Journeyman's day in Kyoto with friends

Sanjuusangendo

Today after waking and making ourselves ready we went to the coffeekan near the station to have breakfast. Today we were going to sight-see with my friend whom I met when I was travelling Nagoya the last time I was in Japan. I met him trough Couch surfing. Back then he showed me around Nagoya but this time he came here, to Kyoto, with his coworker from India.
   First we went to Sanjuusangendo temple to see the hall with the 1001 Buddha statues in it. The weather was a bit rainy but we didn't mind since we were in a company. If I had been alone it would have probably been a bit worse.

Toji-In

   We strolled through the yard first which I must say, is much more beautiful now in spring than it was during summer. Though summertime is not so bad at all.
   After seeing the breathtaking statues and awed at the disciplined detailing n the statues, we left to have lunch. We ate curry together at CoCoIchibaya before walking to the station. Everyone got so tired after eating, so after we got to the bus to go to the next location, we were all sleeping inside the buss.
   Next up was the Toji-in temple where the founder of the Ashikaga bakufu, Ashikaga Takauji and the next Ashikaga shoguns after him, were buried there.
   It had a really nice Japanese garden and a small rock garden. The entrance was 500 yen but well worth it thanks to the garden.
   From there it was just a 8 minute walk to the more famous Ryoan-ji temple. The temple is known for its magnificent rock gardens and it had a real nice garden surrounding the main building. A lot of sakura trees and other beautiful plants. To bad that my battery died on my phone so I had nothing to take photos with. But I got to take my video footage  with my GoPro at least.

Ryoan-ji

   We walked and talked and had a good time and after leaving Ryoan-ji we went together to the shopping streets near kawaramachi. There we strolled around and gazed with wonder at the multitude and diversity of products that were sold there. Truly something very Japanese could be observed over there.

After that came goodbyes. We parted there with my friend and continued then with Wilhelmina and Hilda towards our hostel. We went on our way to the Kyoto Navi shopping mall to shop and from there we went to a near by Japanese restaurant to eat Shabu-Shabu. It is a food where you have a pot with boiling stock in it and you put vegetables there and you have thinly sliced cuts of meat that you quickly dip in the boiling soup with your sticks, and swirl it around until cooked. the meat is then dipped in sauce or into a raw egg and eaten with rice. It was sooooooooooooooooooooo good!!
Last up was a quick food shopping at the super and then back to our hostel.
Tomorrow well rent bikes and go to new places in Kyoto.

Cheers
Robert