Adventures in Kyoto

So we're back from our big Japanese adventure. We spent the past week weaving through the ins and outs of Kyoto, one of the most beautiful cities we've ever seen. There were wonderfully crafted temples, houses, meals, everything really. Because Kyoto, unlike the rest of Japan, was not destroyed in the war and the city was a political capital for much of Japan's history, there are too many temples and gardens to conquer them all. Most of our time was spent walking, and then walking, and then walking some more through the neighborhoods that we particularly liked.
I would say, overall, the one thing that we learned from Kyoto was that everything, from the way a Bento boxed lunch is intricately packed, to the way a vegetable is sliced and intentionally placed for a meal, can be beautiful. Everything was so nice, so purposeful and pleasing to look at. There were craftsmen (and women) all over the city, putting much time, care, and skill into their woodwork and candies and papers and pottery and every other thing in Kyoto. I've always put more emphasis on utility and value, but both Bethie and I agree that beauty can really make a difference in the feel of something. Kyoto is so beautiful.
Most of the buildings here are so picturesque. This is just outside the main temple at Kiyomiu-dera, which was built in the 8th century. The wood building on the left was being restored while we were there. There were a bunch of old and young carpenters working hard. They appeared to do a lot of the work by hand. The "construction site" didn't look anything like those back home. Oh yes, and the wood. They use wood for everything--inside and out. It makes even the most lavish buildings subtle and welcoming.
An aqueduct, built in the 15th century, on the grounds of the Ginkaku-Ji temple. On either side are lovely gardens.
Bethie in Arashiyama, a really nice (and kind of touristy) area in Western Kyoto. It's full of rich people's houses, bamboo forests, and monkeys. We bought a couple of yummy, veggie filled steam buns, and wandered along the Hozu-gawa river.
Nishiki Market--wonderful (and some not so wonderful) smells. This is their main food market for cooked and prepared foods. So many interesting things--cooked eels, dried fish, tons and tons of different pickled veggies, and sweets--yummy, yummy sweets.
Us in front of the Ginkaku-Ji temple. When we wanted to take this photo, we didn't see anybody who we thought could speak English around us. So I asked this Asian fellow, a young man around our age that we heard speaking Japanese. I showed him the camera and gestured to take a picture of Bethie and I. His response: "Of course, where do you wanna take it?" Turns out, he's Japanese American, raised in the US but visiting family. I think we've been in Korea too long, where the population is so homogeneous that you can tell who speaks English and who speaks Korean by just looking at them. Nothing like home.