon a bamboo forest. I was glad we didn't rush going to Arashiyama because we had our own private bamboo forest. It was deserted!

We also found the pagoda while taking our walk. And I loved how we found a vending machine next to it. You will never be thirsty in Japan!

We circled back to the temple and took our bus back to Kyoto station. Buses are so popular in Kyoto and the day pass is about $5.

Daikaku-ji

I needed to get away from the bus tour group after Kinkaku-ji. We were originally planning on going to Arashima bamboo forest but we felt we didn't have time so we decided to go to another temple. 

We ended up at Daikaku-ji temple. It was by far one of the best decisions we made in Kyoto. It was so peaceful and quiet inside the temple. No crazy tour bus crowd. It was surprisingly empty!

I had the chance to take my time walking around the temple. I loved all the gardens and use of wood throughout the buildings. I am so impressed on the preservation of all the buildings/temples in Japan. They really protect their heritage and history. And everything is super clean.

If you want a quieter place to explore, I highly recommend going to Daikaku-ji. 

Kinkaku-ji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion)

One of the most famous temple in Kyoto is the Kinkaku-ji or golden pavilion. We woke up early to try and avoid the crowd but no such luck. It was packed with tourists (like us) and it was very difficult to take a picture without someone's head being inside the frame. It was hilarious! Hello global tourism!

I thought the ticket to the golden pavilion was very beautiful! I kept it as a souvenir. Walking inside the ground was dreamy. The entrance was lined with trees and covered in moss. We walked into a gate then the golden pavilion surrounded by water and trees. It was just amazing! 

Everyone was snapping away and taking selfies. It was unreal. 

After taking a million pictures, we walked around the grounds and took a little hike before leaving the temple.

I am amazed how well preserved the buildings are in Japan.