Kwenscapades: travel

backpacking

Long Weekend Getaway in Bantayan Island

6:30 PM

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adventure park

A Side Trip to the Jungle: Cebu Safari and Adventure Park

10:52 AM

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autumn

Of Reds, Yellows, and Greens: Kyoto's Autumn Foliage

8:39 PM

I started my day really early today. I woke up at 6, prepped my things, had breakfast, and by 8:30am, I'm already on my way to Kinkaku-ji Temple. It is best to be at the tourist spots as early as possible. The experience would be a lot different if by the time you get there, it is already flocked by a lot of tour groups.

Since this was my last day in Kyoto, I bought a 1-day Kyoto bus pass. I probably have mentioned this in my other posts but I would like to mention it again. Kyoto’s bus system is very efficient and train passes is not needed if you plan to visit Kyoto’s most prominent tourist sites. For only 500-yen, you get a full-day unlimited bus ride within Kyoto’s flat fare routes. This can already take you to the best spots in the city.

You can practically buy these passes anywhere!

Passes to choose from

So, how to use these passes? It’s very simple. Just get on the correct bus. Upon alighting, there two things to take note. If it’s the first time to use the card, insert the card into the card slot. The date will then be printed at the back of the card—thus, card is only useable within the printed date. After the first use, simply show your card with the date to the driver.

How to use guide

First on my itinerary is to explore Nortwest Kyoto wherein you can see the famed Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), Ryoan-ji, and Ninna-ji.

Kinkaku-ji/Kitano Area map taken from NaviBus brochure

Kinkaku-ji is one of Japan’s best-known sights. The temple was originally built as a retirement villa for shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. It was then converted into a temple by his son. In 1950 it was burned to the ground by a young monk and in 1955, it was fully reconstructed.

It is recommended to go there early in the morning or just before it closes to avoid packs of tourists

I arrived at Kinkaku-ji Temple at 9am. It's a weekend and there were a lot of tourist groups already. It was crowded and I didn’t get to enjoy much of the Golden Pavilion. The temple was breathtaking and seemed to sparkle under the sun. I wonder if that's real gold. (haha!) Aside from the pavilion itself, there are also a lot of other things to see in the site like its wonderfully landscaped gardens and others. I bought omamoris again, by the way.

Admission fee is at 400yen.

Ryoanji Temple was originally a country house of the Tokudaiji Clan before it was acquired by Hosokawa Katsumoto in 1450. It was then used as a Zen training temple and was registered as a world heritage site in 1994. The highlight of this temple would probably be the Rock Garden which is located inside Kuri- the main building of the temple. Aside from the wide, landscaped gardens, there is nothing else to see. If you’re not up to a long walk, better yet, skip this one.

The rock garden here is one of the symbols of Kyoto. Opening hours is from 8am-5pm. Admission fee is at 500yen.

Next on my list is to explore Northern Higashiyama area. First stop would have to be Ginkaku-ji or the Silver Pavilion.

Ginkakuji/Okazaki area map taken from NaviBus brochure

The walk going up the temple was quite tiring. But with the streets lined up with a lot of shops and restaurants, you’ll find a way to enjoy yourself despite the sweaty climb up.

Ginkaku-ji is another premier site. It was first used as a retirement villa for shogun Asikaga Yoshimasa in 1482. After his death, it was turned into a temple.

Gate to the temple

The temple compound was rather small compared to the other sights. However, this one proved to be the most tiring of all since you climb up and down a lot of stairs. One has to follow route for the entirety of the tour. Going up the topmost area can be quite rewarding. You'll get to see a nice city view.

View from the top

Opening hours: 8:30am-5:00pm. Admission fee is at 500yen

Lunch time! I had a really nice katsu curry meal at a nearby resto and it only cost me 900yen. I wanted to try takoyaki-never had it in my entire life--and so I bought one. For 350yen, you get 5 pcs. Uhmm I didn't really like it. Not that it tasted awful, it just isn’t the kind of food I’d like =)

Tetsugaku-no-Michi or the Path of Philisophy is one of the most pleasant walks in all of Kyoto. Unfortunately, my timing was not right—it was not pleasant at all. Best to visit when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. I bet this lane would be majestic.

The timing just wasn't right =(

Walking towards Eikan-do was so tiring. I thought it would be near but apparently, it was situated at the tip of Philosopher's Path. I did make a lot of stops along the way until finally I reached the temple.

Eikan-do is Kyoto’s top autumn-foliage destination. The temple was founded in 855 by priest Shinsho and was renamed to Eikan-do in the 11^th century. The architectural design was remarkably unique—which made it rather interesting.

With my feet all sore and ready to give up, I walked towards Nanzen-ji but decided against going in and exploring the vast temple gardens. Instead, I rested and enjoyed the cool air and nice view at the big tori. After the long, I was ready to retire and call it a day.

Summary of today's itinerary and expenses

How to get to Kinkaku-ji: From Shijo Kawaramachi (Stop D), take Bus 12 to Kinkakuji-mae--the nearest stop to Kinkaku-ji Temple. Trip would take at least 45 minutes. If you're coming from Kyoto Station, take the same bus. It will take about an hour to Kinkaku-ji--depending on the traffic situation.

How to get to Ryoan-ji: From Kinkaku-ji, take Bus 59 to Ryoanji-mae (2 stops only). You can walk to Ryoanji but it's quite the long walk-about 20 minutes. Across the bus stop is the entrance to the temple.

How to get to Ginkaku-ji: Take Bus 59 from Ryoanji-mae stop which is 120m from the entrance of the temple. Alight at Kinkakuji-michi stop. Go to the other side and take Bus 204 at Kinkakuji-michi stop to Ginkakuji-michi. . From Ginkakuji-michi bus stop, walk all the way up until you see the wooden gate of the temple.

How to get to Eikan-do: From Kyoto station, take Kyoto City Bus 5 to Eikando-michi. Walk 5 minutes.

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Long Weekend Getaway in Bantayan Island

A Side Trip to the Jungle: Cebu Safari and Adventure Park

Of Reds, Yellows, and Greens: Kyoto's Autumn Foliage

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